Fabio Capello to As: "We are an ambitious and united team"
Fabio Capello accepted to sit down and chat with As, which has been very critical with his tactical approach at Real Madrid.
The Italian coach began the conversation speaking of the latest piece of good news, namely, Fabio Cannavaro's Golden Ball accolade.
I can't comprehend what I'm hearing and reading in the media, all this discrediting Fabio Cannavaro. What's all that about? What criteria are they following? Cannavaro was the best player in the World Cup and the best players in the world play this tournament. Who can argue that? I guess only people who don't know how to correctly value and assess the World Cup. It is the only championship in which the best players can truly showcase their quality and Cannavaro proved to be the best of the best. He also played an amazing season at Juventus.
Fabio, the most recent memories we have of Cannavaro are instances of him playing way under par for Real Madrid...
Look, Cannavaro, as everyone else who played the World Cup, needs some time to get back in shape. He is also mildly injured due to some back pain.
But the Ballon D'Or confirmation came precisely on a day in which he defended badly against Lyonnais' John Carew, who constantly outran your defender.
That's not true! I watched a video of the match after it ended, as I always do, and I can tell you that Carew got past him only once. Only once, I repeat. And I'm not talking about the goal he scored, which was offside anyway. I'm talking about another play. I'll say it again: Carew only outran him once. No one knows this better than I do...
Cannavaro is proving a disappointment at Real Madrid. He even seems to take things lightly: he's always laughing and cracking jokes.
Oh, please... Let's learn to understand football, shall we? That's how Fabio is. He talks and he laughs, but he is always focused on the match. It's essential to be like that in order to be competitive.
No one questions his courageous disposition. In fact, all the team showcases a corageous spirit, which is the typical Capello touch.
That's right. Even when we play badly, the players are proud of wearing the shirt and that shows. The team works extremely hard in every match.
Don't you think that besides effort you should also put on a good show?
Come on! I'll tell you something: fans come up to me when I walk down the street and tell me to first bring back the spirit that has always characterised Real Madrid and then work on being entertaining.
But even the last years' Real Madrid played more attractive football than yours, which isn't fun to watch at all.
Listen, I'm also a football aesthete. It's evident I like flashy football! But right now we can only play the way we're playing. A team's style is marked by the players it has. This Real Madrid can't rely solely on technique. We will have to improve on that for the future.
But you were the one who signed tougher and more defensive players.What else did you want me to do? It was crazy for the Club to hold elections in July! We arrived late in the market season to buy players. Ask someone how much players like Cesc are worth in July. I assure you it is a miracle to be as fit as we are now.
Barcelona play more compelling football.
Well, that's relative. Barcelona have excellent players, but they didn't just suddenly fall from the sky. The team was built over time. Do you think anyone, not just me, can solve all of Real Madrid's problems in only two months? Rijkaard needed more than six months for his work to start showing. My friends, you are very intent on discussing this point further, but two months is not nearly enough time to pass judgement on this or any sports project.
Then, it must be that the crowd likes teams with an attacking mindset, which go straight for the ball and the match, right?
Yes. Tactically speaking, it's crazy. Fun, isn't it?
Well, actually, it is. That's open football for you...
Please! In modern football teams defend with nine players and attack with two. Everyone does this! Chelsea, Liverpool... Even Barça do it. They have two players up front, namely Ronaldinho and Eto'o or Gudjohnsen, and the rest always run back to their own side of the pitch to recover the ball. Ninety-five percent of the teams in the world work like this.
For example, we think that Diarra and Emerson clog game flow. Maybe Guti and one of them would suffice in the midfield.
You will never see a midfield line playing at 100 percent.
Long pause
When one midfielder gives 100 percent, the other gives 60. Neither of them have ever played at their best simultaneously during a match. Now, I have a question for you: Is there any other team that lines up as many forwards as we do? Come on, tell me! Having Emerson and Diarra on the pitch doesn't make us a defensive team. Whoever says that is wrong.
You always say Real Madrid will improve. Will that be when Gago arrives? He happens to be a playmaker.
Gago is very good. Actually, he is fantastic. I've watched many of his matches on tape. But beware. We'll have to see what state he arrives in because they are currently ending the season in Argentina. We'll see, we'll see.
Will he play in Guti's position? Further ahead? Further back?
I think he is very good at moving the ball around, but I also think he is a dangerous attacker. I can't say where he will play right now. I want to see how he adapts first.
What about Marcelo? Will he be transferred to Zaragoza or will he play for Real Madrid Castilla?
He'll play for RM Castilla. I want to keep a close eye on him every day. I will not allow him to be transferred to another team.
What can you tell us about Higuaín?
He's a good forward, one of the best in Argentina. It's important to have him on this team. I think signing all these young players is a cry to Madridismo to stay calm. It assures the fans we are looking to build an exceptional team.
Are you completely satisfied with any matches played so far?
I liked the attitude we had against Barcelona. That's the path we should always follow.
What's the path not to follow?
