Most Hated Men In Football: Fabio Capello

After being appointed England manager in December 2007, Fabio Capello boldly announced that the role would be the last of his career. Two and half years later and that prophecy has quickly turned pear-shaped. England‘s embarrassing defeat to Germany sent the Three Lions crashing out of the World Cup and brutally exposed Capello‘s frailties on the international stage.

Discredited Fabio Capello now adds his name to the growing list of Footy Factor’s Most Hated Men in Football.

Fabio Capello arrived on English shores tasked with dragging the nation, fresh from failing to qualify for Euro 2008, out of the International wilderness and back amongst the very best in world football. Capello fulfilled his initial objective by guiding the Three Lions to a near perfect World Cup qualifying campaign but that’s where the music stopped. Raising the hopes of a nation who had been waiting 44 years to win an international tournament, England dully whimpered out of Africa with their tails between their legs. As Capello tinkered, a nation’s hopes crumbled.

Who should play left-midfield? Can Lampard and Gerrard play together? Who is the best goalkeeper? Who should partner Wayne Rooney in attack? Weren’t we asking these same questions under Steve McClaren? Fabio Capello has had over two years to solve England‘s biggest problems and he’s made no progress on any of them. We’ll never truly know why Capello chose to bring the goal-shy Emile Heskey on against Germany with twenty minutes to go and England chasing the game, but the fact that the Aston Villa substitute was even an option shows that Capello didn’t change the team enough. It was the World Cup 2006 side, but noticeably older.

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