THE FIRST time Fabio Capello took Real Madrid to a league title, it seemed much more straightforward. Then, they established an irretrievable advantage over Barcelona on the penultimate day, and would win La Liga by two clear points. There are, however, similarities - the last time he had Madrid at the top of the Spanish first division with 90 minutes of the season remaining, Capello would look back at a Barça with far more goals to their credit than his own team, and be aware of critics who thought Madrid dull.

The day Capello won the league with Madrid was a full 10 years ago, an era distant enough that only one player has survived in the first XI through the decade between - his captain this evening, Raul - and so long ago that the runner-up to Capello offering his congratulations was Bobby Robson. Capello left the Madrid job shortly afterwards, committed to returning to Milan, and, like the Geoff Boycott of football management that he is, to consolidating the most impressive average of anybody in his job.

If Capello guides Madrid to victory at home to Real Mallorca tonight, he will have taken a club to the summit for the ninth time in his career. Now, Sir Alex Ferguson has won more championships, and in as many countries - two. But Ferguson has been at it for longer.

Capello, who has worked in football in his native Italy and in Spain, completed his first full campaign in charge of a club in 1992. He started high, with a gifted Milan, and kept them high, with three titles in his first three attempts, and another two seasons later. Then to Madrid, for what seemed a one-off, and his fifth championship in six years.

The return to Milan did not work. His accomplishments with Roma, though, might be judged his greatest achievement of all. Without the resources of Serie A’s big three, Capello made Roma the division’s best team. He won the scudetto in his second year there and twice took Roma to second spot in the following three campaigns. The next episode we are obliged to mark with an asterisk: Capello joined Juventus in 2004, and they finished top of the table in 2004-05 and 2005-06, only to be officially stripped of those titles after the “Moggiopoli” revelations about manipulation of Italian referees.

There had never been a suggestion the coach might be implicated, and Capello had those leagues won with something to spare. So, the title tally reads: four times with Milan, twice* with Juve, once with Roma, and, looking at this evening’s prospect, let’s say 1.99 titles with Real Madrid. This one, should they claim it, has not been the most handsome. Madrid have lost eight games in La Liga. They have taken part in some stinkers, too. It will be a championship defined more by Madrid’s capacity to bounce back than the beauty of their football.

The coach is in familiar territory. “I’ve won a league this way, in the last game, before, at Roma,” he noted yesterday. He has clinched a title at the Bernabeu before. “That’s history,” he said, “Once a match is finished, I erase it and concentrate on the next one.” Whatever happens tonight, it is not certain his next one will even be with Real Madrid.

Man with a golden touch

- Fabio Capello has won honours with every club he has managed
Italian Scudetto: 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96 (AC Milan); 2000-01 (AS Roma) 2004-05, 2005-06 (Juventus - later stripped of titles because of involvement in matchfixing scandal)
Spanish Liga: 1996-97 (Real Madrid)
Champions League: 1994 (AC Milan)
Italian Super Cup: 1992, 1993, 1994 (AC Milan), 2001 (Roma)
Super Cup: 1994 (AC Milan)

- Under Capello, Milan remained unbeaten for 58 league games between May 19, 1991 and March 21, 1993, which included an entire season when they were unbeaten in the league

- He infuriated Real Madrid fans by refusing to play David Beckham after news of the player’s move to LA Galaxy was made public, but later relented

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