FABIO CAPELLO has watched, managed and screamed at some of the best footballers in the world over the past 30 years.
Franco Baresi, Marco van Basten, David Beckham, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Paolo Maldini, Ronaldo and Clarence Seedorf are just some of the legends who have come under his expert guidance.
The Italian, 77, may have his detractors, particularly for his time in charge of England, but he knows a good player when he sees one.
And he has been left mighty impressed by Jude Bellingham’s inaugural season with Real Madrid.
The former Three Lions boss gushed: “He is really from a different world!
“Because he has quality but also competitive strength. And this is a plus that he brings to the team.”
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Capello, known as a strict disciplinarian, had two successful spells at the Bernabeu – he won the La Liga title in 1997 and 2007 – and fully understands the pressure, expectation and chaos that surrounds that club.
Bellingham wore a hefty price tag when he came over to Spain from Borussia Dortmund last year for £88.5million.
Yet the 20-year-old wooed the home crowd by scoring 19 goals in 28 league appearances as Madrid clinched the Championship – excellent numbers for a midfielder.
Three of those goals came in three clashes with rivals Barcelona, including a stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 victory last month in the Spanish capital.
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Capello, who also managed AC Milan, Roma and Juventus, said: “Bellingham has surprised me.
“Because normally the English have difficulty making an impact in the Spanish or Italian leagues when they’re away from home.
“Probably because he was coming straight from Germany, Bellingham already understood a bit of the European mentality.
“But he really impressed me with his will-to-win and how much he’s loved by Madrid fans.
“At El Clásico, he lifted Madrid. There were two or three times when he won the ball by sliding and the whole stadium rose to applaud him.
“This means true devotion to the team and being a leader. One can tell a leader by how they behave on the field.”
Bellingham can announce him to a worldwide audience if he guides Madrid to Champions League glory on the Wembley turf against his former club on Saturday.
Capello reckons the Stourbridge-born star could easily transform into a second striker in the coming years.
And in terms of a comparison to someone he has coached in the past, a certain German World Cup-winning captain immediately springs to mind.
Capello said: “Bellingham’s position is hybrid. And that’s why it’s difficult to compare him with other players.
“But I think of Lothar Matthaus a long time ago, who was more or less like that.
“When he’d get close to the penalty area he was good but he wasn’t as good within the penalty area.
“And Bellingham – that’s the difference he makes. He’s good both in midfield, as he immediately gets where the match is headed to, and also inside the penalty area.
“I think that’s the position he needs to play in. As a second forward.
“He can inflict a lot of damage in that position because he has this ability to just penetrate the defence and find the right spots.
“And he’s someone who also helps the team out. In my opinion, he can really inflict a lot of damage in that position. As a manager, that’s how I’d use him.”
It is 30 years since Capello’s famous AC Milan team crushed Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League Final in Athens – the pinnacle of his managerial career.
His four-year tenure with England was a flop as they were humbled 4–1 by Germany in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Since then he has worked closely with the Laureus Foundation, a global sports-based charity that works to improve the lives of young people.
He said: “The most important thing, as ambassadors and sportspeople, is we have to help.
“We should do it with such great joy, because seeing children, people in need, playing sports and being involved, being united is a beautiful thing.
“We are an example to children and young people. And by engaging with them, talking to them and listening to them, they can be a part of this solution.
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“It’s impactful and can make a difference, now and in the future.”
Fabio Capello was speaking to the Laureus Spirit of Sport in Madrid as Jude Bellingham received the World Breakthrough of the Year Award
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
