Fabio Capello puts down his head of espresso, leans back on the couch and laughs. The previous foreign manager of England has just been asked if he has a message for the current one.
'Success!' the Chortling Capello answers. He stops adding: “you will need it,” but he doesn't have to say anymore. His giggle has given away the game.
“It's certainly not easy,” adds Italian, sitting with postal sport in the historic Palace Hotel in Madrid. 'As an English manager, if you are English, it is easier because one or two people think:' Why did we choose a foreign manager? . '
“But that's for the president of the FA. They choose the manager. If they decided this, they think it's the best way. Nobody arrives with a gun against their heads and says, “You have to choose this”. They decided, from all over the world: “What is the best for us at the moment? This manager is the best”.
“There was Sven, then Fabio and now a German. So you try different mentities and different styles! '
Various work packages, it also seems.
Tuchel is currently preparing for his first games as an English boss, with world cup qualifications against Albania and Latvia. But his dedication to his position has already come under doubt.
First, because he only started his job in January, although he was appointed last October. Then, more damn, because he was unable to attend Premier League matches on three of his first six weekends in the role because he returned to Germany to see his family.
As their custom is, the FA Tuchel's visits to his home country Fervent defended and insisted that he lives in London and is located in St George's Park. Capello, however, says that he would not have dreamed of missing matches by returning to Italy during his time as an English manager from 2008 to 2012.
“You have to check the players every game,” he says. 'Not on TV. Live. On TV you see part of the field. But if you go to the game, you can see at any time. The ball is a part, but tactics, positions, everything. You have to see that. I went every Saturday, every Sunday. I saw a lot, many of the games.
'You definitely have to live in England. You have to live the culture, everything. I went to the office every day, to Wembley, with Franco Baldini. Only the day after the matches, Monday, I stayed at home. '
Capello admits that he does not know Tuchel personally, nor was he contacted by him since his appointment of England. However, he recently focused in the management of Tuchel as last year.
In his role as Sky Sport Italia Pundit, Capello accused the then Bayern Munich boss of doing 'Everything Wrong' and making 'incredible mistakes' with his replacements in a semi-final defeat of Champions League against Real Madrid.
Asked about those comments now, Capello doubles down and says: 'The manager decides the replacements during the game. Sometimes good ideas, sometimes bad ideas. Bad choices. This is a problem. '
It is clear that Capello's tongue stays as sharp as always. Now 78 years old, his appearance has hardly changed since his days in the three Lions Blazer. Neither have his standards taken out.
A renowned Stickler for punctuality, the former AC Milan, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid manager arrives for our interview at nine o'clock on the spot, a joke that it is just as good that we shake hands for the chat, in case we fall out.
Capello, however, is warmer than his reputation you would like to believe. He explains how he now leads a quieter life and splits his time between his houses in Milan and Lugano, Switzerland. Art remains its great passion outside of football.
“Yes, always, I love any types of art, from the oldest to the contemporary,” says the man who would ever have a private collection worth £ 10 million.
Capello is here in Madrid in his role as Laoreus ambassador to announce the nominees for this year's World Sports Awards. Euro 2024 Champions Spain are among the contenders that are crowned the team of the year during the ceremony on April 21.
Capello saw Spain lifting that trophy in Berlin last summer after their 2-1 win over England. He was also at Wembley three years earlier when his native Italy defeated the three lions on penalties in the Euro 2020 final.
In the only Capello tournament who was in charge of England, the World Cup 2010, they deposited in the last 16 to Germany. So how did he judge Gareth Southgate's work? “He really did well,” admits Capello. 'It's not easy to play two finals. But the result is the most important thing.
'People forget if you make a final. I succeeded in three Champions League final and lost two. But I won one. So now it is, “he won the Champions League”. This is it. '
And Capello thinks he knows why England continues to fall with the last obstacle. “I saw the final against Italy and the final against Spain and always the same – they play with fear,” he says. “No trust, no courage. Like a monkey on the back. Too many years without trophy.
