Fabio Capello: I punched Antonio Cassano

The tactician famously fell out with the mercurial striker, though the two later reunited at Real Madrid.

"A coach has to have 40 guys who respect him, every day," Capello told Spanish newspaper AS.

"My father used to say: ‘I only need one word’. Respect, respect, respect."

When quizzed about reports he came to blows with Cassano, Capello admitted: "We did, it happened. But at Roma I had a team of exceptional men who won the league.

"I respect the players, and I want them to respect me. I’m serious, not harsh."