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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Fabio Capello: Bad Sportsman of the Year


Have you ever seen the losing manager of a football match having to chase down the tunnel to get a handshake from the winning manager?

Well it happened last night at Wembley as England-(or rather Steven Gerrard) beat Hungary 2-1.

The incident for me highlighted not only the beautiful manners of Hungarians- Hungary is a country where formalities such as handshakes and greeting people properly still matters an awful lot(as indeed it still does in much of central and eastern Europe)- but also the terrible manners of England’s extremely arrogant coach.

The sooner England bring in either Harry Redknapp or Roy Hodgson- two managers who are not only more accomplished coaches than Capello, but who also know how to behave-the better.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes I noticed that as well and I thought to myself that wrongs, but no unexpected.

James said...

I've never been to Hungary, but this article suggests that in today's Belgium, manners still seem to be prized:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/australia/page_19/5692123/un-soupon-de-politesse-belge.thtml

DBC Reed said...

My natural suspicion of managers ,of all types, is best expressed by the Guardian article now appearing on the Net as published by the Ethiopean Review(?)"England players' revolt shows fighting spirit at World Cup at last." This describes much better than I could, the long history of player revolts,although it was written before the glorious French Mutiny after Anelka's sending home (for refusing to do what Rooney is always criticised for doing: falling back to find the ball.)
However although Capello is laughably overpaid for any added value he gives the squad ( a minus
quantity)and even the sainted Bobby Robson was faced with mutiny in the Mexico World Cup ,the fact remains that if Frank Lampard's goal had not been wrongly disallowed against Germany (by another up-themselves managerial type ;the referee),the team would have gone into half time
having completed a sensational fight-back and it would have been apparent what to do inthe second half : defend and nick a goal on a break.So no need for a stuttering incoherent Capello revised game plan.(His belief that his English is good is another part of his arrogance).
On the other hand although I have no time for personality referees (should n't they be anoymous)I thought Howard Webb's World Cup
final was his masterpiece,rescuing this showpiece event from utter disaster threatened by the Dutch cloggers .