Madrid gets real with Capello as Zidane quits

Fabio Capello returns for his second spell as coach at Real Madrid with high hopes of emulating the successes he enjoyed with the Spanish club a decade ago.

Big changes are underway at Real Madrid: a new chairman, a new coach and the departure of a club icon. It could all spell the dawning of a new era at the Santiago Bernabeu and the end of a three-year hiatus during which the team did not win a single trophy bar the Spanish SuperCopa triumph of August 2003.

The return of Fabio Capello as team coach has pleased everyone. Prior to his appointment just under a fortnight ago, Capello had spent one fruitful season with the capital club, guiding the team to their 27th league title in 1997.

The 60-year-old has a certain affinity with the Spanish giants and it seems that the feeling is mutual, as whenever speculation as to who would be best suited to steer the team back to winning ways, his name inevitably always cropped up.

Capello, a perfectionist who hates losing, is the first to admit that his task will not be easy. Madrid's problems on the pitch over the past three years have confused even the players themselves.

A succession of coaches have come and gone - and followed a distinct pattern of initial optimism and good results, then succeeded by disappointing performances and unexpected results. Capello has already started work with the Real Madrid squad, treating them to gruelling, two-hour training sessions.

Not all of the blame can be levelled at Capello's predecessors: Carlos Queiroz, Jose Antonio Camacho, Mariano Garcia Remon, Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Juan Ramon Lopez Caro - all went into the job with a high degree of passion and commitment.

The complexity of Madrid's recent woes run deep, and has as much to do with the pressure of constantly staying number one as anything else. Like all teams, Madrid has weak points and Capello has shown on more than one ocassion that he might have a fair idea of where those frailties lie. This time his job is to tackle them.

In May 2003 and again in March 2005, Madrid suffered crushing defeats to Capello's Juventus in the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League. On both occasions, the Spaniards traveled to the Stadio delle Alpi with a goal advantage from the first leg.

In 2003, Madrid were outshone by sheer brilliance and ended losing 3-1 while in 2005, Capello's side waged a war of attrition, tiring their rivals into submission until David Trezeguet and Marcelo Zalayeta reared up to score the decisive goals.

Traditionally, Madrid have prided themselves on being an attacking side. Some have argued that the defence has been largely neglected.

This has coincided at a time when much of the successes, in European football at least, have been gained by teams with a more conservative approach to the game. Interestingly, at Juventus, Capello employed a double midfield pivot pairing a defensive holding player with a more creative playmaker - and Madrid did likewise until the exit of Claude Makelele to Chelsea in 2003.

As the coach recently explained, "Madrid have gone some time without silverware but I am convinced that the results will start coming. It is a question of improving physically, tactically and psychologically. It is not going to be easy, but it is vitally important that the club recovers its winning spirit and everyone knows exactly what wearing this shirt represents.

To do that we must work much harder". His intentions could not have been clearer on the team's first day back in training - an arduous two hour session was a taster of what is to come.

Capello's return could spell good news for several members of the reserves. Players such as Roberto Soldado (pictured), Ruben De la Red and Jordi Codina could play a more prominent role under the Italian coach.

In many ways, Capello could not have timed his return better. The departure of Zinedine Zidane gives him leeway to remodel the side, with new signings or by giving several of the reserves more minutes.

In Europe too, Madrid's season might be easier than normal. AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and Capello's former team Juventus have until 27 July to appeal to the Italian FA against their ban in the UEFA Champions League.

With some much in favour, the future couldn't really be brighter. "A lot has changed since I first arrived here," explained Capello. "There are fantastic new installations - this is a club that is constantly progressing and that is very exciting for me because we all need the best motivation to undertake the work we will need to do.

We need to have our ideas clear from the start and realize what changes need to be made; above all, we have to regenerate the desire to become the best club in the world again."