Spanish Football

Miss Dangerous...!!

When he wants to, Fabio Capello puts on a masterful expression of disdain. His haughtiness is a weapon almost as powerful as his statistics. If you don't like him, or don't admire his ways, or question his decisions, he produces the look, with jutting square jaw and intimidating eyes. He has a record of success in club football that is virtually beyond reproach - and he is on the verge of adding to that, as Real Madrid are in pole position to claim the La Liga title today so long as they beat Real Mallorca, who have nothing to play for, at home. And yet, going into this weekend's showdown, Capello's future at the Bernabeu was as sketchy as it has been for most of this exciting and edgy Spanish season.

By tonight he could be in the unique position of having twice spent an individual season at Real Madrid, each time winning the championship, and then making a quick exit. Capello met Real's president Ramon Calderon last week and discussions lasted for little more than a minute. Will he stay or go? Calderon fudged the issue - as he has for many of the important calls at the club this season, David Beckham's contract and the sale of Ronaldo being other notable botches.

There is a very real prospect that Capello will celebrate the La Liga trophy, collect what remains of his £4million per year contract, and head for another challenge as Real's head honchos have made no secret of their desire for a manager who will pick a team more attuned to the club's artistic traditions. It is true that Real made grisly viewing for much of the campaign, especially early on, but they have developed an impressive sense of spirit that propelled them to hang on in a race they could easily have lost long before now. Eight defeats along the way is hardly a sign of nailed-on winners.

Considering that this league title would be their first major honour after a four-year drought, their longest spell without silverware for half a century, it is strange Madridistas are not on their knees thanking Capello for inspiring a miracle.

Midway through the campaign the 60-year-old, one of the most decorated coaches around, was overseeing such a calamity that the white hankies and poison pens were out in force. By January, Capello was using an old-fashioned Italian method of closing ranks and shutting out the outside world of the training camp as he tried to forge a fortress mentality with the players. 'Not all the dressing room is with me,' he admitted, 'but a great part. I've closed training to the press and the public because the team need the maximum possible concentration. Until now we've been lucky; despite everything we're still close to the top.' They were lucky. Somehow Barcelona and Sevilla continued to fluff opportunities to break clear.

In February, reports of Capello's resignation just before the Champions League knockout game against Bayern Munich summed up the extent of the damage inside the camp. It would get worse - Real were knocked out.

In the next game they faced Barcelona in Camp Nou and were on the verge of a complete implosion. But Capello's never-say-die mentality kicked in and Real Madrid went into the lair of their greatest rivals and produced their best display of the season in an electrifying 3-3 draw. The tide had turned.

That early exit from the Champions League turned out to be a blessing of sorts as Real were freer to settle into the luxury routine of play on Sunday, two days' rest, four days' preparation.

Since then, they have lost only one of 16 games, a controversial defeat at Racing Santander. The number of comebacks, and late goals, they mustered revealed an ability to compete that nobody had thought possible in the first half of the season. The manager urged the team to 'come out fighting' and they responded.

How did Capello engineer this transformation? As much by luck as judgment, considering how his decisions all seemed to backfire at first. New signings such as Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson from Serie A looked horribly out of sorts. The two remaining galacticos were headaches that were not cured smoothly as Beckham was made an outcast and Ronaldo sold on the cheap to Milan, much to the displeasure of his friends among the playing staff. Capello tinkered with the best of them, but nothing much came off.

But, as he explains: 'Clever people are capable of rectifying their mistakes, and recognising when they've said or done something wrong.' Beckham was reinstated and reborn. Ruud van Nistelrooy grew in confidence without the shadow of Ronaldo beside him. Cannavaro and Emerson improved to an acceptable level of competence. Even two of Madrid's nagging underperformers, Raul and Robinho, were revived. 'We had to recover the spirit Madrid has had throughout its history,' the manager observed.

Capello the motivator has struck the right notes with the players. This is symbolised by the habitual squad aperitivo the manager introduced two days before each game. The idea is that everyone sits together at a big table and shares a glass and a friendly chat. At the start of the season no more than three or four players stuck around. Now, all 24 seats are booked up and it is standing-room only for the rest.

Ten years have passed since Capello's first title-winning season at Real and there have been significant changes. The galactico era came and went, along with nine managers, myriad players, a new training facility and a period as the most marketable club in the world. Only three players span the two eras - Raul, Roberto Carlos and Guti. Capello might have thought he knew everything there was to know about managing the club from past experience, but he has had to keep gambling, and stay lucky, this time around.

Calderon still might not be convinced, but Capello is rightly proud of recent results and the opportunity that lies ahead over 90 minutes today. If he leaves Madrid again after one season with a big medal in his pocket, who looks like the clever one?

'Whether the coach stays or not doesn't just depend on winning the league, and no one in the club sees it that way,' said Calderon last week. 'The coach should stay on if we think he is capable, whether the league is won or lost.'

