Capello on the derby: “Inter only played for half an hour, I didn’t understand the delay in the substitutions”

Before Feyenoord–Inter, Fabio Capello appeared in the Sky Sport studios to comment on Inter’s recent performances, starting with the derby.

“I was surprised by Inter’s attitude in the derby, but we’ve seen it in other matches as well,” said the former coach. “They play for half an hour and manage to come back in games; this time they didn’t succeed.”

The point that struck Capello the most concerns the management of substitutions by Chivu: “What surprised me the most was how slow he was in making substitutions. It was clear that something different needed to be brought on; probably he had players who weren’t fully fit and didn’t want to risk losing them for a long time. I didn’t understand the delay in making changes.”

On a tactical level, the former coach identified the opponent’s pressing as the main problem: “What they suffered the most was Milan’s pressing: Inter couldn’t be fluid, it wasn’t the usual Inter.”

Looking ahead to the European match, Capello made a clear appeal: “Tonight they need to find determination and grit for the whole match, because it will be tough.” Then he concluded with an open reflection: “They have lots of meetings at Appiano but still haven’t figured out why they only play like Inter for half an hour.”