Italy got it all wrong following Guardiola’s Barca style - Capello

Fabio Capello

thinks that

’s failure to qualify for World Cup is because of their attempts to copy Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona blueprint.

Ex-

, Real Madrid, Juventus and

manager Capello argues that it would be better if Italian football followed the German ‘heavy metal’ model that copying the Spanish style.

Capello, who also managed Russia and England, cannot understand the reason behind Italy’s attempt to go against their strengths by choosing to match the high technical levels of Spain.

He told Sky Sport Italia:

"The explanation is very simple. I have been saying for a long time that we are copying Guardiola's football of 15 years ago."

Capello revealed that it meant "all sideways passing, no verticality, little physical strength".

Pep Guardiola made a Blaugrana team based on possession which was full of nuance, and the squad understood that and adhered to its intricacies. This helped them be the greatest team of all time.

Capello thinks that the Italian players do not have the skill set to follow this success formula.

"

Instead we should follow Klopp's model, a German-style football,

" Capello said.

Italy won the Euro 2020 in the summer of 2021, vanquishing England, but due to their 1-0 loss to North Macedonia on Thursday in the semi-finals they did not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.

Roberto Mancini’s side made 564 passes and North Macedonia made 309, having 65.4 percent of possession.

"

Macedonia on a physical level were superior to us in terms of dynamism, strength and determination,"

Capello said.

"It is all clear: until we understand that the model to be copied is the German one, we will not move forward, because if we want to do it like the Spaniards, who have a superior technique, we will never be able to do it, we always do it at 50 per cent."

He believed the Azzurri to take heed of the German example were Atalanta, as their result displayed the benefits. They are sitting fifth in Serie A table and last season, they ended in the third place and are in the Europa League quarter-finals.

"

In Europe we play at a different pace, and we are not used to it,"

Capello said.

"At the base there is this wrong idea of ​​football. We are the country of passing back to the goalkeeper."

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