- Players complained it "smelled of alcohol"
- Ronaldo Nazario regarded as a ringleader
- Capello only lasted one year at the helm
WHAT HAPPENED? The Italian took charge in Madrid for a second time in 2006, and walked into a dressing room full of big names such as David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Raul and Ronaldo. But Capello claimed the players lacked discipline, and found the squad hard to manage.
WHAT THEY SAID: "One day [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy came and told me that 'the locker room here smells of alcohol'. It was true," Capello told Sport.
The manager singled out Brazilian striker Ronaldo, who was overweight at 94 kilograms, as one of the main culprits of the dressing room disorder.
"He was someone who liked to party and encouraged the group to go out with him... in Korea, at the 2002 World Cup, he weighed 82. I told him to lose weight... he reached 92.5," he added.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: His relationship with Ronaldo soured to the point that Capello eventually advised Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi against signing the player — a suggestion that he ignored. Ronaldo signed for Milan in January 2007, and only lasted 18 months at the Italian club.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Getty
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Capello has now retired from management. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has stayed around football. He is the majority owner of Real Valladolid and has a stake in Brazilian side Cruzeiro, his boyhood club.