Former England boss Fabio Capello says ‘boastful’ Pep Guardiola has accomplished ‘large injury to soccer’

Fabio Capello has reignited his feud with Pep Guardiola and mentioned the Catalan has accomplished “large injury to soccer”.

The previous England boss believes different coaches’ want to repeat Guardiola’s model of possession-heavy soccer has turned many followers off soccer because it’s “boring”.

Capello and Guardiola first clashed when the latter joined Roma from Brescia in 2002. Capello was supervisor on the Stadio Olimpico on the time and the pair’s totally different footballing philosophies noticed Guardiola spend most of his time within the Italian capital on the bench.

Guardiola has since gone on to change into probably the most profitable coaches of his technology, profitable 12 home league titles and three Champions League trophies throughout spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester Metropolis.

However Capello says he has accomplished extra hurt than good to the sport as a complete.

Fabio Capello: “Guardiola hace cosas raras para poder decir que no ganan los jugadores, que gana él. Ha hecho un daño tremendo al fútbol” https://t.co/7PL0dgyFGb

— EL MUNDO (@elmundoes) March 7, 2025

Capello tears into Guardiola

He instructed Spanish newspaper El Mundo: “He has accomplished large injury to soccer.

“Everybody has spent 10 years making an attempt to repeat him. That’s what has occurred in Italian soccer, which has misplaced its id. The absurd concept that enjoying properly is simply maintaining possession.

“Contact, contact, contact, contact, contact, contact, contact…now, in Italian soccer, even the goalkeeper performs with the ball. It’s a catastrophe and boring and has scared away many soccer folks.

“Why are you going to look at 90 minutes of horizontal passes and not using a battle.”

Guardiola is “boastful” – Capello

Capello additionally repeated his declare that Guardiola’s “vanity” has price him extra Champions League success.

He mentioned: “Are you aware what I don’t like about Guardiola? His vanity.

“The Champions League he gained with Metropolis [in 2023] was the one one during which he didn’t strive something unusual within the decisive matches. Each different 12 months, in Manchester and Munich, on key days he all the time needed to be the protagonist. He modified issues and made innovations to have the ability to say, “the gamers didn’t win it, I did”. 

“And that vanity has price him a number of Champions Leagues.”

Capello insists he has not taken any further pleasure from Guardiola’s struggles this season, nonetheless, with four-time defending Premier League champions Metropolis presently in fourth place and struggling to qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League forward of tomorrow’s crunch journey to Nottingham Forest.

Subsequent cease: The Metropolis Floor 🛣️

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— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) March 6, 2025

“No under no circumstances,” he mentioned with a chuckle. “I worth Guardiola quite a bit as a coach, he has accomplished great issues. 

“I’ve skilled three revolutions in soccer, one each 20 years or so: [Johan] Cruyff’s Ajax, [Arrigo] Sacchi’s Milan and Guardiola’s Barça. I’ve no downside saying it.”

Capello lauds Madrid boss Ancelotti

Capello has no such points with fellow Italian Carlo Ancelotti and marvels on the method he handles his star-studded Madrid squad.

“He’s the most effective on the planet at that,” he mentioned. “Carlo was clever as a participant and now he’s very clever as a coach. Coaching Madrid is just not straightforward and with many stars it’s much more troublesome, however he does it like a mom. 

“Generally individuals who don’t learn about soccer despise it, however these of us who know are very clear. He is aware of when he wants to talk loudly and when to be humorous. That’s the intelligence that has allowed him to succeed in every single place. 

“As a participant, he retired with me, in Milan, and I provided him the prospect to affix my staff instantly, however he already had a dedication with Arrigo to be his assistant with the Italian nationwide staff. 

“We already knew what an amazing coach he was going to be.”