Speaking in an interview with AS, former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello highlighted how the dynamics of the dressing room often determined the fate of the manager at the club. The Italian also spoke about Rafael Benitez as he discussed his inglorious dismissal from the club earlier this season.
Fabio Capello’s interview seemed to highlight the precarious position occupied by a manager in a club like Real Madrid. Caught between an intimidating dressing room and an unforgiving president, it is often the manager who is blamed for all the shortcomings at the club.
Madrid is a very tricky club
Capello spoke about the power dynamics in the Real Madrid dressing room as he highlighted the fragile position accorded to the manager in such a situation.
“Madrid is a very tricky club. If the president goes over the coach’s head to talk directly to the players about problems in the dressing room, the coach is finished. And the players know it! They say to each other: ‘The president asked me why this happened…’ And then they think that the coach isn’t relevant.”
Changeover from Ancelotti to Benítez was too traumatic
Speaking about Rafael Benitez who was sacked just seven months after his appointment, Fabio Capello was of the opinion that the ‘changeover from Ancelotti to Benitez was too traumatic’ for the players in the dressing room.
“If there is no rapport with the coach it’s difficult to succeed. Benítez has experience…
“It is possible the changeover from Ancelotti to Benítez was too traumatic.”
The former manager also emphasised the importance of the president in determining the fate of the manager at Real Madrid. While Capello mentioned how Ramon Calderon once asked him to play a certain group of players at the club, he also revealed that former president Lorenzo Sanz demanded that his son Fernando Sanz be fielded by the manager.
Capello also spoke about the challenges faced by a manager at Real Madrid where he is evaluated ‘every day’ by the squad and the president alike.