“I remember the match against Italy. After 20 minutes, when they won 1-0, they started to waste time. Don't run to take the free kick, really, very slowly with throw-ins, long balls of the keeper. It was the same against Spain. They didn't play the way they did in the games earlier. It is fear, fear, fear. '
How can Tuchel rectify that? “Remove the monkey from the back!” Answer Capello, laughing again. 'If they play, they can normally beat everyone. But when they get closer to the final, the monkey becomes the biggest.
'Southgate's team had a really good spirit. This is important to find. Find the team spirit and find the players at the top of their game. Because you don't have time in training. It is a very different job.
'They have good players, but I think it is possible to improve. Jude Bellingham is a really important player. He makes the difference.
'But a very important part that you have to improve are the defenders. I don't know if England can find someone young. I have seen many players, but in the middle of the back they don't have many English players. And the keeper is a normal keeper. '
It is safe to believe that 'normal' 'simply' means when it comes to Capello's judgment about Jordan Pickford. However, the general judgment on Capello's time as manager of England is even less free, with most of them now regard the £ 6 million a year overseas coach as an expensive failure.
One of the criticism of his reign was his disciplinary approach, who saw him that he forbade butter and ketchup and mobile phones in team meals.
His strict regime was much discussed during the World Cup, when players complained that they are bored with their base in the remote South African city of Rustenburg, on their way to scraping one of the easier groups in recent memory against the US, Algeria and Slovenia.
Separately, Capello was attacked for his external business interests, in particular the Capello index, a controversial player website that was launched on the eve of him who called his World Cup team.
So, would he have done something else if he had his time with England again? After a long break, Capello explicitly answers: 'To prepare the games? No. The sporty part? No. Life? No. Nothing. '
Instead, Capello still believes that the World Cup would have been selected differently if Frank Lampard's shot that had exceeded the line was awarded as a goal in the final 4-1 defeat of England against Germany.
“Happiness is really important,” he says. 'The goal of the Lampard would have made it 2-2. It was a very important moment. '
One of Capello's biggest problems was his poor command of English, which is now a little better. He is just able to get through this interview. “It's 10 years ago without English, I have to practice!”
However, if Capello was mocked by the media because of his understanding of language, he has no resentment. “I had no problems with the journalists or with the TV because I was correct and right,” he says. 'Always correct and right. I said what I was thinking about, without dribbling! '
In any case, Capello could not have accused the press how his term of office of England ended. He resigned in February 2012 after he had dropped out with the FA because of their decision to take John Terry's captain, accused of racial abuse by Anton Ferdinand.
Terry, it's no surprise to learn is one of the few English players who kept Capello in contact. “Yes, we remain connected,” says Capello. 'I have sometimes met some players around the world. David Beckham, I saw the last time two or three years ago. Rio Ferdinand I met. And disaster james! '
Capello, it seems, is not aware of the furore that he caused five years ago when he last referred to goalkeeper David James by that contemptuous nickname – Joe Cole, for example, was less than impressed.
However, he is very aware of the Premier League, who takes Arne Slot for praise, while the Dutchman approaches the title in his first season that is in charge of Liverpool.
“To do this after Jurgen Klopp, which I liked, is incredible,” says Capello. 'It looks a bit like my career. I arrived in AC Milan after Arrigo Sacchi and everyone said that the team is ready, that they no longer like to work, they had won too many trophies. I think it's more or less the same. '
Capello sees no need to spell that he won Serie A in his first season after replacing Sacchi in the San Siro, the first of four league titles in five years.
But he again mentions his former club – which is currently in ninth place in the Serie A away – when the conversation turns to the fallen giants of the Premier League, Manchester United.
“Ooof,” he says, grinning. 'It is just like Milan or worse than this. They have done the same. Spend a lot of money, the manager changed during the season.
'I think the players do not understand the values that are needed to play for United. The same in Milan. This is very important. When players come, they must understand that they play for the shirt. '
Capello chooses not to announce his thoughts about the wrestling new boss Ruben Amorim of United. But he could not be clearer when it comes to the current manager he admires the most.
“Carlo,” he answers immediately. 'Carlo Ancelotti is the best manager in the world. They won what he succeeded in it.
'I like him because he can play different styles with different players. He is really intelligent. It is not: “This style is my style and it is it”. He makes wine with different grapes. '
Changing water into wine is the task for Tuchel, in terms of Capello.
Comments