Capello rules out Italy job, focus on China

Milan (AFP) – Former England manager Fabio Capello on Friday ruled himself out as the Italian national team coach saying his focus was on his job in China.

The Italian signed last June with Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning, a club which is owned by Suning Group and businessman Zhang Jindong, who also controls Serie A giants Inter Milan.

“No I’ll never do it, I’ve stopped,” the 71-year-old told Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper when asked about his name being touted for the vacant Azzurri position.

“Anyhow, I’m in China…,” he added when asked if he had been contacted.

Capello said he was “saddened” by the four-time world champions World Cup failure but believes it could a “turning point for Italian football”.

“To start doing something different, change the rhythm of things, which for years had always been the same.

“It cannot be just one person who makes decisions, we need a group of capable people who know football and work together … to pursue the interests of Italian football and not personal interests.”

Capello made his name at AC Milan in the 1990s, winning four Serie A titles and the Champions League. He won two La Liga titles with Real Madrid and an Italian league title with Roma, with two Serie A titles he won with Juventus revoked after a match-fixing scandal.

England reached the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup under Capello, and he spent three years as Russia coach before being sacked.

Despite also being linked with struggling AC Milan, Capello has indicated he wants to continue his work in China.

“It was a deliberate choice,” he added of his move to Asia. “I wanted to answer those who accuse me of only having coached teams that could win the championship.

“Instead I took on Jiangsui Suning who were penultimate, we finished the away group with eight points, in the return we got 23. We were saved with three rounds to go, exciting.”