Lippi and Capello Fighting it Out in England?

By: Martha | December 10th, 2007

Have I mentioned he’s a pimp? Now that Jose Mourinho has worked them into a frenzy just to turn them down (allegedly for the Milan job, but we’ll try to ignore that madness), the English press have become convinced that the two men now at the top of the FA’s list for the England gig are none of than a pair of Italians: Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello, both of whom have supposedly already been approached. [Insert totally deserved mocking here about England turning to an Italian to fix them, after spending decades bitching about the Italian style of play.]

Capello’s made no secret of his interest in the job and, in a lot of ways, he seems perfectly suited — he doesn’t really want people to like him, and doesn’t care how the football looks, as long as it works. Both of those are the attributes anyone trying to sort England out need right now, and his confidence is so vast he’ll be able to withstand the tsunamis of criticism the press and public will inevitably hurl at him the first time he tell Michael Owen to shut it. Really, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that they’d be fools not to offer him the job: Either they’ll win, or the conflicts and ensuing meltdown will be spectacular that no one will even care about the results.

Lippi, however, is something else entirely. In all honesty, I don’t want him to ever manage again. He’s won the Scudetto three times, won the Champions League, won the freaking World Cup — what else does he need to do? The man needs to spend the rest of his life fishing, smoking his cigar, and sitting on his yacht, while people wander by periodically to interview him and fall at his feet. My personal irrationality aside, however, England are enough of a mess that they seem to need to stern tactician rather than the awesome guy who brings people together, and it would take a miracle for a stint with that team to do anything but hurt Lippi’s legacy.

If the FA really are deciding between those two, I’d love to be a fly on the wall during their discussions. I bet they’ll all adore Lippi personally, but be so captivated by Capello’s arrogance and insistence that he will win everything in sight that it’ll be a unanimous decision. And then they’ll all take Lippi out for drinks.

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Category: Rumors & News, Serie A

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Ro

If Lippi goes to england will never watch calcio again!! (ok i'm kidding but it's worth a try)

England so does not deserve Lippi they deserve no one let them just rott.

Cappello is better for them the Lippi, if lippi comes out of retirement for that I will be so mad he retired from us and stuck us with donadoni he better not leave his yatch for them!!!
Martha

Tell us how you really feel, Romanista! I gotta tell you I think Capello's ego is way too big to allow him to turn England down on principle, but I do appreciate yours.

(And 'Arry's chance went out the window the moment he was haulted into prison, I'm afraid.)
Romanista SA

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!

No Italian should ever accept the England job.

Screw them.

They hate our football now they want us to coach their national team.

THEY ARE BENEATH OUR CONTEMPT!

They can have Harry Redknapp who recently said 'Show me a better centre half than Rio Ferdinand' and 'Lampard and Gerrad are the best central midfielders in the world'.

They can have him and the disappointment that comes with the typical English mentality.
Yo

Capello and his Ugly Football would be good for England :)

Lippi shouldn't waste his time with England...they don't deserve him
rickard

It would be somewhat fun if Capello brought some success (silver or bronze medal in 2010) to the English NT with catenaccio, they do have a couple of player types to do it, stick the cultured Carrick and Hargreaves in the middle and make sure Gerrard is as far away from central ball distribution duties as possible.
roswitha

No! England needs and Englishman! Throw on Steve McLaren!!

... wait, wrong year.

On the one hand it excites me that there's a chance that we won't actually have a Capello-managed club in Europe for a while if he makes it. On the other, England will probably win ZA2010. And those English are not going to stop bitching about Italian football even if he *does* bring that home; he's just going to be more reason for them to rip into it.

But it would be so. much. fun.
Nolan

I would hate to see Lippi tarnish his reputation managing England. If he comes out of retirement it would have to either be in Italy or to manage Barca (I'm totally being unbiased right there), a job he said in the past he'd want.

Capello would be perfect for England, since they already play ugly football.
Julie

Hhmmmm ... lets appoint someone who can't speak a word of English. Perfect sense.
KJ Ventimiglia

Lippi is too good for England...Capello, overrated and arrogant as he is, perfect canidate for the job.