Ex head coach Fabio Capello spoke today to Sky Sport Italia to talk about the former legendary Rossoneri striker Marco van Basten, who turns 60 today.
During the interview, the former Milan and Juve tactician also discussed the current problems facing Milan:
"Respecting history is essential, as is keeping people in the team and the club who remember this. Milan has Baresi and Massaro, but Maldini was let go."
Capello added:
"Milan needs to recover certain values. We all remember those who gave so much to this club, hoping that results will return soon because Milan and its fans deserve it."
On Marco Van Basten:
"A unique forward with exceptional technique, personality, and a nose for goals. He was a complete striker with unpredictable moves. And he was a great teammate who contributed on both sides of the game. He was an unpredictable player."
On Marco Van Basten's injury, Capello said:
"It’s a great regret. I asked him one of the last times I saw him why he hadn’t listened to Dr. Monti. We were on tour in Spain, he was with the national team in Greece after injuring his knee the previous Sunday. We were worried, so we called him, and he told us his knee was fine, but he had decided to have ankle surgery. He had the operation in St. Moritz. I remember what Dr. Monti told me: during the procedure, he told the surgeon that this person was supposed to keep playing football. The surgeon looked at him dismissively, as if he didn’t understand. Unfortunately, he did a poor job and damaged Van Basten's ankle. The regret is that he didn’t listen to Dr. Monti, who advised him that it wasn’t the right time for surgery and that he could continue with other treatments. The recovery was very slow, difficult, and long. He returned, but he was no longer himself because he couldn’t move as he used to."
On his best quality:
"He moved in an incredible way; he danced with the ball. He could score in any way—right foot, left foot, headers. Then, in important games, he wanted to be the protagonist; he wanted to show he deserved the Ballon d’Or. His great quality was expressing himself fully in every part of the field, especially in the penalty area. He’s a player to watch if you want to learn how to score in every possible way. I even made a tape of Van Basten’s goals to show to Ibrahimovic. I told him, ‘Watch this player here; you have the ability to do the same. Watch him, imitate him, and learn.’ Van Basten was a master of goal-scoring."
On Marco Van Basten's character, Capello said:
"I always had a great relationship with him. I always let him do what he wanted; he wasn’t tied to specific movements. Even off the field, he was a person who made his voice heard. He had a strong personality both on and off the pitch."
Capello, tell us an anecdote about Marco Van Basten:
"We were practicing free kicks before a match at San Siro. I told him he was approaching it wrong. He tried a few more times and saw things went better. In the game—free kick and goal. When you teach talents, talents learn immediately."
