Capello makes peace with Ferdinand

England manager looks forward to Euro qualifiers.

LONDON:

Fabio Capello revealed that he has finally held clear-the-air talks with Rio Ferdinand over his decision to strip the Manchester United defender of the England captaincy.

Capello caused a storm in March when he failed to speak to Ferdinand to inform him of his move to give the skipper’s armband back to John Terry. The England coach endured a barrage of criticism for his careless handling of a delicate situation as he made an unsuccessful attempt to meet Ferdinand at Old Trafford to speak about the decision.

“I spoke with him on Tuesday evening and told him what really happened when I decided to make the decision,” said Capello. “He told me what he thought and we shook hands and the relationship is fantastic. The relationship is perfect. We spoke personally and privately.”

With the Ferdinand situation defused, Capello also answered criticism of his decision to allow his England players to go on holiday in the days leading up to this international week.

After the Premier League season finished, many of Capello’s squad jetted off for sunshine breaks, but the Italian believes the time away from the game has refreshed their minds.

He even admitted he had to stop training several times this week because his squad was having too much fun.

If England do qualify for Euro 2012, Capello plans to give his players at least 10 days off before the tournament rather than taking them away for weeks of training and friendly matches.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2011.