After the defeat from the Juventus against Stuttgart, Fabio Capello expressed his assessment to Sky Sport, underlining a problem that goes beyond the performance of a single team: the pace of Italian football. According to Capello, slowness and lack of incisive ball possession represent the main limitation of Italian teams who struggle against more dynamic and aggressive formations, even if not technically superior.
The problem of speed in Italian football
Capello highlighted like the Italian teams are often slowed down by excessive sterile ball possession.
“I saw a problem that affects all of Italian football: we play too slowly. When you find yourself facing teams that run and press, even if they aren’t technically excellent like Stuttgart, you get into difficulty,” he declared. The former coach also added that speed and intensity are fundamental aspects that are missing in the Italian game.
The importance of increasing competitive spirit
According to Capello, it is not just a technical question but also a question of competitive approach. “Useless ball possessions are useless. We need more speed, more competitiveness”, he explained. However, the former AC Milan and Real Madrid coach acknowledged that, at times, even the arbitral decisions they can curb this style of play, favoring a slower and less physical pace, but he reiterated that the change must start from the teams themselves.
Comparison with other Italian teams in Europe
Capello also referred to other Italian performances in Europe, such as that of Bologna, defeated by Aston Villa. Although Bologna created some scoring opportunities, unlike of Juventus, who “created nothing” against Stuttgart, Capello highlighted a common problem: the difficulty in countering the physical strength and intensity of foreign teams.
Thiago Motta’s statements after Juventus-Stuttgart
In the post-match against Stuttgart, Juventus coach Thiago Motta recognized the superiority of his opponents and analyzed his team’s performance with great clarity. During the post-match interview, the Juventus coach admitted that Stuttgart were superior from the start, underlining the need to quickly digest this defeat and immediately concentrate on the next match against Inter.
“Surely they deserved from the first minute, they were better than us”, declared Motta, recognizing the clear supremacy of their opponents. He added that Juventus will have to accept this defeat and react quickly: “We must accept it, improve and recover. Digest this defeat as soon as possible, perhaps in one night or one day, and then get back on our feet to face a great match against Inter.”
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