Fabio Capello feels that Inter, Arsenal, and Manchester City will be Real Madrid’s most dangerous opponents in the Champions League but warns that Pep Guardiola ‘may leave’ his club at the end of the season.
Capello previewed the upcoming Champions League campaign in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The former Italian tactician believes Real Madrid are the favourite to win the competition, “but opponents are ready to battle it out.” Capello named three specific teams that will challenge Real Madrid for the Cup With The Big Ears.
“First of all, Manchester City. There are rumours that Pep Guardiola may leave at the end of the season, so this will make the team even tougher and determined because Guardiola will want to leave great memories,” Capello said.
Capello: Inter and Arsenal among Champions League favourites but Guardiola ‘may leave’ Man City
“City have everything to do well. They have experience, determination, and quality, and Haaland is seemingly better than last season.
“Then I say Inter. They have the potential to be competitive on all fronts,” continued the ex-Milan coach.
“They have a deep squad and a strong mentality. They can go all the way after the Istanbul Final and the Scudetto. Then, Arsenal proved they could compete with Manchester City. They can win the Premier and Champions League.”
The 2024-25 Champions League has a new format, but Capello believes it’s far too early to judge it.
“It’s new for everyone, so it’s hard to judge,” he said.
“Let’s see. It doesn’t seem to allow teams to make big calculations.”
Capello is confident about PSG’s positive results in the competition despite Kylian Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid, but Bayern Munich may struggle more than usual.
“PSG have lost Mbappé, but they have their own style, so they can still reach excellent results,” noted Capello.
“Bayern Leverkusen may be mature enough. They are the most dangerous Bundesliga club.
“Bayern don’t convince me entirely. I don’t see a united team as in the past. They look a bit disjointed. Perhaps Kompany will succeed where the others fail. The season has just started. There are new coaches and new players who haven’t yet played.”
The Champions League draw will take place today at 18:00 CET (16:00 GMT). Football Italia will follow it live with a dedicated live blog.