Fabio Capello pulls no punches on England's World Cup chances - 'They play with fear'

Fabio Capello pulls no punches on England's World Cup chances - 'They play with fear'England will seek to end their wait for major tournament success this summer but Fabio Capello insists they need to stop playing with fear and deal with their tiredness problemCommentsSportSamuel Meade Sports Brand Writer13:58, 21 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesFabio Capello was scathing in his assessment of EnglandFabio Capello has claimed that England "play tired and with fear" as he cast doubt over their chances at this summer's World Cup.‌The Italian was the first non-Englishman to ever lead the Three Lions when he was appointed back in 2008. He was only in charge for the one tournament, the forgettable World Cup in 2010 where England arrived among the favourites but crashed out in the last 16.‌Capello resigned after John Terry was stripped of the captaincy but has cited flaws in the English game, which have long been highlighted. The Premier League offers no winter break whilst England are one of the few countries to still persist with two domestic cups.‌That increases the load on the players and Capello claims England stars have always arrived at major tournaments fatigued with their minutes and workloads often much higher than their rivals from around Europe.The Italian told the BBC on the country's chances: "Always the same, England arrive at the World Cup tired and they play with fear."READ MORE: Man Utd facing Adam Wharton transfer issue as Kobbie Mainoo dilemma arisesREAD MORE: Vincent Kompany snubs 'multiple' World Cup punditry offers after Bayern Munich successHis fear comments centred around England's style of play, which has faced accusations of being negative. He cited their attitude in the final of Euro 2020, where Luke Shaw put them 1-0 up inside the opening minute. England then adopted a largely negative style of play, inviting Italy onto them before they equalised and then won on penalties.‌"I remember the ga...