Having missed out on Euro 2008, England are turning their attentions to World Cup 2010 and Roberto Donadoni has analysed Fabio Capello’s task.
Capello has described his current post as the most challenging of his career as he seeks to restore pride to a side that are sitting out their first major tournament since 1994.
Donadoni agrees that his compatriot has a lot to do and feels that the problem could lie in the large number of foreigners at the top level.
“I would like to see a limit on foreign players at club level,” Don insisted. “But I don’t think it is going to happen.
As World Cup winning tactician Marcello Lippi noted, only 38 per cent of Premier League players are homegrown compared to over 60 per cent in Serie A, but Don can’t see an imminent solution.
“It would simply be too difficult to legislate a limit with the EU’s open borders and of course the clubs want to look after their own interests,” he moaned.
“It’s the same for me. Naturally the more Italian players there are in the League, the wider choice I have as the national Coach. Teams like Inter who sometimes field just one Italian make my job more difficult.”
However, Don concluded by conceding that foreign stars have made Premier League sides the teams to beat in Europe.
“The technical level of English football has improved a great deal in recent years,” he noted when discussing the Champions League semi-finalists.
“I always admired the spirit of the English League and now they are starting to blend that with better technique and tactical knowledge.
“That doesn’t apply to all the sides, but certainly some of the top tier teams and the influence of foreign Coaches at Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool has really made itself felt.”
