Fabio Capello admits he couldn’t believe Inter Milan’s decision to sell Roberto Carlos to Real Madrid back in the day.
Speaking to El Mundo via FCInterNews, the 78-year-old discussed one of the worst mistakes in Inter’s transfer history.
Widely considered one of the greatest left-backs of all time, Roberto Carlos arrived in Europe in 1995.
Indeed, Inter unearthed the Brazilian gem, signing him from Palmeiras as a relatively inexperienced youngster.
However, Carlos’ career at the San Siro never took off.
After failing to find common ground with then-manager Roy Hodgson, he left the club the following year.
Meanwhile, Fabio Capello had just arrived at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Shell-shocked by Inter’s decision to put Carlos up for sale, the Italian boss quickly convinced Los Blancos to sign the Brazilian.
And the rest was history.
During his 11-year stint in Madrid, Carlos cemented his status as one of the greatest full-backs in history.
Fabio Capello Blasts Inter Milan Decision to Sell Roberto Carlos to Real Madrid
“The signing that changed everything was Roberto Carlos, though I still don’t understand how it happened,” Capello admitted.
“I had just signed for Madrid, I was still in Milan when an agent called me and said: ‘Fabio, Inter is selling Roberto Carlos.’
“I replied: ‘That’s not true, no one is that stupid.’ But he insisted: ‘I swear to you, and he’ll cost 500 million pesetas.’
“And I couldn’t believe it – it wasn’t even expensive.
“I told him I would only believe it if he sent me a fax with Inter’s official documents, signed and stamped.
“It was four in the afternoon, and by eight, the fax arrived at my house. I genuinely thought it was a joke.”
Unfortunately for Inter, it wasn’t.
It remains one of the worst business deals in Nerazzurri history to this day.
and so did with Pirlo’s transfer back then. And pirlo was interista (from the story I have read)