Fabio Capello Profile – (Personal)

An English Investment And Italian Enigma

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by Chris Howe

Fabio Capello was born on June 18th 1946 to humble beginnings. He was born and raised in the small picturesque village of Pieris in the north east of Italy. He lived in a small, cramped flat with his immediate family and grandparents and went to school just 100 metres from his home. His father was a maths teacher as well as coach of local football team AC Pieris where Capello’s love for the game began.Even from a young age his immense talent and passion for the game was clear to all around him. His father taught him the value of working hard and to appreciate everything he has been blessed with.

The Italian began his professional career with Spal as an industrious and intelligent midfielder before making the big move to As Roma in 1967. He enjoyed an illustrious career in Italian football, in addition to Roma he played for Itlalian giants AC Milan and Juventus where he won an array of domestic silverware. Capello is infamous for scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win for Italy in 1973 against the English at Wembley. As a manager he was the perfect choice for England as he boasted  a tremendous record in European football. Capello had won the Serie A trophy with three different clubs, coincidentally all the same clubs he had previously played for. Perhaps his biggest triumph as a head coach came in 1994 when he guided his beloved AC Milan to a European cup win.

He enjoyed two brief spells with Real Madrid where he won the La Liga title in 2007. In late 2007 he was appointed England manager and began managerial duties in January 2008. Englishmen everywhere were delighted at the terrific job he has done during World Cup qualifying as the three lions easily topped their group to reach the World Cup in 2010.

Capello is a perfectionist and not just when it comes to football, he is an incredibly well groomed man who wears the finest designer suits and has an eye for fashion. Opera is arguably his biggest passion, he enjoys nothing more than relaxing to the sounds of a classical operatic performance. He is also reported to be a keen art collector with his collection being worth an estimated 17 million pounds

The England boss has been married to the same woman he met 40 years ago, he met his sweetheart Laura on a bus in Northern Italy.He has two sons with her and the eldest son represents his father as an agent. Fabios mother still lives in the same small flat that her son grew up in all those years ago despite offers from Mr. Capello to buy her a bigger and more lavish home. The tiny, old fashioned village of Pieris near the Slovenian border is very proud of all that their greatest son has achieved, but feel slightly aggrieved that they haven’t seen more of him since he became a star.

Fabio Capello is somewhat of an enigma, a quiet yet intriguing character far removed from previous manager Steve Mclaren who lacked not only the skills but the mentality to get the best from a very talented England side. Capello is a no nonsense type who believes in hard work and discipline, but some argue his tough approach may have soured his relationship with certain English players. England faced early elimination in South Africa where they  suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat to their old nemesis Germany and were knocked out in the second round. The three lions poor performance in South Africa has raised doubts over Capellos management style and decision making ability. Sadly, Capello walked away from the England job on the 8th of February 2012 when he tendered his resgnation following the FA’s controversial decision to strip Chelsea defender John Terry of the England captaincy. The ruling  was made by the Football Association without the consent of Capello and after declaring his vexation on Italian television, Capello met with David Bernstein and the board at Wembley which is where he quit as England boss. I now wonder what this esteemed manager will do next, will he finally return home to the sobriety of Northern  Italy and enjoy a well deserved retirement?

Related Page: Jose Mourinho Profile