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Capello summoned after Russia's World Cup flop

The Local Italy
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Capello summoned after Russia's World Cup flop
Fabio Capello has been blamed for Russia's early World Cup exit. Photo: Kirill Kudryatsev

Fabio Capello, the Italian manager of Russia's national football team has been branded a "thief" over the side's early exit from the World Cup and summoned to the Russian parliament to explain what went wrong.

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Capello, who also managed England until 2012, has come under attack after the Russian team failed to make it through the group stage in what was its first World Cup in 12 years, Corriere reported on Thursday.

He was also lambasted by Russia’s media last week, who laid the blame for the team’s failure entirely on him.

Capello, who is reportedly on a salary of more than €7 million, was also branded a “thief” by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a far-right politician, and accused of only taking the job on for the money.

With serious doubts now cast on Capello's future with the team, he has been summoned before Russian politicians on October 3rd, Corriere reported, citing Igor Ananskikh, the head of the State Duma’s sports committee.

Zhirinovsky has called on him to resign, as his contract runs until the end of the next World Cup in 2018.

“But he’s greedy, so of course he won’t. It’s pretty good to get [millions] for doing nothing," he was quoted in Russian media as saying.

The Italian press, however, was quick to defend their countryman, with Corriere saying the quality of the players at his disposal were poor.

Russian players also defended him, including striker Alexander Kokorin, who said Capello is not to blame for the team's exit and that he helped the side earn a place in the tournament for the first time in 12 years.

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