VIDEO: Capello ready for the fight
Stuart Mawhinney
Sunday, 29 August, 2010
Fabio Capello tells FATV he is ready to fight for England.
Watch an exclusive Fabio Capello interview here
Speaking exclusively to FATV, Fabio Capello says he has the stomach for the fight and is ready for the Euro 2012 campaign to start.
Comparing his current situation with the mid-season period at Real Madrid in 2007, Capello knows what it takes to lift a team who have suffered defeat and he is ready to do that with England.
Capello told FATV: "Before the World Cup I was one of the best managers, after we lost to Germany there are big problems about different things and about my value.
"In my career when I was Real Madrid manager in Spain, the period in January and February was really, really hard. But in the end I won La Liga, and the people always remember this period. I hope it will be the same here. I'm focused on the games, and I'm focused on my job.
"I'm a fighter."
Speaking about the challenge of Bulgaria and Switzerland Capello accepts it is going to be two difficult matches to start the qualification campaign.
"It will be two important games," Capello explained. "Because in this period the players are in good situation and physically will be strong.
"Bulgaria is a dangerous team. I watched three games that they played, two before the World Cup and the last against Russia. They lost 1-0 but they played very well, it will be a tough game that we will play here at Wembley.
"On Switzerland, they played the World Cup and they are a good team with good organisation. They have a really important manager [Ottmar Hitzfeld], and when you play away in Switzerland it is not easy to beat this team."
The England Manager also explained the process of selecting the Under-21 squad that sees Jack Wilshere joining up with Stuart Pearce this week having made his senior debut last month against Hungary.
"When Stuart Pearce decided on the players he wanted to select for the games against Portugal and Lithuania, we decided together. I know that the game against Portugal will be really important for the Under-21s, so Wilshere and the other players he has selected are the best players to play in this important game."
Capello also paid tribute to the England supporters who backed the team in the friendly at Wembley during August.
"I understood the fans who booed against Hungary, but I also understand and appreciate the fans who helped the team during the game. It's incredible that the fans of England are so close to the team."
On David Beckham, Capello explained the situation and assured everyone that his relationship with Beckham is really good.
"I was honest with a journalist who made a question and I spoke about David Beckham's future. Immediately after the interview one hour later Franco Baldini spoke with David, and I spoke with him ten days ago. I spoke with him directly on the phone, and I explained what really happened and after this the relationship between him and I was the same as before this period."
Tickets for the opening campaign clash with Bulgaria at Wembley on Friday are still available and can be purchased using the information below.
Ticket Prices
£60, £50, £40, £30
(FAMILY ENCLOSURE - £30 Adults/£15 Children under 16)
General sale
Tuesday 27 July 2010 from 10am
Hotline: 0844 826 2010
Website: www.TheFA.com/tickets
Disabled supporters
Members disabled sale – Thursday 22 July 2010 at 10am
General public disabled sale – Wednesday 28 July at 10am.
Hotline: 0845 458 1966
The deadline to enter the Schools and Junior Football club group booking ballot for England v Bulgaria has now closed (Friday 30 July 2010 at 5pm).
Away Supporters - Please contact the Football Federation of Bulgaria, details can be found here
There is a strict limit of 5 tickets per person during the public sale and a credit card may only be used once for public sale bookings. Any subsequent bookings made with the same credit card will be subject to cancellation without notification.
All tickets subject to availability & fees
All tickets issued subject to the Terms & Conditions of The Football Association