Capello feels the tempo of Serie A is hurting teams when competing in the higher intensity Serie A.
“The point is intensity. Our clubs are too slow in the Champions League because they are accustomed to the Serie A rhythm,” Capello told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I asked (Bologna coach Vincenzo) Italiano what he thought about Aston Villa and Liverpool, and he said: ‘They are faster; they run more than we do.’ Look at Zirkzee in the Premier League and tell me if he looks like the same player we admired at Bologna.
"He did what he wanted in Italy, but in England, it feels that he doesn’t even have time to think about what he has to do. More or less, the same thing happens to our clubs.”
Capello also observed: “I constantly see players who remain on the ground for a long time after any challenge, and if the referee tries to accelerate the play, everyone protests, including the fans.
“It doesn’t work like this outside Italy, and teams like Juventus, Inter and Milan end up suffering the intensity of European opponents, even if they have less quality.