Our attitude against Getafe. I knew that game wasn't going to be good. Something happened...
What happened?
I'll keep that to myself, but I think that eventually the match was good for us because it made us put our first down and say "this won't happen again." It made us snap out of the negative funk we were in.
Do you think the worst thing that's happened so far has been Cassano's rebellious attitude?
Cassano is special and I know this better than anyone. He is a problematic kid but a sensational player. No one here has ever seen him give more than 50 percent on the pitch. His biggest problem is that he plays better or worst depending on how strong he feels. He needs to feel he is a starter all the time, but...
Beckham will also eventually get tired of being a substitute player.
Beckham is not a substitute player. He is a true professional. He's perfect. He will play when there's room for him, and there will be, believe me, because the season is very long. I have a standard line-up right now that more or less works. Beckham must wait. I want you to know that I have personally asked for his contract extension.
Is it true that you have teased Ronaldo in order to make him improve his attitude and lose weight?
I've teased him countless times and will tease him countless more! Despite being in good shape, he hasn't reached his ideal weight yet. He is training very well and very hard. He trained excellently on Monday and Tuesday. It would be natural for him to play on Sunday. We'll just have to wait and see... Believe me when I say Ronaldo is the best player I have ever seen. His potential is impressive. I want to line him up next to Van Nistelrooy, as I have already done. I've always had two strikers on my teams!
You also rely on wingers and use Robinho, Reyes or Raul on those positions, but you sometimes criss cross them, i.e. Reyes is left footed but you have made him play on the right wing at times.
Raul is a good winger because he is very attacking-minded and a natural goal scorer. He can be really unpredictable in that position. Also, since Raul's natural tendency is to shift towards the centre, when he plays on the other wing, the right one, Ramos ovelaps him more times than Roberto Carlos would down the left. You should understand this...
¿What about Robinho and Reyes?
I have seen that wingers can be more unpredictable and surprising when they play on unnatural sides for them. Defenders don't expect to be challenged so strongly. I do like wingers to run back and defend, though...
Has Casillas finally convinced you of his quality?
What? I've always thought Iker was a great goalkeeper. What are you talking about? On the other hand, we are working him hard in order to improve his jumping saves and his game outside the goalkeeper's box. He has made a lot of progress these months.
You always seem to discredit our praise of him in the media.
I believe in what I say. I don't think he does as many spectacular saves as you people say he does. I analyse him from a coaching and technical point of view.
Work, work, work. Did you learn this style when you were a player in Italy?
Well! Helenio Herrera was my coach at Roma in 1967. He is the best trainer I have ever met. A true legend. He was very serious and very demanding. He forced us to work to the limit... For a whole hour he would yell, "Attacca la balla, attacca la balla!" (Attack the ball). God did he put pressure on us!
Where does your story as a player begin?Look, I was born in Pieris, a village with a population of 300. It's 100 kilometres away from Venice. Twelve First Division players came from that village and three of us even played for Italy.
With what Club did you make your debut in the First Division?
With Ferrara. I was signed by a President who was also the team's coach. Curious, right? His name was Massa. He used to supervise the training sessions in the mornings and meet with us in his office in the evenings to tell us what the line-up was going to be. Those were the days! That's how Italy was in the 1960s. I later played for Roma, Juventus and Milan.
You must have coincided with illustrious Spanish footballers Del Sol, Luis Suárez and Peiró, who played in Italy back then.
Of course. I played with Peiró at Roma during the last years of his career. He was amazing inside the box. He was an inspiration for me: I tried to copy his movements. He was sensational at scoring headers and he wasn't even a tall player! He was so clever!
Suárez was admired by many...
He was impressive. You, the journalists, would say that he wouldn't be good enough to play nowadays (all laugh). He ran up and down the pitch. He could make it to the box with only three touches. Then he would score. I had to run behind him in some matches and he was unstoppable, really! He worked everywhere: front, back, wings... I even remember a special treat of his. He would lift the ball up in the air and hit it horizontally,
like goalkeepers do today. He could deliver up to 50-metre long passes... Unbelievable!Tell us the truth. Which Italian team do you support?
My Dad supported Juventus, so I did too when I was a kid. Later, I have supported those teams I have worked for... and there have been many.
What kind of players do you like from the Italian Serie A?
Well, I like players like De Rossi, who plays for Roma. I remember I lined him up once and he really impressed me. He played exactly as he trained: no fear and no qualms. Aquillani plays like that too. That is the type of players that are fit to play for a great team. I met many players ten years ago who arrived at Real Madrid with great promise but shrivelled up when they had to play in the Bernabéu before 90,000 fans.
Very well. Tell us what you like about Athletic Bilbao, your next rival in the League.
Nothing I could say would mean or matter because they have changed coach and anything they can now do is a mistery to me! They are going through hard times because their insistence on having only Basque players is working against them these days.
Will you win a title this year?
Let's beat Athletic Bilbao first...
Realmadrid.com
posted by khalidmrrakchi@hotmail.com @ 7:53 PM
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