Capello: ‘Napoli competitive, Inter reborn, Milan inspired by Modric and Rabiot’

Fabio Capello shared his thoughts on the early weeks of the Serie A campaign during an appearance at the Festival dello Sport, offering his take on the main title contenders and some of the league’s standout figures.

The former England and Milan coach praised Napoli’s consistency and Inter’s resurgence under Cristian Chivu , while highlighting Milan’s mix of youth and experience as a decisive factor in their strong start.

He also assessed the potential of Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini and warned Juventus still lack balance and creativity in midfield.

ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 28: AS Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini looks on during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Hellas Verona FC at Stadio Olimpico on September 28, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Speaking at the festival, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb , Capello said:

“There’s absolute competitiveness from Napoli , Inter’s return as a team and as confidence in their coach, and Milan who with two veterans like Modric and Rabiot are doing something really interesting: showing the young players that with quality and determination you can go far.”

Discussing Rafael Leao’s inconsistency, Capello added:

“He has great qualities but loses focus during matches. He’s not always involved, especially defensively. He’s found a coach who seems to have put the claws on him – hopefully not to hurt him, but to wake him up.”

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 20: Fabio Capello attends the Sporting Mixed Zone ahead of Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2025 at Palacio De Cibeles on April 20, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images for Laureus)

On Roma’s ambitions, he said:

“I think they can fight for the Scudetto. They have quality players like Soulé and Dybala and a coach who’s relentless and knows where he wants to go. With reinforcements in the right areas, they could be one of the surprises.”

Capello concluded by analysing Juventus’ current limits.

“Juventus don’t yet have the right balance or a midfield that offers guarantees – being solid defensively while also having creativity like Modric brings. They rely heavily on their wingers, but the real issue is that the strikers haven’t delivered as expected, despite the big investment.”