Capello defends Donadoni
12 Jun 2008 - 10:09:28
England head coach Fabio Capello has defended his Italy counterpart Roberto Donadoni against an avalanche of criticism over the Azzurri's 3-0 Euro 2008 loss to the Netherlands.
Donadoni has been savaged by large sections of the media back in his homeland, with Italy now facing an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals in Austria and Switzerland.
However, Capello believes that Donadoni needs a calm environment to turn things around.
He told Rai Sport: "I absolutely disagree with what has been said regarding the squad and the coach. The media have gone into mourning after just one game.
"I have heard it said that Donadoni should have chosen a different formation and made a number of mistakes, but I don't agree.
"I think that Holland had some chances and they made the most of them, while Italy didn't exploit theirs.
"I believe that a coach must be allowed to make his choices in a calm way and, instead, I heard and continue to hear such fatalism."