When the rumours first started circulating about Fabio Capello taking the England job, it provoked a range of emotions in followers of the Italian game. At first, there was the usual cynical snort which said we would believe it when it actually happened. Then – as his rivals rushed away from the job quicker than the Road Runner – there was a certain pride that an often Italo-phobic football nation might be reaching out to a Serie A legend. Finally, as he told reporters that the job was a dream come true and he had never wanted to manage his own country, there came a mild feeling of betrayal. Et tu, Fabio?
However, when you sit down with a bottle of Montepulciano and look over the details of the deal it starts to make more sense. The great Coach has always been an admirer of the way the English play the game and has liked to take on jobs that have carried – at least to some degree – an element of surprise. It would have been too obvious to wait in the wings for Roberto Donadoni to fail and take over with Italy. It was all a little more in keeping with his style to run a national team he helped the Azzurri to beat for the first time at Wembley more than 30 years ago.
In some ways the courtship between Capello and the English Football Association was reminiscent of some kind of secondary school romance. As soon as the England job became available, the Italian let it be known that he quite fancied it. The FA tried to play hard to get for a while, but soon realised there was nobody else on the market. So, before you knew it, they were holding hands in front of the cameras.
Whether their relationship will be any longer lasting than those teenage love affairs remains to be seen. However, there is little doubt that it was a win-win deal for Capello. After Steve McClaren, he can surely only be an improvement. And, even if he is not, there is a significant pay-packet to keep him warm.
In truth, however, although the money might be nice it is not the former Milan, Juve, Roma and Real Madrid chief’s prime motivation. He is already savouring the prospect of trying to bring the magic he has produced at club level to international management. It is a recipe which has brought him success, so far, wherever he goes.
The Friuli Coach made his first overtures to England the instant he heard there was a chance of the post. He was still commentating for television when he said what an appetising opportunity it was. It is hard not to contrast that enthusiasm to the cold-feet shown by most of the other candidates. If nothing else, Don Fabio – or should that be Sir Fabio – really wanted the job.
The reasons why he preferred a shot at the Three Lions over his home country are interesting. Despite his outstanding success rate, Capello has never been the subject of unconditional love wherever he has managed in Italy and, indeed, Spain. Everybody at Juve, Milan and Roma respected his achievements but there was little genuine affection, especially from supporters. The Coach himself did not seem interested in courting such popularity. Instead, he was happy to let the trophies pile up.
However, with the Nazionale, such an approach would be hard to sustain. Every recent occupant of the Italy job has felt the twin pressures of the need to be both popular and successful. It is not a combination which would have sat easily with Capello.
The England job, despite its many problems, might be a more comfortable fit. The biggest task in hand is to bring pride back to the team and that is a job which the expert Coach is perfectly equipped for. He is also coming to a style of football which he has always professed an admiration for. If he can harness that ‘never say die’ commitment to his own tactical awareness then it could make for a very impressive mix. The way he batted away the questions from the papers in his opening dealings with the Press also suggested he will have little trouble handling any barbs and jibes which might come his way.
Of course, there have been some little-Englander comments about a foreigner taking charge. However, the truth is that the gulf between somebody of Capello’s quality and the best English managers of the moment is enormous. People like Paul Ince might want to carp about the job going outside the United Kingdom, but the Italian’s answer to such criticism is pretty straightforward. “Show us your trophies,” is all he has to say.
For a small section of the populace, of course, the appointment presents a further conundrum. Italians across Britain already know just how good a Coach the English team is getting. However, many will be reluctant to see him deliver success to a country other than his own. Every time he is criticised, no doubt, the old pasta and pizza-related headlines will be wheeled out by the tabloids. On the other hand, he might actually deliver that thing which Azzurri fans would rather not witness – a winning England team. All of which guarantees that the Capello era will not be a comfortable one for British-Italians.
Anybody in doubt about his credentials will not have to wait long to discover his worth. Wherever he has gone he has always been a Coach in a hurry when it comes to delivering results. It may not always produce beautiful football but for a nation which has underachieved for about 40 years, most fans will be happy just to start winning games with regularity.
That is not to say that Capello cannot entertain – simply that it will not be his top priority. However, over the years he has shown himself to be a master at producing the right tactics to outsmart his opponents. If that means going on all-out attack – as he did to blast Barcelona out of the water with Milan – then he will not be averse to doing so.
The ultimate truth is that the appointment of Capello should answer a question which has been burning in most England fans for an eternity. Just what exactly is this team capable of? Some fans believe they have a squad of world-beaters on their hands – a so-called Golden Generation. That seems a little far-fetched to most neutral observers, but there is no doubt that some of the better players in the side have failed to deliver at national level. That will no longer be the case under Italian management. Don Fabio will get the very best out of the players at his disposal – of that there can be no doubt. They will qualify for the World Cup in 2010 and then go as far as they are able. The fans will be able to blame whoever they like – but not the Coach this time around.
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