Where Will Fabio Capello Turn Up Next?
Perhaps one of the greatest managerial minds football has ever seen, Fabio Capello, is currently without a club to lavish his brilliance on. You would have to be quite foolish to think he is content offering match commentary and is not surveying the football landscape for an opportunity to win additional trophies. And it goes without saying that Capello will bring trophies to whichever club makes the wise decision of hiring him.
Everyone witnessed this last season as he guided Real Madrid to the La Liga title. The squad looked wayward and out of the running for a large portion of the season. After Champions League elimination it was a serious possibility that Capello would not see the end of the season and the forever revolving manager door at Real Madrid would see him out. But the players bought into his system - they seemingly cast their gigantic egos aside - and played epic football (albeit defensive and a bit boring) and caught a shaky Barcelona. Was this Capello's greatest managing achievement? That is debatable when you look at prior accomplishments.
His AC Milan squads dominated Serie A throughout the 90s. He made a prior La Liga winning appearance at Real Madrid towards the end of that decade prior to returning to Italy and guiding AS Roma and Juventus (eventually stripped of the title) to the Scudetto. Factor in a Champions League ('94), Italian Super Cups ('92,'93,'94,'01) and a European Super Cup ('94) and Capello is as decorated and respected an unemployed manager as there ever was. So what are his options?
The Italian national squad seems an obvious choice. But I wonder if someone of Capello's tactical acumen would be satisfied with just the European Championships, World Cup and the random friendly to ply his trade. Indeed, I believe that club football is where Capello will turn up again. If Juventus fail to finish in a Champions League qualifying spot it might give them an opportunity to fire Claudio Raneiri so that Capello could return. Carlo Ancelotti hoisting the Champions League trophy last season has earned him another season at Milan that looks certain to end in either second or third place in the table, but I feel like Capello would approach any potential opening there with a "been there, done that" attitude.
You could argue that Spain offers more intriguing opportunities. If Barcelona fail to win La Liga and conquer Europe the club will surely give manager Frank Rijkaard the axe and Capello would be amongst the first names suggested in the boardroom. If history tells us anything new Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster could be gone by the halfway point of the season and the club could beg Capello to return. The chance to play the hero at the biggest club in the world would be too much to resist should this scenario arise. Although, do not count out Sevilla as being a future destination. Juande Ramos is the hottest property in managing right now. I doubt he'll be at the club this time next season. Depending on how things play out Ramos could easily be at Chelsea or Tottenham Hottspur of the Premier League next season and Sevilla would be the project - similar to Roma - that attracts Capello to return to the managing ranks.
But I want to dig even deeper into the possibilities here. What about England? What if trophies fail to arrive at Chelsea and Liverpool this season? If Liverpool do not win the Premier League it is not out of the question that Rafael Benitez will be fired. You know that Jose Mourinho is no guarantee to be at Chelsea next season if multiple trophies (and I don't mean of the FA Cup and Carling Cup variety) don't make their way to Stamford Bridge. Thus, two big clubs with big budgets and lots of talent could have manager openings. Thinking even bigger for a second, England national team manager, Steve McClaren, will be gone either before Euro 2008 because England fail to qualify or immediately after the competition when they crash out in dismal fashion again. Managing England is one of the highest profile jobs in the world. Mr. Capello - your ego is knocking...
And let me just throw this out there: Would Capello consider managing in the United States? If we've learned anything over the summer it is that current manager Bob Bradley hasn't done much to raise the competitiveness of the US national team. They look pretty ordinary outside of CONCACAF and if David Beckham is getting MLS on front pages and prime time television shouldn't the national team strive for the same? Consider the total lack of pressure on the US national team manager, and I would have to believe Capello could balance managing an MLS club with the national team job. He could settle in at LA Galaxy, Chivas USA or Chicago Fire all while guiding the Americans to respectability at the international level.
Whatever happens, as a football fan I want to see Capello on the sidelines. I want to be able to appreciate his ability the same way I do the actual players. After this season a big club is going to have supporters demanding more trophies and Capello should be the first man called to remedy the situation.
Everyone witnessed this last season as he guided Real Madrid to the La Liga title. The squad looked wayward and out of the running for a large portion of the season. After Champions League elimination it was a serious possibility that Capello would not see the end of the season and the forever revolving manager door at Real Madrid would see him out. But the players bought into his system - they seemingly cast their gigantic egos aside - and played epic football (albeit defensive and a bit boring) and caught a shaky Barcelona. Was this Capello's greatest managing achievement? That is debatable when you look at prior accomplishments.
His AC Milan squads dominated Serie A throughout the 90s. He made a prior La Liga winning appearance at Real Madrid towards the end of that decade prior to returning to Italy and guiding AS Roma and Juventus (eventually stripped of the title) to the Scudetto. Factor in a Champions League ('94), Italian Super Cups ('92,'93,'94,'01) and a European Super Cup ('94) and Capello is as decorated and respected an unemployed manager as there ever was. So what are his options?
The Italian national squad seems an obvious choice. But I wonder if someone of Capello's tactical acumen would be satisfied with just the European Championships, World Cup and the random friendly to ply his trade. Indeed, I believe that club football is where Capello will turn up again. If Juventus fail to finish in a Champions League qualifying spot it might give them an opportunity to fire Claudio Raneiri so that Capello could return. Carlo Ancelotti hoisting the Champions League trophy last season has earned him another season at Milan that looks certain to end in either second or third place in the table, but I feel like Capello would approach any potential opening there with a "been there, done that" attitude.
You could argue that Spain offers more intriguing opportunities. If Barcelona fail to win La Liga and conquer Europe the club will surely give manager Frank Rijkaard the axe and Capello would be amongst the first names suggested in the boardroom. If history tells us anything new Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster could be gone by the halfway point of the season and the club could beg Capello to return. The chance to play the hero at the biggest club in the world would be too much to resist should this scenario arise. Although, do not count out Sevilla as being a future destination. Juande Ramos is the hottest property in managing right now. I doubt he'll be at the club this time next season. Depending on how things play out Ramos could easily be at Chelsea or Tottenham Hottspur of the Premier League next season and Sevilla would be the project - similar to Roma - that attracts Capello to return to the managing ranks.
But I want to dig even deeper into the possibilities here. What about England? What if trophies fail to arrive at Chelsea and Liverpool this season? If Liverpool do not win the Premier League it is not out of the question that Rafael Benitez will be fired. You know that Jose Mourinho is no guarantee to be at Chelsea next season if multiple trophies (and I don't mean of the FA Cup and Carling Cup variety) don't make their way to Stamford Bridge. Thus, two big clubs with big budgets and lots of talent could have manager openings. Thinking even bigger for a second, England national team manager, Steve McClaren, will be gone either before Euro 2008 because England fail to qualify or immediately after the competition when they crash out in dismal fashion again. Managing England is one of the highest profile jobs in the world. Mr. Capello - your ego is knocking...
And let me just throw this out there: Would Capello consider managing in the United States? If we've learned anything over the summer it is that current manager Bob Bradley hasn't done much to raise the competitiveness of the US national team. They look pretty ordinary outside of CONCACAF and if David Beckham is getting MLS on front pages and prime time television shouldn't the national team strive for the same? Consider the total lack of pressure on the US national team manager, and I would have to believe Capello could balance managing an MLS club with the national team job. He could settle in at LA Galaxy, Chivas USA or Chicago Fire all while guiding the Americans to respectability at the international level.
Whatever happens, as a football fan I want to see Capello on the sidelines. I want to be able to appreciate his ability the same way I do the actual players. After this season a big club is going to have supporters demanding more trophies and Capello should be the first man called to remedy the situation.
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