Interviewed by Gazzetta dello Sport, Fabio Capello is harsh towards Luciano Spalletti’s Italy: “I was ashamed”
Interviewed by the Gazzetta dello Sport, Fabio Capello is harsh on Luciano Spalletti’s Italy. The Azzurri exited the European Championship badly after a horror performance against Switzerland. “I felt ashamed, a bit like when I returned from the 1974 World Cup as a footballer“.
Is it so different to lead a national team compared to a club?
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“They are two different jobs. It is no coincidence that we should not talk about a coach, but about a selector. The coach must first of all choose the players based on what he sees in the championships. He can have his own idea of football, but he must also think about how the different elements are used in his team and, sometimes, adapt. The reason is simple: you don’t have time to work on a daily basis. In a club everyone has a clear idea of what to do and only in emergency situations do you ask a player to change.”
In fact, Spalletti seemed to want to rely on a three-man defense like Italian champions Inter. Then the reverse in Germany: did he get confused?
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“From what we saw on the pitch, I think the confusion was generated above all by the players. Jorginho and then Fagioli played in the playmaker role, but neither of them is the Lobotka of Luciano’s Napoli. They have different characteristics: against Switzerland Xhaka did what he wanted, Fagioli didn’t even go to get him. I, however, would use another word for Spalletti.”
Which?
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“Presumption. I had the feeling that already against Spain the coach was not thinking as a selector, but as a club coach. In essence, he sent a team onto the field saying “we are us, they are them, let’s see who is better”, choosing the back four against the strongest attacking wingers in the entire European Championship. And we saw who was better…”.
