Capello hints at Italy exit

Roma boss Fabio Capello has put Europe’s major clubs, including big-spending Chelsea, on alert that he is ready for a move.

The former Real Madrid boss, linked with the Stamford Bridge job now Sven-Goran Eriksson has signed a new contract to coach England, has openly admitted his interest in moving abroad.

“I would like to have another opportunity to coach abroad, especially in England,” Capello, who has one year left on his current contract, told Spanish national newspaper El Pais.

Capello is clearly disenchanted with the current state of affairs at Roma, and in Italy in general.

The club is in a very delicate period, in both the sporting and financial arena.

Just four months ago the Giallorossi were prime candidates to clinch the Scudetto and the UEFA Cup.

The on-field success was helping divert the fans’ attention away from the club’s ongoing financial problems.

Only last summer, Roma came close to being excluded from all competitions after failing to have their finances in order.

The club’s books were so bad that they reportedly kept Roma from falling into the hands of Russian company Nafta Moskva whose executives were put off by the debts.

Capello and captain Francesco Totti, aware that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s purchase of Chelsea had seen him spend millions of pounds to lure great players to Stamford Bridge, openly welcomed the bid.

Since talk of the Russian bid has faded to all but a whisper, Roma’s empire has started to crumble.

Before the Rome derby with Lazio on March 21, Roman-born Totti said he would leave the door open for a move away from the club where he has spent his entire career.

“I’m not ruling out this derby as being my last one,” said the Italian international.

“I don’t want to stay in a small Roma but in a competitive Roma.”

Totti’s comments clearly unsettled Capello.

“Totti is like Zidane for Real Madrid or Kaka for Milan,” said Capello, before admitting: “However, a team cannot depend solely on a player.”

On the field, the Rome derby has helped create a crisis after the game was postponed in the second half because of crowd trouble.

Only four days later the Giallorossi waved goodbye to Europe with a surprise elimination from the UEFA Cup against Spanish outfit Villarreal.

Then, their faint title hopes were seriously damaged on Sunday in a loss to Bologna.

Roma still have to finish the Lazio match, meaning they have a game in hand, but Capello’s team are 11 points behind Serie A leaders AC Milan.

The Scudetto looks to be going to Capello’s former team Milan, meaning he is going to finish empty-handed at Roma.

It is easy to see why clubs, perhaps even Chelsea, would be interested in acquiring the services of Capello, whose brand of coaching leaves players in no doubt as to who is boss.

“I have never had friends in my teams,” he said in El Pais.

“I am the coach and they are the players. I always maintain my distance.”

Italian football is not filling Capello with much hope, and his remarks in the aftermath of the Rome derby indicated that he was a man ready for a move.

“It was another big blow to our football,” admitted Capello.

“Considering the added financial problems, our football is not healthy.”