Capello chooses team to support at World Cup but still ‘can’t digest’ Lampard’s ghost goal

Fabio Capello admits he will support Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil at the 2026 World Cup but reveals he still ‘can’t get over’ Frank Lampard’s ghost goal in 2010: ‘We don’t know where we could have ended up.’The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, but, sadly, the Azzurri won’t be in the competition for the third consecutive time.Therefore, Gazzetta asked Capello about the team he’ll support this summer, as well as the favourites to win the trophy.“I’m rooting for Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil: he’s an incredible character, he integrates quickly into any environment, and in Brazil it’s not that simple,” said the ex-Italian coach.“The favourites are either France or Spain, because I think they have the most quality and players who can make a difference at any time. It will be very demanding, with hot weather, so the quality will be very important.”Ancelotti is one of the three Italian coaches at the World Cup along with Vincenzo Montella (Turkey) and Fabio Cannavaro (Uzbekistan).“Montella has a team that can be interesting; they play with personality and conviction,” Capello said.“Calhanoglu is crucial, and Yildiz will be tricky; he makes the difference on the pitch.”Capello led England at the 2010 World Cup, when the Three Lions were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a 4-1 loss to Germany.Capello’s team had equalised with a goal by Lampard, but the assistant didn’t see the ball had crossed the line, so the goal did not count, as there was no goal-line technology at that time.“I still can’t digest it. We’ve changed football. The goal-line technology was created after that,” Capello said.“We would have come back from two goals down, and we were improving. We don’t know where we could have ended up, and I still can’t get over it.DNEPROPETROVSK, UKRAINE – OCTOBER 09: (L-R) Steven Gerrard, captain John Terry, David Beckham and Frank Lampard listen to manager Fabio Capello during an England training session at the Dnipro Arena on October 9, 2009 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)“I’m curious about England and Germany at this World Cup,” Capello continued.“It will be interesting to see if England still have the physical and mental energy for the World Cup. If they have, they can be very, very dangerous.”Italy have hired Silvio Baldini as an interim coach for games against Luxembourg and Greece.“All the players are all very young. I like Baldini; I know him personally,” Capello said.“I believe we have to improve a lot in all aspects, especially intensity, passes and all these things. I think we don’t have big problems in attack and midfield, but we are weak in defence. Historically, we’ve always been strong in defence; we’ve made history with our defence, now we are falling short, so I’d be looking for some strong Italian defenders.”Italy last appeared in the World Cup in 2014, when Capello took part in the competition as the Russia national team coach. How can Italy bounce back?ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Haris Tabakovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina scores his team’s equalizing goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)“First of all, long-term programs. In the youth sectors, they focus on tactics rather than technique, and we’ve become weak technically,” Capello replied.“But mostly, move the ball more quickly, increase the intensity and the personality, playing more vertically.“Many still play the ball sideways or play with backpasses. They should be looking to Fabregas’ Como. They play great football; they keep the ball and always move it forward.”Read More