Capello blasts Recoba after knockout blow

Monday 25th March 2002

Roma manager Fabio Capello accused Inter's two goal hero Alvaro Recoba of getting Jonathan Zebina sent off in the crunch Serie A clash at the San Siro. "The way their players went down it was like they had been hit by Muhammed Ali or Mike Tyson," he raged after the 3-1 defeat.

Capello admitted his defender had hit out at Recoba to earn a second yellow card 12 minutes from time on Sunday, but claimed the Inter star had made the most of the incident.

"I have to apologise for Zebina reacting after he was provoked, and he did slap him, but I don't like to see actors unless I'm in the theatre or at the cinema," he blasted.

Recoba had minutes earlier put Inter 3-1 ahead with a brilliant free-kick, and when Zebina went off the game was lost - though Inter midfielder Emre Belozoglu received a straight red card in the closing stages for kicking Roma midfielder Emerson.

Inter's Uruguayan striker, however, denied he had done anything wrong. "How can Capello say I'm that kind of character? Didn't he see the TV replays?" he asked.

"Zebina slapped me, and he was first to attack me. The things he had been saying to me, I can't even repeat. He said worse things to me than I said to him."

Capello also claimed his side should have had a penalty and was infuriated that captain Francesco Totti picked up a booking instead for diving.

"There was contact with Materazzi," he said. "Totti didn't fake it and I don't think that a player all alone in the opposition area just falls over.

"I was not happy with the yellow card for Cafu either. Now we miss them both for the Bologna game."

Capello, meanwhile, refuses to give up hope that Roma can retain their title, despite the defeat. "It is very difficult now to see Inter failing, but we have to believe we can still do it.

"This was a beautiful match and both teams deserved something from it. We missed some important chances, but we have to put that behind us."

Whatever Capello's thoughts, Inter counterpart Hector Cuper didn't hide the importance of the victory.

"Now we have a great chance to win the scudetto," he said. "But I believed that even before this game.

"Our tactics worked well. I chose Serena because he was in good shape and we had to try to stop Cafu on the right for Roma. I chose to play with four midfielders and Recoba, to control the game in midfield, and it went well.

"I'm also delighted that we have shown our courage in these last few days."

[onefootball.com]