Italy were eliminated from the European Championship after a 0-2 defeat to Switzerland in the Round of 16. After the game, Italian legend Fabio Capello harshly criticized the team and believed that coach Roberto Mancini “overestimated the team’s strength.”
In a post-match commentary on Sky Sport Italia, Capello criticized Mancini’s tactics and the players’ level: “The players have no quality whatsoever. If our players are not in good shape, can’t pass the ball more calmly or break through, we can’t hide all the shortcomings. Tonight we faced a team with strong attack and counter-attack, and we couldn’t win the ball back, so we were helpless. When we managed to win the ball back, we couldn’t even complete three consecutive passes. Mancini tried all the tactics, but only saw a team in disarray. I have a feeling that Mancini overestimated the players’ strength, his tactics are unique but the poor quality of the players cannot produce what he wants.”
In response to questions from Bergomi and Carèsa about the role of Fagioli and the team’s system, Capello said: “Mancini has changed tactics countless times. Today when Fagioli was alone against four defenders, he was like a fish out of water, completely helpless. The players couldn’t execute the tactics, there were too many tactical errors, and we saw a confused national team.”
Perhaps not satisfied, Capello, in a post-match conversation with Mancini, asked bluntly: “Why can’t we keep up with the opponent’s pace? As soon as we win possession, we lose control. Is it because the players lack speed or skill? Remember, we lost to Switzerland, not Brazil!”
To this pointed question, Mancini replied: “The lack of speed is due to the different characteristics of the players. We don’t have many players with running ability. In transition, if we can’t get the ball to a safe area within three passes, things become difficult. We need more time to build something. In terms of individual abilities, the players still have shortcomings.”
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