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Capello Calls Referees a 'Mafia' in Marca Interview, Then Issues Clarification

His press office later said the word referred to a closed refereeing caste.

Overview

  • The former coach argued VAR decisions are often wrong because many officials never played, describing referees as a closed caste.
  • He issued a follow-up statement stressing respect for match officials and explaining that his term was intended to describe an insular structure.
  • Capello proposed assigning former players or coaches to VAR and cited a UEFA review he described of 20 penalties in which ex-professionals judged six as fouls and 14 as not.
  • He contrasted Spain’s Negreira investigation with Italy’s Calciopoli, asserting Juventus were relegated despite not paying referees and saying nothing comparable has happened in Spain, with the Spanish probe still ongoing.
  • Beyond refereeing, he criticized Italian youth training for overemphasizing tactics and named Spain, France, England and Brazil as his World Cup 2026 favorites.