Support The Moscow Times!

Birthday Boy Capello Says Russian Team's Fighting Spirit 'Best Present'

Russia's coach Fabio Capello shouts during their 2014 World Cup Group H football match against South Korea.

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Fabio Capello was so pleased that Russia battled back to secure a 1-1 draw against South Korea in their World Cup Group H opener on Tuesday that he even allowed for an uncharacteristic birthday celebration.

Capello turns 68 on Wednesday and had said in a gruff tone a mere 24 hours before the match that he expected no presents from anyone. But their second-half equalizer, six minutes after a goalkeeping blunder allowed South Korea to take the lead, softened up the Italian manager, a renowned disciplinarian.

"I thanked the team for their reaction and told them that was the greatest birthday gift I could receive," Capello told reporters after his first World Cup finals match as the Russia coach.

"It means the team is great, and they can do it."

Looking for a new challenge after a storied career, Capello took over the Russia squad two years ago and has earned praise from players for his no-nonsense approach. He even banned them from using Twitter during the World Cup for fear it would be a "nuisance."

But Capello was not able to calm the nerves of a team making their first World Cup finals appearance since 2002.

"In the first part of the game we were quite narrow, we were concerned, we were worried, we had problems getting the ball around," he said.

The wake-up call came in the second half when Russia keeper Igor Akinfeyev allowed Lee Keun-ho's shot after 68 minutes to slip through his hands for the opening goal at Cuiaba's Pantanal arena.

Alexander Kerzhakov came to the rescue for Russia, scoring three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

"We could have won the game," Capello said. "[But] there was a wonderful reaction by our team after the goal we suffered. We developed a crescendo, we grew."

The equalizer also made it easier for Capello to accept Akinfeyev's mistake.

"I am very happy with the work of Akinfeyev because he is a great goalkeeper," Capello said. "People can make mistakes."

See also:

Capello's Russian World Cup Team Banned From Twitter

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more