Fabio Capello

Rome: It’s Italy versus England in the Champions League this week and Fabio Capello is caught in the middle.

Inter Milan visit Liverpool on Tuesday and AC Milan are at Arsenal on Wednesday.

“Milan have it the toughest,” Capello, a former Milan coach, said in interview with an Italian state radio on Monday. “Arsenal are playing the best soccer in Europe. If Milan want to win they have to stop (Cesc) Fabregas.”

As an Italian and the new coach of England, Capello is watching the games very closely.

“As for Inter, Liverpool lost to a (lower-league) squad even though they didn’t deserve to,” Capello said, referring to the defeat against Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. “But in the Champions League they transform themselves, they forget everything. They’ve got to be handled very carefully.”

Capello is still getting to know his players after being hired by the FA in December.

“Between studying English and watching games at the stadium I had 35 days of complete immersion,” he said. “I’ve hardly seen anything in London. I had to get to know the players in person. On TV you only see one part of the field.”