New England football boss is a fan of the Pope

BY ED WEST
ENGLAND'S new football manager is a devout Catholic and admirer of Benedict XVI who prays twice a day and has spoken out against Italy's relaxed abortion laws.
Former Juventus and Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello, who took over the job last week after previous national coach Steve McLaren was sacked for failing to qualify for next year's European Championship. is also an avid art collector who names Tolstoy among his favourite authors.
Born in the north-east of Italy. Mr Capello was a successful midfielder at Roma, Juventus and AC Milan before embarking on a spectacular managerial career that has seen him win a league title with every team he has managed.
Well-known for his conservative Catholic beliefs, Capello raised some eyebrows when he became manager of Real Madrid by ordering that all female members of staff lower their hemlines and raise their necklines. He also punished players for lateness, demanded smart dress on all occasions, and banned wives and girl friends from dressing rooms.
Mr Capello is known to disapprove of some of the hedonistic lifestyles that are especially common among English players. as well as the high-profile status of celebrity wives and girlfriends. The England "WAGs" drew particular criticism for the media circus that followed them during the 2006 World Cup.
Mr Capello's own marriage is said to be rocksolid and traditional. He met his wife Laura on a bus when they were both 18, and the couple have been married for 40 years. Their son is Mr Capelio's lawyer and agent. and Capello senior's proudest boast is to have "followed life in a straight line, to have a united family and the smile of a son".
At Juventus he was known as "the Little Professor" for his love of philosophy and Fellini films, he lists Bach and Ella Fitzgerald among his interests, and owns a ilOm art collection. The family tastes in holidays are also rather more highbrow than the typical footballer.
"We've travelled all over the world and really enjoy seeing archaeological sites and places of historic inter est," he says of trips to destinations such as Tibet and the Aztec ruins of Mexico.
A devout Catholic, he has spoken out against Italy's liberal abortion laws and is a keen supporter of Benedict XVI. "I like the Pope," he said in an interview with an Italian newspaper. "For me now the Church needs a traditionalist. I am someone who prays twice a day, in the morning and evening, wherever I find myself."
Twice manager of Real Madrid. Mr Capello sparked controversy in Spain when he spoke of "Latin warmth and creativity regulated by a rigorous order. The order which comes from Franco."
He then praised this "legacy of order" in the Italian press. "In Spain, everything works well, education, cleanliness, respect. We should follow their example."
Not that he cares much what the press says. "Why should I waste my time listening to people who are clearly less intelligent than me?" be once said at a press conference.
The antipathy is mutual. "You want to know about his human side?" an Italian journalist told the Times. "That's easy. He doesn't have one."