London, May 14 (ANI): Coach Fabio Capello has said that if England does not make the FIFA World Cup final in South Africa, he would see it as his personal failure.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of his two-and-half years as England manager, Capello told the Italian newspaper La Stampa in an interview that when he took over, he inherited a group of players who were “switched off” and “scared”.
But now, he believed his remedial work has been so successful, that it would be a personal failure if they do not reach the World Cup final.
“When I first arrived here, I saw that the players were tired, afraid, without any real sense of belonging. But by changing their psychology, by talking a lot, imposing rules and putting pride back into the shirt, we have rebuilt the team. It has been amazing. I shook the bolts, made us serious and the group has become concrete,” The Guardian quoted him, as saying.
Capello described Chelsea skipper John Terry as his side”s “true leader” and said that he hoped England”s players would leave any contract or transfer negotiations until after the World Cup.
He said that he expected Terry, who was sacked as England captain following allegations about the his private life, to play a crucial role.
“Terry is a true leader, one of those players who always makes a difference. I had no choice [to take the captaincy away], he knows that, to me, values come first,” Capello said.
“My other leaders are Rooney, Ferdinand, Lampard and Gerrard. I need them all on my side,” he added. (ANI)