Fabio Capello has delivered a scathing assessment of Italy’s third consecutive World Cup elimination, describing the defeat to Bosnia as a national disgrace and calling for the entire FIGC leadership to accept responsibility and step down.
The former England, Milan and Real Madrid manager spoke to Spanish newspaper Marca in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday night’s penalty shootout defeat in Zenica, and made no attempt to soften his words.
“I could not sleep all night, I still cannot believe what happened,” he said. “We are talking about a four-time world champion. This is a sporting tragedy, a disgrace. It is one of the worst things to have happened to Italian football in its recent history.”
Capello’s sharpest criticism, however, was reserved not for the players or the coaching staff but for those at the top of the game’s administration.
“Nobody is resigning here, and that is the most worrying thing,” he said. “The first person who should take responsibility is the president of the federation, along with the entire leadership.”
The 79-year-old was equally clear that the problem runs far deeper than a single bad result.
“This is not just about results, it is structural,” he said. “Italy needs to reinvent itself. We must bring together the experts, analyse what is happening and begin a reconstruction from the foundations. It will be very difficult to recover from this, but I trust it will serve as the beginning of a genuine renewal.”
With Gravina yet to signal any intention to resign despite growing pressure from all directions, Capello’s words add another prominent voice to what is becoming an overwhelming chorus of calls for change.
