Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Friday, 24 April 2026, 08:50 / Updated Friday, 24 April 2026 08:51
Legendary former Italian coach and player Fabio Capello, now 79, has commented on the outcome of the Coppa Italia semi-finals and previewed the final act, which will pit Lazio against Cristi Chivu's Inter.
In the second leg of the semi-finals, Inter turned Como from 0-2 down at home, while Lazio edged past Atalanta on penalties.
Impressed with the way Cristi Chivu's men came back in Tuesday night's game, Capello said in an interview published in the print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport that “Inter became Inter againespecially because its top players are back to doing what is expected of them.”
He developed: “My idea has always been that in football the middle wins you the matches, and in the semi-final second leg at San Siro, that compartment showed its value, from Barella to Calhanoglu — not to mention — and even Sucic, who entered with spirit and desire.
It was indeed a high-level Inter who played with composure. I also saw a beautiful and quality Como, as Fabregas rightly stated, but it seemed to me an almost inexperienced team in front of an expert opponent: a matter of age”.
With Inter and Cristi Chivu close to the event, Fabio Capello called “the only real danger”
The journalist later told Capello that “if he won the Cup, Cristian Chivu would do the 'double' in his debut season with the Nerazzurri”. The experienced football man responded by presenting the “only real danger” that there would not be too much time between mathematically winning the championship and the Cup final:
“The Scudetto is already in the pocket and therefore now the Nerazzurri play with serenity and without the weight of pressure on their shoulders. And in the final they will face a less problematic team than Como, precisely through the lens of the type of game that Fabregas proposes, which combines quality and possession of the ball.
From this point of view there is still a lot of time and the mathematical title is still to be conquered. Behold, the only real danger is that the wait will not be too long and that for some, perhaps, their thoughts will turn to other things in the meantime: the World“.
Capello believes that the team from the Capital will have an advantage, the fact that the final will take place at the Olimpico, its usual home:
“Lazio will, in my opinion, have a big advantage in the fans who will be there with pride. Thus, the players will have an additional impetus to bring back glory to the club after many years since the last success.”
And he also warns Chivu to take care of the “attacking trident, where Lazio has fast players both in the lanes and in the center forward position”.
The final of the Italian Cup will take place on May 13. The last time Inter managed the event, the championship-cup combination, in the 2009/2010 season, with Jose Mourinho as coach and Cristi Chivu on the field.
