‘You damaged, ruined football’ – Capello slams Pep Guardiola

Former Italy manager Fabio Capello has hit out at Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, saying the Catalan is arrogant and has ruined football.

Capello said that Guardiola’s arrogance had cost the former Barcelona boss several Champions League titles.

Capello was very critical of the current Manchester City manager, saying the Spaniard’s desire to be “the main character” ended up damaging his career.

Capello, a former Juventus and AC Milan boss, spoke in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

The former Real Madrid coach first met Guardiola when the latter moved to Roma in his late playing days.

Capello recalled a debate between the two: “We never discussed anything,” he explained.

“One day, he came to tell me how I should do my job, and I replied: ‘Start running, and then you can talk.’

“The fact is, he would stroll around the pitch, and I had no intention of playing him instead of someone who deserved it more. That was the end of the debate.

“Do you know what I don’t like about Guardiola? His arrogance. The Champions League he won with City was the only one where he didn’t try anything strange in the decisive matches.

“But in other years, in Manchester and Munich, on crucial days, he always wanted to be the main character.

“He changed things and made inventions just so he could say: ‘The players don’t win, I win.’ And that arrogance cost him several Champions Leagues. I respect him, but I see it clearly.

“Furthermore, even though it’s no longer his fault, he has done enormous damage to football,” Capello continued.

“Why? Because everyone spent ten years trying to copy him. This ruined Italian football, which lost its identity. I kept saying: ‘Stop now, you don’t have Guardiola’s players!’

“Moreover, the absurd idea prevailed that playing well meant precisely that. Touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch… Nowadays, in Italian football, it’s the goalkeeper who plays the ball! A disaster, and also a bore that scared many people away from football—just look at the highlights. Why watch 90 minutes of passing and passing sideways without battles, without running?

“Luckily, football is changing. For the first time, Spain changed things by winning the European Championship with two wingers and playing fast in Spain.”

‘You damaged, ruined football’ – Capello slams Pep Guardiola