As is the norm following every Real Madrid disappointment, the coach’s job has been called into question. Club officials confirmed that Wednesday night’s Champions League second-round defeat to Bayern Munich left it an open question whether Coach Fabio Capello will lead the Merengues out for the “Superclasico” against Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Saturday. “Right now, I can’t say,” came the answer from Real Sporting Director Pedrag Mijatovic. “For the moment he is our coach.” For his part, Capello would only say, “My future depends only on the president,” before storming out of the press conference.
To what extent can you blame the coach for Madrid’s latest failure? Well, for one thing, Capello fielded the kind of defensive-minded team you might think would be playing for a 0-0 draw. That’s a terrible idea in general let alone for a team with as bad a defensive record as Real. The omission of Guti (match fitness notwithstanding) in favor of Emerson was bad, but the omission of Robinho until the 75th minute was simply nonsensical. By far the best player on the field against Getafe last Sunday, Robinho is exactly the type of player needed to spring counterattacks in a crucial away game. Witness the effectiveness of Roma’s Mancini-a similar type of player-against Lyon on Tuesday. As much as the fault ultimately lies with the players on the field, it was a really bad tactical performance from Capello.