After 17 years of playing football and 19 years of being a coach, it seems that nothing surprises Fabio Capello anymore. But this veteran strategist is still surprised by the brilliance of Jude Bellingham, who he believes will create a new era with Kylian Mbappe, not Erling Haaland…
– Coach Fabio Capello: Yes, when I first came to Real Madrid in 1996, I signed a 3-year contract. But then Silvio Berlusconi (late president of AC Milan – Reporter) called, and I asked president Lorenzo Sanz for permission to let me leave. My career started with Berlusconi and when he needed me, I had to help. Because I owe him.
When I returned to the Bernabeu 10 years later, president Ramon Calderon was the one who decided we would part ways before La Liga ended. I remember that there were 9 or 10 rounds left in the season and Real Madrid was 9 points behind Barca, but in the end we still won the championship. Only thing is, he invited another coach and I returned to Italy.
– Can you tell us more about that comeback in La Liga?
– It was an amazing, almost unbelievable comeback. I told the players to treat each remaining match as a Champions League final. And they did it.
– Did you have to rebuild the team when you first came to Real Madrid in 1996?
– Sorry to interrupt, but I did it twice. After many years of nothing, I came to rebuild the team and restore Real Madrid’s winning spirit.
– Now it’s strange to say that Real Madrid doesn’t have a winning spirit. But it happened in your first season, the 1996/97 season, when the team didn’t even qualify for the European Cup?
– I also feel strange. But because I come from a team like AC Milan, where winning is normal, I realized that I had to restore that spirit. That’s something I’m still proud of, when I see the players feel proud when wearing the white shirt.
I revived Real Madrid twice, but the first time was the most important when the team forgot its winning spirit. Now if Real Madrid invites you, you know you’re about to lead the best team, with the best players.