Smash hit

Capello took that night to heart. It may explain why none of the 30-plus trophies he has won as player and manager are prominently displayed in his home. Winners don’t need baubles to remind them they have won.

In 1973, Capello twice played against England, and scored twice.

On 9 June, 1973, Italy took on mighty Brazil, the world champions, at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, coming away with a 2-0 victory, with Capello providing the second. Five days later, in Turin, they were set to take on England in a fixture arranged to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Italian FA. England, managed by Sir Alf Ramsey, featured the likes of Bobby Moore, Emlyn Hughes and Martin Peters.

Appearing on RAI, Italy’s state broadcaster, for a pre-match interview, Capello spoke about taking on the English. “They are the masters of football, period. Beating them would be tremendous,” he said. “About as good as it can get.” Which is exactly what happened. Italy won 2-0 and Capello again found the back of the net, latching on to a header in the area and striking it first time with his left foot. It was a historic win. On their ninth attempt, the Azzurri had at last defeated the country that had gifted football to the world. And Capello had played a key role.

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In November, the Azzurri travelled to London on a massive wave of media interest. “That wasn’t a friendly match, it was a real battle,” Giorgio Chinaglia [the former Italy striker] says. “Not a dirty game, but one played at the highest intensity.” And then, four minutes from time, came that historic goal.

“I went down the whole right flank, I took a quick glance at Peter Shilton and I smacked it as hard as I could,” Chinaglia said. “I thought I could beat Shilton, but I also knew that if he parried it, there was a good chance a team-mate would be up there to turn it in.” Which is what happened. Capello, after sprinting halfway up the pitch, stretched out to meet the ball.

To the Italians, it was as if they had won the World Cup. “Fabio became a folk hero,” Chinaglia says.

In 1979, Capello was a 33-year-old midfield player with AC Milan. He had been plagued by knee problems and his playing days seemed over. In a one-off, Capello confronted one of his fiercest critics.

One journalist who clearly felt Capello’s time was up was Alberto Cerruti, a promising young reporter for Gazzetta dello Sport. Capello, who for much of his career would appear pretty much immune to the critics, was clearly affected by Cerruti’s writing.

“I was needling him over the fact that his career was coming to an end,” Cerruti told me. “It showed on the pitch, he was struggling.” On 11 December, 1979, the eve of Milan v Napoli, Capello decided to confront Cerruti. It was a cold, wintry day at the club’s training ground, and, by 5.30, when Cerruti was making his way back to the car park, it was already dark.

Cerruti heard footsteps on the gravel and, the next thing he knew, Capello was upon him.

Capello shoved the journalist to the ground. Punches were thrown. And then, as he stood over his victim, a livid Capello said: “Do you still have the courage to say to my face what you’ve been writing in your newspaper? Go on, tell it to my face.” Cerruti was stunned and lay there in shock for a minute or two. It wasn’t the physical injuries he sustained, which were negligible, it was the way the situation had transpired. Before he knew it, Capello had disappeared into the darkness.

What is curious about this episode is not the incident itself. Capello, like everyone, occasionally loses his temper. And while his solid build and often aggressive demeanour make him more menacing than most, he is not a violent man. By all accounts, this was an isolated and unexpected loss of control for which Capello apologised.

For the next decade, they had little contact. But in 1991, when he took over the Milan first team, he began to forge a special relationship with Cerruti, one which continues to this day. Indeed, Cerruti is among the very small circle of journalists that Capello seems to trust and respect implicitly.

“Whatever Capello’s character and personality may be like, he has this incredible ability to move on and look forward, never behind,” Cerruti said.

© Gabriele Marcotti 2008, extracted from Capello: Portrait of a winner, to be published by Bantam Press on September 11 at £18.99. It is available from Times Books First at £17.09, free p&p, by calling 0870 160 8080 or visiting timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst