Capello full of praise Chivu & Allegri ahead of Milan derby

Fabio Capello has offered a ringing endorsement of both head coaches ahead of Sunday’s Milan derby, backing Cristian Chivu and Massimiliano Allegri as two of the finest coaching minds currently operating in Italian football.

Speaking on Milan Vibes, via MilanNews24, the former Roma, Milan and Real Madrid coach drew on his own experience as a young coach to defend Chivu against any criticism of his relative inexperience.

“Chivu was placed there without much experience, but neither did I have much, with only five matches as a coach at the time,” Capello said.

“I know Christian well, I signed him as a player at Roma. He is an intelligent, sharp and successful person. He came in quietly and made the squad understand that they were still strong and capable of winning.”

Capello: ‘Allegri is still one of the best around’

Capello was also keen to credit the Inter hierarchy for the boldness of the appointment. “Betting on a young coach like Chivu means that whoever chose him knew what they were doing, that is a credit to the president and the directors,” he said, adding with a wry smile that critics once dismissed him as a yes-man early in his own managerial career.

On Allegri, Capello was equally effusive, pushing back firmly against any suggestion that the Milan coach’s best days are behind him.

“What Allegri is doing demonstrates that he is still one of the best around, an excellent coach, not a spent force,” he said. “He understands the material he has at his disposal. He knows the value of his players, which many young coaches simply cannot do, they cannot bring out the best in the human material available to them and just copy others.”

Capello also dismissed the tired debate between so-called ‘results men’ and ‘football philosophers’ with characteristic bluntness. “The story of pragmatists versus purists simply does not exist,” he said.