Capello: ‘Only Kenan Yildiz in my Juve, Ranieri underrated at Roma’ | OneFootball

Fabio Capello claims only Kenan Yildiz would make it into his Scudetto-winning Juventus squad, while he compares Roma coach Claudio Ranieri to an ‘underrated’ artist.

The two teams face off at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

Capello won the Serie A title with both these clubs during his coaching career and spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about his experiences.

“I got along with (then Roma President Franco) Sensi on everything, and aside from the Scudetto, will always be grateful to him for the time he took me and my wife to dinner in the Vatican.

“However, I was sad not to have said goodbye when I left Roma to take the Juventus job. It all happened so quickly. I no longer felt happy with the Giallorossi, and when the Bianconeri called, we reached an agreement from one day to the next.”

Capello calls on art history to define Juventus and Roma

ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 22: Claudio Ranieri, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AS Roma and Parma at Stadio Olimpico on December 22, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

This is a battle for position, with both still in the hunt for potentially a top four finish, having been revitalised by a change of coach.

It was a recent one at Juve, as Igor Tudor replaced Thiago Motta during the break for international duty.

“I would bet a pizza on Juve making it into the Champions League, because I get the feeling they haven’t yet shown their full potential,” added Capello.

“Thiago Motta just asked them to do the bare minimum, and the impression is that the squad eventually got confused.

“I remain convinced that Teun Koopmeiners cannot stay the shadow of the great player we admired under Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta. Sooner or later, Koopmeiners and Dusan Vlahovic have got to get back to being the real versions of themselves.”

Igor Tudor takes charge of his first training session with Juventus after replacing Thiago Motta as head coach, March 24 2025. (Picture: @juventus via X)

New Juventus coach Tudor was part of Capello’s squad as a defender at Juventus, so did he already show signs of being a tactician in the making?

“No. Igor surprised me, but I am very happy for him. Perhaps I didn’t fully understand him in that role, as I already had Lilian Thuram and Fabio Cannavaro there.”

Capello was asked of the current squads, who would make it into his Scudetto-winning teams at Roma and Juventus?

“At Roma, Paulo Dybala and Mile Svilar, who is a great goalkeeper. Of the current Juventus team, perhaps only Kenan Yildiz, he is someone who has something different.

“Yildiz is like a Wassily Kandinsky work, you need to keep hold of his paintings because their value will just keep on increasing. If I was at Juventus, I’d do the same.”

Capello also has an art history comparison to make with Roma coach Ranieri, who came out of retirement to revitalise the Giallorossi.

“Ranieri is like Giorgio De Chirico, a great painter who is a little underrated. Juventus choosing Tudor feels like the return of figurative painting in contemporary art, which in the case of Juventus means recalling the DNA of this club.

“Ranieri is special because he doesn’t invent anything new, he just seems simplicity and logic. He motivates players and puts them in the most suitable roles to make the most of their characteristics.

“He gives faith to players, even if they are jeered by the crowd.”