Capello: Fewer whistles mean more Serie A goals; Milan and Juventus lack dominance

Italian coach Fabio Capello said on a radio program that Serie A should reduce the number of whistles to make matches flow better.

After three rounds of Serie A, the new approach proposed by newly appointed referee designator Daniel Orsato has shown early results: there have been fewer whistles during matches, more goals, fewer VAR interventions, and penalty decisions have almost disappeared.

Speaking on the Rai Radio 1 program Radio anch'io sport, Capello said: “It was time for this to happen, it was time to blow fewer whistles.” He believes this can avoid rewarding dives and players shouting loudly after physical contact. Capello said: “Now we can finally see more football, and it is much more enjoyable to watch. There are many more players suffering from cramps, which is the result of greater continuity in matches. The pace is faster and the games are more aggressive.”

The current average number of goals per Serie A match is 3. Capello explained: “If matches are constantly stopped by whistles, teams will return to defensive positions. On the contrary, teams can immediately launch attacks while their opponents are not yet prepared.”

Regarding the unattractive draw between Juventus and AC Milan, Capello said AC Milan “are still in an experimental stage and need to understand what coach Amorim wants.” He also said: “As for Juventus, I originally expected them to perform better. At the moment, we still cannot see the determination and fluidity that Spalletti wants to see. Neither team currently has dominance.”

Among the Italian teams about to begin their Champions League campaigns, Capello is particularly interested in Como. He said: “Como have a very intelligent coach who knows how to read matches. He has built a style of play for the team and wants to control games. It will be interesting to see how Como handle the Champions League.”