Fabio Capello News Archives

England boss Fabio Capello has warned his players that those who make themselves unavailable for games without a genuine reason will be putting their international careers at risk.

This message has been sent prior to the forthcoming friendlies against the United States at Wembley on 28 May and the visit to Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June.

Capello said: “If someone doesn’t want to come and play for England, it means they don’t love the shirt enough and obviously they must prefer to go on holiday.”

Capello added: “By the time of the two games, some of the players will have been on holiday for a week already. Do I want to see commitment to England? If a player doesn’t love to play for England, then perhaps he should stay at home. Players must love the England shirt and wearing the England shirt. That is all there is to it.”

I don’t know about any other English fans out there but at first this sort of talk is absolute music to my ears. OK, the two performances we have seen from England since Don Fabio took over may not have been obviously full of passion and ‘love of the shirt’ but this is a message that I was so pleased to have heard.

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John Terry’s season just seems to go from bad to worse. Chelsea coach Ten Cate has admitted to a ‘bust up’ with Terry prior to the Carling Cup Final defeat on Sunday.

“We are both kind of emotional, but we respect each other fully,” Ten Cate told The Sun.

“We just had a discussion about the intensity of the training session. That’s a normal part of the game. There have been a few F-words, no doubt. But that’s common in England.”

With this news, together with the Carling Cup defeat, a succession of injuries and increasing criticism in the media, John Terry seems to be fighting an uphill battle to retain his England captaincy under the new manager. Fabio Capello has yet to decide whether Terry will continue to captain his side as he did under Steve McClaren.

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Friday, 22 February, 2008.

A very good morning to you, dear Soccerlens readers. Got an email this morning from Hugo telling me that he was emailing a few organisations to see if he could find some slaves for us. Or something to that effect. I’m pleased, of course, but a bit concerned Hugo - are we going for this or this?

Anyway, on to the real stuff.

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In today’s WAGSnatch Roundup - times are changing for the England squad with a new WAG ban imposed, Ronaldo becomes the highest paid footballer in the Premier League, Chelsea’s Anelka is the latest footballer exposed for his cheating ways while Rooney’s little brother has an unusual pulling technique. And lets not forget Loaded’s poll and Prawn awards - who are England’s crappiest football fans?

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As tempting as it would be to lay it into Fabio Capello (alternatively, we could all renounce international football like some club football fans - you know who you are), this was Capello’s first game, and just as England under McClaren could not afford to celebrate after beating Greece 4-0, England under Capello cannot afford to wallow in their own piss after a dominant-but-unconvincing 2-1 win over the Swiss.
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Capello is starting to understand why his job pays so well. The crowd did not seem happy and kept asking for Beckham’s return while select tabloids are making a big deal out of his selection. Surely every journalist out there knows more than Capello about how to manage a football team… anyhow, here is what they had to say about last night’s match:

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Image courtesy of ManUtd.com.

Today is an emotional day for Manchester United fans - and as a United fan myself, I share the feelings and the sense of loss. You only have to read (not even hear, just read) about Sir Bobby Charlton talking about Duncan Edwards to realise what Manchester United and England lost that day Since MUTV is free for today, you can listen / watch Charlton and all other coverage commemorating Munich).

But while everyone is focused on the past and what United and England have lost, I feel that we are missing something and that in the misty-eyed tributes a great opportunity might be lost.

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61 year-old Italian managerial legend Fabio Capello begins his reign as England manager for real tonight when his charges take on Switzerland in a friendly at Wembley. At this stage he seems to have the media, the players and the fans all behind him. Long may it continue.

I have criticised Capello’s decision to leave out David Beckham at some length, and I have also questioned the appointment of Steven Gerrard as captain (Let’s not have that debate again, I know lots of you don’t agree with me!) However, I have to say that the more I see and learn about Fabio Capello, the more I like him and his style.

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So Capello named his squad last week, and as usual all the attention was centred on one man. Not the likes of Curtis Davies or Gabriel Agbonlahor, who received their maiden England call ups (but surely not their last). Not even the likes of Ashley Young or Jermaine Jenas, who are two of the in-form players in the Premier League right now. It wasn’t even the seasoned internationals such as Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney who were getting the headlines. No, it was a man who wasn’t even named in the thirty man party who had every tongue in the country wagging.

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Soccerlens is extremely honored to welcome one of the best defenders ever to play the game to our column: AC Milan and Italy legend Mr. Franco Baresi.

