SOCCER:FABIO CAPELLO has brushed off claims by Jose Mourinho the Portuguese was the English Football Association's preferred choice to become England manager three years ago, pointedly saying he would never comment publicly on another job out of "respect" for the incumbent.
The build-up to this evening’s friendly against Ghana saw Capello forced to justify his decision to field an experimental side at a sold-out Wembley and to defend his command of the English language. The 64-year-old insisted he needs only “100 words maximum” to express his instructions to his players.
Mourinho, speaking in L’Equipe, had claimed he was within “hours” of succeeding Steve McClaren in 2008 only to inform the FA he had had a late change of heart. “I almost signed up,” he said. “But at the last moment I pulled back, preferring to wait for the right job to come along, a good club, a challenge that could motivate me. That was Internazionale.”
The FA insisted last night, although Mourinho had featured on their two-man shortlist to replace McClaren, Capello was “always our first-choice”.
Asked about Mourinho’s remarks, Capello was initially dismissive. “I don’t know,” he said. “This is a question for the chairman that chose me, not for me. It does not matter. Every time a club or a national team decides to choose a manager, they speak with a lot of managers.”
Yet his response became more animated when pushed. “I don’t like to speak about my relationship with other clubs or teams out of respect for other managers. I don’t like to speak about this. I’ve said enough.”
The timing of Mourinho’s comments was distinctly unhelpful given the scrutiny under which Capello is working, particularly after his clumsy handling of the transfer of the captaincy from Rio Ferdinand back to John Terry. That farcical transition has endured another twist, with Terry one of six players released back to their clubs, leaving Gareth Barry, who was not deemed worthy of the bench against Wales, to captain the side against Ghana.
Capello defended the standard of his English. “I think when I speak with the players they understand. If I need to speak about the economy or other things, I can’t. But when you speak about tactics, you don’t use a lot of words.”
Capello considers this evening’s friendly an opportunity for fringe players to stake their claim. Scott Parker is expected to start on the bench as he struggles with minor calf and shoulder complaints, and Aaron Lennon has returned to Tottenham with a minor hamstring injury. Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Andy Carroll will start in a 4-3-3 system, with Capello having spoken to the Liverpool striker to discuss the off-field perils of life in the limelight.
“When you play with the England team, at every moment you are the focus of the fans, the newspapers, the photographers, the people that live around him. Not only Andy likes to drink beer. He needs to improve, to drink less.”
That advice has not been offered to Jack Wilshere, who should start at Wembley, with Capello stressing “(Arsene) Wenger will be a good teacher for him”.
