Fabio Capello, the legendary coach recalls his times at Real Madrid. The Italian who coached Real Madrid in two spells of one year each, won two La Liga titles with Los Blancos. Well known for his high demands on players, Don Fabio managed to bring Madrid up after one of the longest spells without a trophy. In the last day of 2006-07 season Los Blancos won a La Liga title that seemed impossible not only in the fist half of the season but even a few weeks before the end of the season.
In the latest outing for the press he said the decision to sell Ronaldo Nazario helped him achieve success during his second spell with Real Madrid. The Italian shared several stories while speaking at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, including his decision to sell Ronaldo to AC Milan in January of the 2006/07 season.
He said: "The decision to sack Ronaldo and sign Cassano helped create a winning spirit in the team. We clawed nine points from Barcelona in the final 10 games and I'm still proud of that today. I remember Silvio Berlusconi called me to ask how Ronaldo was doing. I told him that he wasn't even training and that he was too fond of parties and women, so signing him for Milan would be a mistake. The next day I saw the headlines in the newspapers: 'Ronaldo in Milan'. It was very funny".
The Italian coach also revealed that Real Madrid is the team that left the biggest mark on him, above all because of how he shaped the club during his first run at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he won a league title in 1997. "The Bernabeu is a sanctuary, the responsibilities were enormous," he said.
"Real Madrid is the team that has stayed in my heart the most because I had to build it by bringing in players who you thought could make a difference. I had four 20-year-olds in the first team, I brought in Seedorf from Sampdoria and Roberto Carlos for the defence”, the former coach added.
Relationships in football: The 76-year-old veteran was also keen to talk about his relationship with players. He said: "No player in particular has ever disrespected me. Of course we could talk and argue, but I would not have accepted any other behaviour. I'm not a sergeant, I'm sorry I've been labelled like that”.
Capello also shared his thoughts on playing styles and the evolution of footballers. "What is beauty for me in football? Scoring after three passes, for example. Beauty is also getting the result depending on the players you have at your disposal. Beauty is also the sudden genius of players like Messi, for example”, Capello said.
Capelo don't talk about shit here. You are nothing of a successful coach as Maurihno and others. Stop that nonsense 🤣