England Manager reflects on his early days as a coach.
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Whilst Fabio Capello has an enviable managerial record second to none, the England Manager still believes that it was his time working as a young coach with the AC Milan academy that helped stand him in good stead for the rest of his career.
The Italian was already a top player, having won 32 caps for his country and represented the likes of Roma, Juventus and Milan but when he finished his career on the pitch, his first movement into coaching came with the young players at Milan and those days helped him develop into the manager who later led Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid and Roma into action and domestic titles.
After growing up in a small town in northern Italy, Capello’s first experience of coaching came from his father who ran the local team but he soon realised how crucial the role is when he moved into the professional game with SPAL.
“It was my father first, as I lived in a little village of only 1000 people,” he told the 600 coaches at Wembley for The FA Coaches Association Conference on Thursday afternoon.
“I found the importance of coaching when I went to my first club in Ferrara, who played in Serie A.
“And as a coach myself, I worked for six years in the Academy and that experience was very important for me.”
It was during that time that Capello realised how to understand and work with the players he was in charge of, especially the younger players at his disposal.
And with the Future Game coaching book that was launched at the event focusing on the coaching of youngsters in particular, it was an apt time for Capello to speak of his experiences and what he learnt.
“It is important to understand the mentality of your players,” he added.
“Players are important. At 16 or 17, it is impossible to tell where they will be, or what level they will play at.
“You have to be like a father to young players.”
