Capello Champions Confidence
New England coach Fabio Capello said a strange thing to an Italian TV station recently. After admitting that he has a group of “first-class” players to choose from, we went on to explain that this by itself was not sufficient.
Capello stated that his biggest challenge will be to restore the team’s “winning mentality”. He then analyzed the main reason for England’s poor performance – lack of self-confidence:
“Psychologically, they are a team that needs to find its confidence. I watched them play against Russia and they looked a very impersonal side when playing. It’s a team that need to find itself and that will be my role.” [grammar original!]
A football team? Needing to ‘find itself’? Do explain!
Capello managed the Spanish giants Real Madrid, leading them to the Primera Liga title (2006-7 season). He made a parallel between the two team situations.
“It’s a little bit like what happened with me at Real Madrid when I returned this time,” Capello said. “They had a team that had lost all of their characteristics and self-confidence.”
Is this some strange, continental philosophy that belongs in the mouths of therapists and theorists more than managers and coaches? If you think so, then ponder the words of America football coach Joe Paterno on the same vein:
“When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality.”
Very nice, you’re thinking, very inspirational. But does it work?
Capello’s first game in charge will be the friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on 6 February. With England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, his first competitive game will be a World Cup qualifier on 6 September.
Let’s follow his progress and see…
