Fabio Capello is only the sixth manager to mastermind an England World Cup campaign. Known for his no-nonsense approach and tactical knowledge, the Italian has won domestic titles with every club he has managed. And he will certainly have to rely on these years of experience as he plots the Three Lions’ route to the later stages of World Cup in South Africa.
Capello’s managerial career got off to a flying start at AC Milan, where he led the Rossoneri to the Scudetto four times in five seasons. Capello has also enjoyed successful spells at Juventus, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Having taken over from Steve McLaren, Fabio Capello’s arrival was immediately reflected in England’s performances on the pitch. He stamped his authority by introducing more intensive training and a number of new rules aimed at improving team spirit and making the squad more focused on winning. Nowhere was this new winning mentality more evident than in England’s impressive World Cup qualifying campaign. The Three Lions announced themselves serious tournament contenders by winning all but one of their World Cup qualifying games, scoring 34 goals in the process.
Highly respected by players, a strict disciplinarian and astute tactician, there are obvious parallels between the Three Lions’ current manager and Alf Ramsey. Like England’s current boss, Ramsey thought the team was more important than the individual and refused to brook the notion of some players enjoying a special status. In a famous demonstration of his no-nonsense approach, Ramsey punished a number of England’s players for failing to return to the hotel before a 10.30 curfew by leaving their passports on their beds.
Like Ramsey, Bobby Robson made his name at Ipswich. But Robson was a different kind of manager to both Capello and Ramsey. He enjoyed success at some of Europe’s top clubs, including Barcelona and Porto, motivating his players with his infectious enthusiasm for the game he loved. Robson led England to two World Cup Finals, and at Italia ’90 helped the Three Lions to one of their most successful tournaments since the triumph of 1966.
With his extraordinary CV and wealth of experience, it is hard to think of anyone better placed to try to emulate the achievements of Ramsey and Robson than Fabio Capello, together with the England captain Steven Gerrard.
