Fabio Capello reinstated his controversy with Pep Guardiola and said the Catalans had done “huge damage to football”.
The former leader of England believes that the desire of other coaches to copy Guardiola’s brand for possession-heavy football has turned many fans from football as it is “boring”.
Capello and Guardiola clashed for the first time when the latter joined Roma from Brescia in 2002. Capello was director of Stadio Olimpico at that time and the couple’s different football philosophies saw Guardiola spending most of his time in the Italian.
Since then Guardiola has become one of the most successful coaches of his generation, winning 12 titles of domestic championships and three Champions League trophies in spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
But Capello says he has done more harm than good in the game as a whole.
Fabio Capello: “Guardiola is doing strange things to be able to say that players are not winning, winning. He has done huge damage to football” https://t.co/7pl0dgyfgb
– the world (@elmundoes) 7 March 2025
Capello tears in Guardiola
He said to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo: “He has done huge damage to football.
“Everyone has spent 10 years trying to copy him. This happened in Italian football, which has lost his identity. The irrational idea that the game is just the possession.
“Touch, touch, touch, touch.
“Why will you watch 90 minutes of horizontal passage without a race.”
Guardiola is “arrogant” – Capello
Capello also reiterated his claim that Guardiola’s “arrogance” has cost him more success in the Champions League.
He said, “Do you know what I don’t like about Guardiola? His arrogance.
“The Champions League won with the city (in 2023) was the only thing that tried nothing strange in the decisive matches. Every other year, in Manchester and Munich, on basic days he always wanted to be the protagonist. It changes things and did not inventions,”
“And this arrogance has cost him many championships.”
Capello insists he has not received any additional pleasure from Guardiola’s matches this season, however, with four -way champions of the Premier League today in fourth place and are struggling to qualify for the next season’s Champions League Before tomorrow’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
Next stop: the territory of the city 🛣️
🤝 #Asahisuperdry pic.twitter.com/qepy0o3qhn
– Manchester City (@mancity) March 6 2025
“Not at all,” he said with a blow. “I really appreciate Guardiola as a coach. He has done great things.
“I have experienced three revolutions in football, one every 20 years: (Johan) Cruyff’s Ajax, (Arrigo) Sacchi’s Milan and Barça of Sacchi and Guardiola. I have no problem saying.”
Capello loves Madrid boss Ancelotti
Capello does not have such problems with Italian Carlo Ancelotti colleagues and admires the way he handles Madrid’s team.
“He’s the best in the world in this,” he said. “Carlo was smart as a player and now he is very smart as a coach. Madrid training is not easy and with many stars is even more difficult, but he does it as a mother.
“Sometimes people who don’t know about football despise it, but those of us who know are very clear. He knows when to talk loudly and when to be funny. This is the intelligence that allowed him to succeed everywhere.
“As a player, he retired with me in Milan and gave him the opportunity to join my team immediately, but he had already committed to Arrigo being his assistant to the Italian national team.
“We already knew what a great coach would be.”
