Capello ready to play Ghostbusters with England

06 May 2010 08:38

Fabio Capello has admitted he might never have become England coach if it had not been for the Calciopoli scandal.

When Juventus were hauled over the coals by the Italian football authorities and demoted to Serie B, Capello quit in favour of Real Madrid, but he lasted only one season at the Bernabeu before leaving the Spanish giants, meaning he was a free agent when Steve McClaren was axed in the wake of England's failure to reach Euro 2008.

"Probably not," admitted Capello on Eurosport's 'Eurogoals One-to-One show' when asked whether he would have been leading the Three Lions to South Africa this summer had Juve avoided the turmoil that engulfed them. "I wouldn't have gone to Madrid, wouldn't have gone six months without managing after leaving there and wouldn't have been free to join England either."

He added: "It just shows anything negative can be seen as something positive."

It leaves Capello portraying himself in the role of Ghostbuster as he bids to erase the spectre of 1966, which has hung over the Three Lions for almost half a century.

For Capello it would represent the realisation of a dream, in addition to rewriting the history of an entire nation.

And, just as the Italian ripped away the weight of Croatia from English necks, so, in an exclusive interview to be screened on May 10, he acknowledges he wants to strip the millstone of 1966 too.

"I have tried to take a detached from this 'not having won in 44 years' idea," he added.

"When I first got here we had this Croatian ghost. I hope the same thing happens with the ghost of 66.

"I like the Ghostbusters idea. Let's go with that because I want to take this team as far as possible."

Source: PA