Fabio Capello has joined the crowd of those criticising Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez for the way they behaved during AC Milan’s 2-2 draw with Lazio.
The ‘cooling break saga’ has been dominating the media headlines and the social media feeds of Milan fans since Saturday night’s game in the capital. It would be fair to say that it has generated a mixed reaction, with some viewing the incident as being more serious than others.
For example, Paolo Di Canio branded Theo and Leao ‘a disgrace’ for the way they conducted themselves during the incident, suggesting that they disrespected the coach and their team-mates by remaining on that side of the field.
Capello spoke on the Sky Calcio Club broadcast alongside Di Canio and he gave his thoughts on the incident, which have been relayed by MilanNews.
“Above all, it is a lack of respect for others, because it means that you consider others unworthy of playing and therefore you are disrespectful,” he said.
“We always talk about the group and the team, but if you do this, it means ‘I always have to play and you always have to be a reserve.’ That’s not good. They don’t want to be replaced, that’s the point. They may be important players, but they have to show it.”
The former Milan boss was asked whether he would have also dropped Leao and Theo if he felt that they were responsible for some of the problems from the previous game.
“No, never done it. I solved the problems before. In this way you blamed them for the negative results. I ask for more but I don’t blame them.
“They are the best, in Parma and also in Rome the goals come from them. You have to know the value of the player and how to recover him. Then they threw a tantrum.”
Capello then compared the Portuguese and the Frenchman by mimicking one, and he also had something to say about Milan’s defensive performance against Lazio.
“With all the goals they conceded last year, this year their attitude is even worse. They are on the pitch to be on the pitch, they don’t want to suffer. They only play when they have the ball at their feet.
“They are badly positioned on the pitch, they are too far forward, they are too exposed. There is not one who makes a move, but I died for my team-mates. The situation seems a bit like the one at the European Championships with Italy.”