Fabio Capello : Always Stepping Out Of His Comfort Zone For A Bigger Cause

In today's world, we see coaches who stick to their philosophy. In fact, coaches are all about philosophies. Pep Guardiola likes Tiki Taka, Klopp likes geggenpressing, Mourinho likes to park the bus and so on. Their tactics are their own unique identity. And this has been the case for almost all the time. Even Argentina are divided between Menottismo and Bilardismo. But there was one star in the sky who could change his light according to needs.

Fabio Capello. One of the coaching legends. Started his top flight career with a very hard task at hand. The task of carrying the great Arrigo Sacchi's mantle. Of course it was a hard ask as what Sacchi did was gargantuan at that time. But Capello wasn't a small timer. In the first two seasons, he didn't change much, he used the same 4-4-2 formation, there was no need for change, the defense made by Tasotti, Baresi, Costacurta, Maldini or the attack made by Rijkaard, Basten, Gullit. They were playing their best at that time. He also occasionally played 4-3-3 with Baggio and Weah. Milan won the league staying unbeaten in the 1991-92 season. Scoring 74 goals, 29 more than Juventus, and conceding just 21. Madness. Capello's Milan was a freescoring team, 5-0 with Napoli, 5-1 with Sampdoria, but a perfect example of Milan's superb ability was the last match of the league, when they were 1-2 behind with Foggia at the end of the halftime and feared for their unbeaten run. In the second half, Milan scored 7 times, winning the match 8-2.

Marco van Basten had ankle injury in 1987. The injury took away Van Basten's career in 1992. After losing one of the team's best, Capello had to rethink about his tactics. Keeping the formation all the while. With Marcel Desailly replacing the midfielder Rijkaard. Milan made the defense their best weapon rather than pressing for more goals. The execution of that plan is also perfect, with Milan scoring only 36 goals that season, only 1 more than relegated Atalanta and Udinese, 8 goalless draws, 9 1-0 wins and 21 clean sheets, conceding only 15 goals. The result? Scudetto Yet Again.

Capello came to the Bernabeu to play Real Madrid in a 4-3-3, won the league with a great attacking display that season, but left Real at the end of the season. As the relationship deteriorated with the club president. Although he returned to Milan the following season, Milan finished fourth in the League. Then he left for Roma and in 2001, Roma won the third Scudetto in their history. Then after spending some time at Juventus, he returned to Real Madrid in 2006, returning to the 4-4-2 formation to win the league title with Ronaldo, Beckham and Nistelrooy. Capello took charge of England in 2008, then retired after a brief stint as Russia's coach.

Milan, Roma, Real, Juve or England, Russia, wherever he went, he changed his system to bring out the best in the team, he brought innovation in the style of play. While many other coaches in football are reluctant to change their style after hundreds of setbacks, he has been equally successful in changing his style over and over again.