[Ferran]

I though that after what happened with Fabio Capello no one else would dare to make such a positive affirmation about him... although the present case isn't much more surprising than the above mentioned was at its time either.

See the story:

Capello causes Fascist stir

Thursday 9 February, 2006

Fabio Capello has caused a stir in Spain after making pro-Fascist comments in a recent newspaper interview.

Capello, speaking to Italian daily La Repubblica, spoke in gushing tones about his time in Madrid, comparing the country favourably to Italy, which he felt was behind Spain in terms of European progress.

However, Don Fabio has caused outrage in the Spanish Press by commending ‘the order that was left by Franco’.

General Francisco Franco was the highly unpopular dictator of Spain and self-appointed Head of State for 36 years until his death in 1975.

During his long autocratic rule, political enemies and social minority groups were ruthlessly suppressed and fascist laws, such as the banning of the Catalan language *cough*, were introduced to crush the Spanish people’s regional identity.

Capello’s comments have created a huge backlash in the country, with the newspaper El Pais particularly infuriated by his words.

“Capello has committed a deplorable act in support of Fascism,” it read. “What would happen if he were to praise Mussolini or Hitler?

“He couldn’t have highlighted our tapas or our draught beer,” it continued. “He had to praise the order left by Franco.”

Real Madrid were considered the team of Franco’s regime and Los Merengues first came to international prominence under Il Generalissimo’s rule.

*Catalan language was not banned during Francoist Spain, it just had no official status, but the publication of books, newspapers and music in Catalan was normal.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/footba...lia/feb9f.html

And after a pair of days of press pressure, things changed a bit:

The Juventus coach Fabio Capello last night denied he was an admirer of the late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco after an interview with the Italian paper La Repubblica caused a bitter reaction in Spain. Capello, 59, who in 1996-97 coached Real Madrid, historically considered the team of Franco's regime, spoke in gushing tones about his time in Madrid. He has been tipped for a return to the Bernab?when his contract with Juventus expires in 2007.

"Spain combine the Latin creativity with the order that was left by Franco," he was quoted as saying. "He left a great heritage. In Spain everything works well, there is respect for the rules and not too much bureaucracy. Italy should take Spain by example."

His words, however, were not appreciated in Spain, with the newspaper El País particularly infuriated. But yesterday Capello said: "I just wanted to say that Spain are better than Italy in some field and tried to give an historical explanation to it. I have never dreamt of praising dictatorships of any kind. My father was in a Nazi concentration camp."

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...706679,00.html