Mr. Baresi enjoyed a distinguished and enviable career at Milan, winning 6 Serie A titles and 3 European Cups. He also featured for the Italian national team in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, taking his team to the semi-finals (3rd place) and finals respectively. He played for AC Milan throughout, and the club retired the number 6 jersey in his honor when he finally called an end to a glittering career in 1997. After retirement Mr. Baresi got involved in player coaching, and currently coaches the Milan Under-19 squad.

Fabio Capello was Mr. Franco Baresi’s manager at AC Milan and this relationship gave him special insight on Capello’s management techniques and personality. In this interview Mr. Baresi talks about Capello’s appointment as England manager and what fans and players can expect from Capello’s England.

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Soccerlens is excited to welcome former Italy and AC Milan manager Mr. Arrigo Sacchi to our column.

Mr. Sacchi managed several clubs - most notably Milan - and Italy, with notable success (he led Italy to the 1994 World Cup final) as his Milan team won league and European titles. He had no prior footballing background but as manager was renowned for his professionalism, man-management skills and his appreciation of beautiful football.

The rivalry between Mr. Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello - both former Milan managers - is deep and well-known, but it is a mark of their respect for each other that Mr. Sacchi chooses to praise Capello’s footballing knowledge and managerial ability and avoids commenting on personal differences.

In this interview Mr. Sacchi talks about Fabio Capello and his appointment as England manager.

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England’s finest - allowing for injuries and lack of fitness - assemble this afternoon at the team hotel at Watford as they start preparations for their 6th Feb friendly against Switzerland.

Capello’s first game - except that this isn’t Capello’s England yet.

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Written by Nigel Winterburn for 4sportsake.com - original article here.

The new England set-up is there for all to see now, and I for one am very pleased that Fabio Capello has brought in Stuart Pearce as his coach.

I go way back with Stuart, having competed against him many times as rival left backs, and also having played in the same West Ham squad as him during the latter stages of our respective careers too. And because I know him well, I know for a fact that Stuart Pearce is a natural born winner.

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The first name noticeable by his absence is of course David Beckham. I am deeply disappointed by this, but I’ve written my views elsewhere and don’t want to rant on about it any more!

Aaron Lennon, Joe Hart, Theo Walcott and Steven Taylor may be slightly disappointed to find themselves in the under 21 squad as they would have been hoping for a call up to the first team. Certainly Lennon would have expected to be in with a chance, particularly with Beckham being left out.

Joe Hart will have looked at the average form of the other England goalkeepers and wondered who might be chosen ahead of him. Walcott has shown no signs of form, and Steven Taylor is a fine player but finds himself playing in a position where England are blessed with many fine players.

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Fabio Capello has arrived in England to find the game in this country at its lowest ebb for many years. Failure to qualify for this summers European championships has left English football in the doldrums. He must have expected the worst when he started attending Premier League games in order to assess the talent he has available for selection.

This weekend Capello has watched the Premier League game between Aston Villa and Blackburn, and the FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Tottenham. He must have been pleasantly surprised, and wonder why everyone is so gloomy, and how a country with this much ability has contrived to fail to qualify for any tournament.

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So you all are up to date with everything, Umbro has delayed the release of the 2008-10 England Away Kit until March 12th. However, our friends over at Subside Sports have unveiled a beautiful Fabio Capello shirt that will be given away free when you pre-order the new England away kit, or you can buy the shirt itself.

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Disclaimer: The contents of this article are not suitable for ages 13 and below.

In this week’s WagSnatch roundup: another Ronaldo orgy (so he has fun, when will people stop complaining about their excess of hypocritical virtues?), Kaka linked with a corrupt church (does Jesus take kickbacks?), Jermain Defoe’s ex sheds light on their relationship (and sheds her clothes in the process), we find out why Jermaine Pennant is so messed up, Kickette interviews Francesco Toldo (Inter Milan) but sticks to balls and fashion and Fabio Capello is being investigated for tax evasion (will the FA have to fire him before he even manages one game?).

Game? Come on in…

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While football accomplishments and failures are usually measured season to season, the end of an year gives an opportunity to view a team’s (or a player’s) performance from a different perspective.

Here’s a look at the teams and people who deserve to be nominated as the best performers in 2007, even by their own high standards.

