Like a salmon swimming upstream

That's the curious phrase used by Fabio Capello to describe his league-winning season at Real Madrid in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

In what he claims is his hardest ever season, he says that he, together with his technical team (Baldini, Galbiati, Tancredi and Neri) pulled off the "miracle" of building a group where none existed before. "After the 3-2 game with Bayern Munich I told the president that if he thought I was the cause of all the problems that I would leave. He said that you finish the season with the coach you started with and to carry on working".

On his reported poor relationship with Calderón he responds "I don't know, you'll have to ask him. He brought me here to win titles and I think I've done what I was asked". He also switfly rubbished any rumours of a bight fight between them on the night of the title win. However, he thinks his chances of staying in the post are 50/50, "like tossing a coin up in the air. I want to stay and win the Champions League. My return ticket (after his holidays) is already booked for the 19th of July, before preseason training starts on the 20th, even if I have to continue doing like a salmon."

He points to Ronaldo's record at the Bernabéu ("with him and van Nistelrooy up front we lost five games. Those are the numbers") as justification for letting him go. He thinks that Kaká coming to Real is "only a dream" and that Cassano can still be redeemed.