Exclusive – Barnes: I have sympathy for undermined Capello

Former England star John Barnes has told talkSPORT he has sympathy with Fabio Capello after the treatment he received during his tenure as Three Lions boss.

The Italian manager has endured a tough spell in charge of the English football team, with the side’s disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa damaging his reputation and media and public confidence in him.

But Barnes feels that Capello has been undermined by various parties during his time in the job and feels player power has a lot to answer for.

“I think it’s been difficult for him,” Barnes told Kick Off. “I have some sympathy with him because when he came, he came with a fantastic record, he came with a glowing report, rightfully so in terms of what he received.

“His qualification for the World Cup was fantastic, we qualified in style. We were told [by the media] he was the best manager and we were going to win the World Cup because of him. Two games into the World Cup we’re told he’s the worst manager ever.

“I feel he’s been undermined. He was undermined during the World Cup. He’s been undermined in the decision taking for John Terry [and the England captaincy].

“We had a situation with John Terry coming out at a press conference at the World Cup saying, ‘I don’t care. I’m going to tell the manager this; I’m going to tell the manager that.’ That is undermining him and for players to feel comfortable enough to be able to do that shows that the manager is not as powerful as he once was and as he should be.

“Unfortunately in football these days players are much more powerful than the manager.”