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Here are some notable quotes made during the past year. Each was stated by the named individual; however, my responses were created, and are not meant to represent the views of the individuals. Nor libel them in any way. This is both a factual and (hopefully) a light-hearted article.

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The official appoitment of Fabio Capello as England manager is making a lot of ink flow in the British press these days (especially the official “unveiling” & associated press conference, held yesterday Monday), but nothing compared to the astronomical contract the Italian coach has signed with the English FA (over £4.8m i.e. €6.7m, plus an additional bonus in case of World Cup victory). The Daily Mirror’s printed version headline (”CAPE££O”) is quite explicit in the matter, and makes a strong suggestion along the lines “we paid you a sh**load of money, now get us a World Cup”.

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Fabio Capello is one of the most successful football managers on the contemporary scene (see how Capello stands against top managers) - and yet the British press (as well as misguided observers across the world) have contrived to poke holes into the FA’s decision, calling it hasty, damaging to the English game and generally bad for England’s future.

Considering that the footballing authorities in England have a track record for bungling matters and hurting the future of the game in England, this sentiment is not surprising. However, when you see otherwise respected journalists pander to jingoistic emotions is disappointing - surely Richard Williams and his ilk have been in the business long enough to separate personal opinions from fact and deal accordingly?

This article deals with several issues raised in the last week - the ‘English v Foreigner’ debate, whether it was smart to ‘decide so early’, whether Capello will be good for England (no flair? the horror!) and of course, the potential England lineup under Fabio.

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While Don Fabio has been more or less confirmed as the next England gaffer, has the FA made the right choice or is it another instance of going with the second best. The idea is to dispassionately look at statistics and evaluate the various contenders for the England post.

We look at the club and the country record of Don Fabio, Marcelo Lippi, Jose “Special One” Mourinho, Martin O’Neill, Jurgen Klinsmann, Luis Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink. Just to compare we also have the statistics on Sven “Iceman” Eriksson and Steve “I-can-do-it” McLaren.

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Fabio Capello has a quartet to assist him in his new role as England manager. Let’s take a look at his team:
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On Thursday, 13 December, Fabio Capello, 61, was appointed by the FA as the next manager of England. Terms of his contract will be £4m a year after taxes for 4.5 years. He becomes the first Italian to lead the Three Lions, and this will be his initial managerial position at the prestigious National Team level.

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The interest for ex-Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello is progressively growing across the Channel. After the many rumours picking him as one of the favorites for the England job, the Italian tactician now features prominently on the managerial shortlist of two EPL clubs: Liverpool and Newcastle. Or does he?
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Update: Fabio Capello approved as next England manager by the FA.

Last season when Fabio Capello landed in Madrid as the messiah for Los Merengues, I was quite excited - Beckham’s team would have a top-notch manager after a long time (with all due respect to Quieroz, he isn’t top notch) and finally we’ll see Real Madrid winning again.

For the first few months the dream was on hold but as the season wore on, slowly and surely the Real Madrid players put together an amazing string of performances to lead the club to the La Liga title. Like it or not, Capello had a role to play in Madrid’s revival.

Now that he’s expressed interest twice in the England job (once while commentating on an Italy game and then in his BBC Football Focus interview), let’s examine the possibility more closely.

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The names tied to Steve McLaren’s succession as England manager are flocking, both in the British press as well as abroad. The job divides opinion: some consider it one of the top international posts, while others see it as a poisoned chalice, but either way the English FA should be making a decision within the next week. So meanwhile while we wait, let’s have a look at the potential candidates.
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Old habits die hard at Real Madrid, Fabio Capello should be able to attest to that more than most in the footballing world.

The Italian coach was sacked on Thursday by Los Merengues, two weeks after he guided Madrid to their 30th La Liga title in a scenario identical to that of 1997, when Capello was first in charge of the Spanish giants.

It is now getting to the point with Real where the end of the previous season and the lead-up to the new one is about finding out who the next manager is along with identifying which big-name, big-money signing is going to be snapped up by the club.

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Just eleven days after winning their 30th Spanish league title, Real Madrid have announced that Fabio Capello will not continue as first team coach next season. Madrid’s board of directors met at lunchtime today to finalize their decision.

It is difficult to understand how any club can get rid of their manager/coach after winning the league, but apparently the move to oust Capello started weeks ago.

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Real Madrid will be looking to take on a number of European clubs this summer for their top stars as Calderon’s ‘project’ to rebuild Madrid’s legacy begins in earnest this week.

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