Italian ready for mind games

Paddy Agnewsays it is the ideal time for Fabio Capello to take over the down and outs of England

Be ready for some famous ass to be kicked if, as is widely expected, Fabio Capello agrees terms with the English FA. Capello does not gladly suffer either fools or super-egos (apart, perhaps, from his own). From Dutchman Ruud Gullit through to David Beckham, he has been involved in some legendary rows with famous players.

Up at Milanello, they still talk about the day he put Gullit off the AC Milan team bus on the eve of an away fixture with Juventus. The two men almost ended up in a bout of fisticuffs, with team-mates having to restrain Gullit.

The 2000-01 season that saw him lead Roma to a long-awaited, third Serie A title was marked by public, touchline tensions between the Roma striker Vicenzo Montella and Capello. The player hated the fact that Capello often used him as a second-half substitute rather than in the starting line-up.

Four seasons later, it was the turn of Alessandro Del Piero at Juventus. He might have been one of Italy's most famous names but, as far as Capello was concerned, he was more effective as a second-half substitute. Del Piero did not much like his new role either, but at least, unlike Gullit, Montella and many others before him, he accepted the situation without resorting to a public row.

He knew the bottom line. Capello is the Boss.

Capello comes from an older school of football coaching, one in which the "Mister" (as Italian players call the coach) commands all. He demands that players address him using the formal lei for you, rather than the informal tu. He dictates, decides and commands, but rarely consults.

Thirty-two times capped for Italy during a highly successful career played mainly with Roma, Juventus and AC Milan, Capello's first protracted experience as a coach started in 1991 when he was called in by then-Italian prime minister and AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi to replace Arrigo Sacchi.

Prior to that, he had spent four years out of football, working as a manager in Berlusconi's Fininvest organisation, travelling to watch many of the world's biggest clubs in training and also doubling up as a brilliantly effective TV commentator.

He learned the trade more than well, proving himself a success with AC Milan, immediately winning four league titles and a Champions Cup. And there perhaps lies the tantalising link between 61-year-old Capello and the England job.

Over the years, he has been highly successful when called on to take over a famous but under-achieving team. With Milan, Real Madrid and Juventus, he hit the jackpot at the first time of asking. In the case of all three sides, there were plenty of critics ready to suggest the teams in question had come to the end of the road.

With Roma, the story was slightly different, since he won the title there in his second season in charge. Not for nothing, however, Capello himself considers his title triumph at Roma to be his greatest achievement as a coach. His reasoning is simple. Whereas sides like AC Milan, Real Madrid and Juventus were regular title winners, Roma were not.

He sees England in the same light. On the miserable night that England lost to Croatia at Wembley, Capello was busy at work as a TV commentator.

Asked about the England situation, he answered with a question. Namely, how does a country with such a strong football tradition and one which hosts the wealthiest league in world football so consistently under-achieve at national team level? There was little doubt that, from the tone of his answer, Capello felt he could put things to right, and quickly.

More recently, Capello has effectively outlined his approach to the England job, telling Spanish sports daily Marca that England's problems are more "psychological" than "technical": "As a coach, you have to ask yourself how England, with the players they have, has failed to qualify for Euro 2008 . . . A bit like the Spanish national team, England has won little despite having a rich league.

"I saw some of England's qualifying games. Against Russia in Moscow, for example, they just stuck to defending on the edge of their own area, even though they were leading 1-0. In the end, of course, they lost 2-1.

"The divergence (between league and country) is too much. How can players like David Beckham and Michael Owen play so differently when they take the field for their country? Obviously, the England shirt weighs too heavily."

As far as Capello is concerned, the players are there, it is simply a matter of organising and, above all, motivating them. "In a situation like this the coach's role is crucial and he has to be more of a psychologist than a tactician. It's obvious that they have a mental block. How else do you explain their elimination from Euro 2008?"

Can Capello do it for England? Knowing him and his huge self-belief, one suspects he sees the England job as a golden opportunity. Quality players, a powerful FA, a rich tradition, a vibrant league and all of them down in the dumps - what better moment to take over?

Even his lack of English, clearly a handicap, does not outweigh his outstanding credentials. It is not hard to imagine that under his meticulous, sergeant-major style, English under-achievement could become a thing of the past.

In the meantime, he would be unlikely to fall foul of the celebrated British tabloid press. For a start, he would not bother to read them. For a second, he has always had a healthy disregard for journalists' opinions. And for a third, his private life has always seemed squeaky clean.

So, if he signs the contract, stand by for some famous ass to be kicked - and for England to refind winning ways.

Absolutely Fabio: the facts

1946:Born in San Canzian d'Isonzo, Gorizia, Italy.

1964:Makes his professional debut for Ferrara side SPAL, beginning a playing career in which he also represented Roma, Juventus and AC Milan, and earned 32 caps for Italy.

1973: Scores the only goal as Italy beat England at Wembley for the first time.

1991:Appointed head coach of AC Milan.

1992: Wins first of three successive Italian league titles.

1993:Guides Milan to Champions League final, where they are beaten 1-0 by Marseille.

1994: Milan reach the Champions League final again, this time beating Barcelona 4-0. They later add the European Super Cup.

1995:Milan reach their third successive Champions League final, but lose 1-0 to Ajax.

1996:Leaves Milan after winning a fourth Scudetto in five seasons and is appointed Real Madrid coach.

1997:Wins Spanish league title with Real, before returning to Milan.

1998:Fired after unsuccessful return.

1999:Takes over as coach of Roma.

2001: Guides Roma to their first Scudetto for 18 years, the third in their history.

2004:Takes over as Juventus coach, winning the Scudetto in his first season.

2006: May - Retains Scudetto with Juventus, but they are later stripped of the title after match-fixing allegations.

2006:July - Resigns. Appointed Real Madrid head coach.

2007: Real Madrid celebrate their first league title since 2003. Sacked on June 28th.