Fabio Capello, the England manager, hit back last night at claims from Carlo Ancelotti that he is surly and failed to establish a rapport with his players while in charge of AC Milan.

In his new book, extracts of which were published in The Times last week, Ancelotti argues that Capello lacked humanity and barely spoke to his team when he took over at the San Siro in the new Chelsea manager’s final year as a player.

In one excerpt, Ancelotti describes how Capello was pinned up against a wall by Ruud Gullit, claiming that the majority of the Milan squad at the time were on the side of the former Holland captain.

Capello insisted that Ancelotti — who was announced as the Chelsea manager on Monday after resigning as Milan’s coach at the end of their final match of the season the previous day — is guilty of a false portrayal, although he conceded that he does not socialise with his players, as the England squad would testify.

“I don’t recognise myself in that description,” Capello said. “Sometimes I think I fight with one player. Not a lot. Just one. Usually I speak with the players. I never went to dinner with the players. I never went to dinner with the journalists. I prefer to go with my wife, or with friends of mine.

“I think the rules of the club is: ‘I’m a manager, you are a player.’ I respect the players and I ask respect from them.

“Not more than this. That’s normal. If you want to be a friend of the players, you can choose to be like that. It’s a different style. He [Ancelotti] won with his style. I won with ours.”

Despite their differences, Capello went on to praise his fellow Italian, who he believes will do a good job at Stamford Bridge.

“Carlo Ancelotti won a lot with AC Milan,” he added. “When someone chooses an Italian manager, it’s for this reason. The system of the work, during training and at every moment, perhaps it’s different.”