You cannot help suspecting the last drink might be on Fabio Capello.

· Head-to-head results between clubs who finish level on points count before goal difference is used

· Real Madrid will take the title if they win - and a draw might be enough

· Barcelona will be champions if they win and Real do not

· Sevilla's only hope is that they win and the top two both falter. If Real and Sevilla finish level, Sevilla take the title; if Barca and Sevilla are level, Barca have the edge; if all three finish on 74 points, Real win the 'mini-league' and take the title

Source: Guardian Unlimited

bogdan

Real won the title last night :-& Brick wall

i hate them
lol

Mirage

I'm happy for Beckham Razz

fanOfBayern

soccerkyle

I dont now why but i actaully wanted Real to win the title especially ahead of Barcelona

tracylynn

I watched the game yesterday and I have to say that if Fabio hadn't pulled Beckham and kept him in throughout the whole match then Real would not have won. Beckham didn't play that great at all. I know he was injured and both he and the team said he was fit but I don't think he was. If he was fit then he reinjured his ankle during the game because he was limping later in the match. Of course, Beckham could've been nervous since his buddy, Tom Cruise, was in the stands therefore he couldn't performed. The commentator made a comment that Tom Cruise probably didn't know anything about the game. Which is probably true. Anyway, the insertion of Reyes in place of Beckham was what they needed because they came alive with him.

I have to agree with Soccerkyle on this one, I prefer Real winning the title this year and not Barcelona. Everytime I see the coach of Barcelona I just want to smack him for spitting on the German player when he played long ago. Plus, Barcelona was getting too cocky for their own good.

Miss Dangerous...!!

Real Madrid deserved to be champions and what they did on the last two and half months was amazing! well, I`m happy for Becks since he`s one of my favourite footballers and I wish him a good luck for the rest of his career.

hey tracylynn! I really have to disagree with you when you said that Tom Cruise probably didn't know anything about the game. Eh?

`cause he`s a fan and he kept watching Real lately and knows excatly how important that match was!.. and when it comes to the roles of the game! he used to be a football player at school and his son is a footballer too! so, he doesn`t has a poroblem with that. and by the way, that wasn`t his first visit to the Bernabeu, he have been there back on 2000.

Mirage

Tom Cruise freaks me out. I might get one of those "free katie" t-shirts Razz

j/k i suppose.
Rafael Nadal was at the match too. Everyone's accusing him of being a gloryhunter tskk Rolling Eyes

tracylynn

tracylynn

tracylynn

La Liga - Real confirm Capello sacking

Eurosport - Thu, 28 Jun 17:31:00 2007

La Liga - Real Madrid have confirmed that Fabio Capello has been sacked as coach of the Spanish champions following a lunchtime meeting at the Bernabeu on Thursday.

Capello leaves the capital club after just one year in charge despite having brought a first Liga title in four years to Madrid.

The 61-year-old Italian, who also won the league title with Real in the 1996-97 season during his first spell at the club, had two years left to run on his contract.

"We have taken the decision not to continue with Fabio Capello next season," said Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic.

"It was a difficult decision, but it was a unanimous decision based on an exhaustive report I made to the board.

"We don't think Fabio Capello is the right person to lead Real Madrid into the future given what we want this club to achieve."

"Now we have time to think over who will be the next coach of the club."

"I haven't managed to talk it over with him personally because he is on holiday at the moment, but I did manage to speak to his son who is also his lawyer."

Real have a reputation for being ruthless when it comes to sacking successful managers; Jupp Heynckes was sacked in 1998 after winning the Champions League, while Vicente Del Bosque was also dismissed despite delivering two Liga titles and two Champions League titles in his four seasons in charge.

German Bernd Schuster, who took Getafe to the Copa Del Rey final and UEFA Cup qualification last term, is the favourite to take over for the start of next season.

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I have to say that I'm not surprised by this event. Man, oh man, the management at Real Madrid has to be one of the stupidest group of men on the planet for the getting rid of coaches who have success.

Mirage

Yeah, Real do go through coaches like there's no tomorrow don't they... I can see Schuster being great with them though.
Real still want Ronaldo and Kaka in the same team right? Loool.

fanOfBayern

Paddy · I'm a chatterbox! Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 746 votes: 7

How can anyone likes Beckham. Granted he has the talent but he ruins it by acting like a pop star. Because of his looks he was always way overrated. I mean Real picked him over Ronaldinho yet he didn´t & doesn´t have a 20% of his talents.

He is a very good player but there are so many better players out there. Imagine Ronaldinho having the looks of Beckham. He would be god.

But that the way english people leave. They make superstars out of players that aren´t yet capable being one. WallcoTT anyone?

Anyways I´m glad Real won. I somehow hate Marquez, Valdes and Eto'o more than I´m irritated by Beckham and Raul.

tracylynn