During the commencement of the 2023-24 academic year at the University Institute of Linguistic Mediators (Limec), Fabio Capello delved into his second stint at Real Madrid during the 2006-07 season.

“In February 2007 I decided to kick Ronaldo Nazario out,” Capello elucidated. “He was someone who liked to party and involved the group in going out with him. One day Van Nistelrooy came in and said to me: ‘Sir, it smells of alcohol in the dressing room’ and it was true. Ronaldo weighed 94 kg that year. In Korea, at the 2002 World Cup, he weighed 82. I told him to lose weight… he went to 92.5.”

Capello also disclosed that he had advised against AC Milan signing Ronaldo. “Berlusconi called me one day to ask my advice on a hypothetical purchase of Ronaldo. I advised him against it, telling him that he was a party animal, and that he only thought about being surrounded by women. He said: ‘OK, thanks Fabio. The day after Ronaldo signed for Milan, he didn’t listen to me.”

The former LaLiga champion with Madrid also expressed his disapproval of Antonio Cassano’s conduct: “I came to blows with Cassano. Cassano was asking for chips before every game, which was unacceptable. I was more angry with the chef than with him. I didn’t understand why he did those things.”

Capello later recounted the crucial victory in the final match of the season against Mallorca that secured the league title. “We played against Mallorca. We were 1-0 down in the first half and we had to win to win the league. My players were all scared, they made bad passes. At half-time I made them all sit on the floor, I moved Roberto Carlos who was in front of me, and I also sat next to them. I said to them: ‘We’ve moved from nine points off Barcelona and now we have to give away a league title?’ I had to calm them down. If I shouted it would put even more pressure on them. Do you know how it ended? 3-1 for us – champions of Spain!”

Following his departure from Madrid, he returned to Milan and regarded it as the gravest mistake of his life. “Going back was the biggest mistake of my life. Berlusconi had called me. I asked Florentino Pérez to let me go, but in Milan, I did everything wrong. The league was disastrous, but that experience taught me a lot.”

Lastly, Capello shared his preferences regarding the teams he would desire to coach in contemporary football. “Which team would I like to coach today? Barça, Real or Bayern. I’ve coached them all in Italy,” he concluded.