Cassano had launched one of his most pointed attacks on Allegri through the Viva El Futbol podcast following Milan's 1-0 defeat to Napoli, accusing the Milan manager of dragging Italian football into decline.
"Allegri is the main coach, not the manager," Cassano said. "He is leading our football into the abyss. This is the disaster that Allegri and his ass-kissers have created over the last ten years. He doesn't know how to coach, he talks nonsense, he continues to earn a lot of money and I don't understand why."
He was not finished.
"The time will come when these characters will be out of football. The sooner they go, the better our football will be."
Asked to respond in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's home match against Udinese, Allegri chose understatement over confrontation.
"I had the good fortune and pleasure of coaching him. As a player he had extraordinary moments."
He then reached for a comparison that will have stopped a few people in their tracks.
"I always said he came close to Ronaldinho, because he made the ball go where only he could see. And on that he was very good."
Then came the twist.
"I respect everyone's opinions. I think he has paid me a great compliment by saying I am responsible for everything."
He smiled as he delivered the line, according to those present.
The subtext was clear. If Cassano believes Allegri alone has shaped the direction of Italian football for a decade, then by his own logic he is crediting Milan's manager with an outsized influence on the game.
Milan sit third in Serie A with seven games remaining, focused on securing Champions League football. Allegri is not losing sleep over what is said on podcasts.