Two Tenures, Two Stories - Fabio Capello's Time at Real Madrid

There is a common perception in football that a big club needs a high-profile manager, and while the results usually tend to confirm that hypothesis, there are other factors that are perfectly highlighted with Fabio Capello's two tenures at Real Madrid. This is an interesting example of how the results are not everything since the Italian's time in Madrid is divisive to a lot of people.

That is because Capello's playing style and pragmatic approach to football is something that never endeared him to the Madrid faithful to the point that he had some rather harsh confrontations with them. In that regard, this makes his time with the institution even more interesting to look back on.

He had two different seasons with two different tenues, both with a lot of things happening and going on that makes them even more interesting.

1996/97 Season With Real Madrid

It is difficult to imagine Real Madrid finishing in sixth place in La Liga, but that is exactly what happened in the 1995/96 season. Atletico Madrid won the league the previous season and FC Barcelona were signing Brazilian wonderkid Ronaldo, so there is an argument to be made that it was quite difficult for Los Blancos at the time.

In that regard, the Spanish giants decided to hire Italian manager Fabio Capello to turn their fortunes around. The former midfield coached AC Milan from 1991 to 1996, winning five Scudetto, an UEFA Champions League, and three Supercoppa Italia. He was a manager who managed to keep the Italian giants as arguably the best team in the world and his pragmatic tactical nature was perhaps what the team needed at the time.

A major aspect of Capello's time at Madrid was his 4-3-3 formation. That was the setup he used in his final season at Milan, with an attacking triumvirate of Roberto Baggio, George Weah and Dejan Savićević as the main focus. His time in Spain had a similar approach, with the likes of Raúl, Davor uker and Predrag Mijatović serving as the main trio this time around.

A very important contribution made by Capello for Real Madrid's future history was the signing of Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos. Mostly used as a midfielder at Inter Milan, Capello put him in his favorite position and went on to become a pivotal figure in the team, now being widely regarded as one of the greatest full backs in football history and one of the finest Real Madrid players.

Clarence Seedorf - here in AC Milan

Another player who would be pivotal moving forward for Madrid was Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who was also signed by Capello. The Dutchman already proved himself at the highest level with Ajax and would carry on being a major figure for Los Blancos during their time regaining European supremacy in the coming years.

All in all, Capello won La Liga with two more points than Ronaldo's Barcelona. It was a major triumph for the club after a disastrous sixth place and several of the players established in this tenure would be fundamental for the team moving forward. However, the Italian had major difference with club president Lorenzo Sanz, and because of that would part ways to return to AC Milan at the end of the season.

2006/07 Season With Real Madrid

Exactly ten years after his first arrival, Fabio Capello returned to Real Madrid. Club president Florentino Perez had recently concluded his first stint leading the institution and the Galactico Project was on a downward spiral, with the club failing to win the league in the last three seasons and didn't win the UEFA Champions League since 2002. Within a context of lack of discipline and underperformance, Capello had to make do with what he had.

In that regard, signing Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United was a major decision since he would end up scoring enough goals to push the club to the title. Furthermore, signings such as Emerson and the late José Antonio Reyes bolstered a squad that was lacking in balance and structure, which was evidenced by a very divisive start in terms of results and performances.

However, the Italian stood tall and kept pushing onward while also showing a degree of flexibility that he isn't always known for. English midfielder David Beckham announced his transfer to LA Galaxy at the end of the season in January, much to Capello's annoyance, and the manager initially claimed that he wasn't going to play for the club ever again. That being said, they both managed to make amends and work together to push for the league title.

It is quite telling that Real Madrid won La Liga in dramatic fashion, overturning a 0-1 deficit against Mallorca to win 3-1 in the final round, clinching the title despite never having more points than FC Barcelona at any point during the season. However, when it comes to determination, grit, and the ability to compensate for the lack of talent in some areas, this Madrid side provided one of the most celebrated league titles in their entire history.

Conclusion

Fabio Capello said in 2022 that Real Madrid is the team he is the closest to, which is great to hear when considering that he left both times because his playing style wasn't appealing enough. But when analyzing his contributions, he appeared at times of need for the institution and provided two league titles that added a degree of stability for the club moving forward.

One of the most interesting unions when it comes to pragmatism and how that can help an unstable football giant through those methods.