Capello: AC Milan facing Roma in EL good for Serie A

Former AC Milan coach Fabio Capello says their Europa League clash with Roma is good for Italian football.

Milan and Roma will meet in the quarterfinals.

Capello told La Gazzetta dello Sport: The beauty of the derby is that we will have an Italian team in the semi-finals of the Europa League, and this is very important.

It's impossible to name a favourite now, also because there is an international break upcoming. As a coach, you know how players leave but not how they will return.

"Milan are in a favourable moment at home, the first leg at San Siro can help them, even if Roma have now been set up very well by De Rossi. The first match must be played with great intelligence by the Rossoneri, because we have seen that when Roma find space, they have the quality to hurt Milan. And the defence will also be important.

Milan must find their defence again, while Roma seem to have found their compactness at the back. We also saw it in Brighton, so it is to be feared in all respects. And it seems to me that Roma really have a team spirit, a group spirit. They play with a lot of humility."