Capello: ‘I struggle to see how Rangnick works at Milan, Leao never matured’

Fabio Capello says that he is sceptical about Milan’s potential appointment of Ralf Rangnick, that Rafael Leao never matured in San Siro and that the Portugal international probably has his next move already lined up.

The former Rossoneri, Roma and Juventus head coach discussed the ongoing uncertainties in Milan circles in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Recent reports indicate that Milan are looking to appoint Rangnick to take charge of the sporting sector of the club. The Rossoneri need a brand new senior management team after parting company with head coach Massimiliano Allegri, sporting director Igli Tare, technical director Geoffrey Moncada and CEO Giorgio Furlani the day after the 2025-26 season ended.

Whilst Capello is impressed with the work that Rangnick did with the Red Bull group, he feels that it is ‘difficult to picture’ how it would work for the German in Italy, especially if he wants full control.

Capello also says that it is inevitable that supporters are angry given the instability in the boardroom and the failure to qualify for the Champions League for two seasons in a row: “That’s to be expected after two years without being able to qualify for the Champions League. And I don’t dare to think how the Rossoneri fans would react to a third disappointing season in a row.”

Is it a concern that we are now into June and Milan still have no coaches or directors in the building?

“How could you say no?,” Capello said. “Cardinale reset everything within a few seconds and now he has to move quickly to find replacements. He seems to want to focus on foreign names. Allow me, as an Italian, to turn my nose up a bit.”

All signs lead to Rangnick at this stage. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that he will meet with Milan and with the Austrian FA within the next week.

“I don’t know him personally, but of course I know his history,” said Capello. “He built a great project in Salzburg and Leipzig, almost from scratch. Milan is something else, though. More than anything, I struggle to picture how, in Italy, a coach only trains while everything else is done by a supervisor, however competent and clear their ideas are.”

Capello says that he is unsurprised by Leao’s recent statements, insisting that he wishes to leave the club for a new challenge in a new league in a recent interview.

“His words perfectly reflect his recent disengagement with Milan. You could already see it on the pitch.

“I think it’s normal for current players to act as Leao did, with a clear and decisive message.It seems clear to me that there is a strategy, probably agreed with the agents.

Capello believes that Leao may already have his next move lined up: “I don’t know for sure, but the timing of his exit seems suspicious to me. And when a footballer talks like that, they always have something on the table. The problem is that by doing that, he takes away from Milan’s strength in negotiations.”

And what are Milan losing in Leao?

“Definitely a talented player, who has been able to excite the fans and make them fall in love with him over the last two or three years. Leao never matured, though. The way I saw it was that he was thinking more about other things rather than football, that he wasn’t very focussed on the pitch to put it simply.”