Although he had never before played on the Italian national team, Giulio Cappelli was selected as the captain for the all-amateur squad at the 1936 Olympics. A left-winger, he made appearances in the first two matches and scored once in the 8-0 trouncing of Japan. He also sustained a knee injury in that match, however, and was benched for the remainder of the tournament. Cappelli began his football career with local side ASD Spezia Calcio. In the Italian league, he played for six different teams, notably for AS Livorno Calcio and AC Spezia, making his Serie A début in 1933. After the war Cappelli became a coach at various clubs, including twice for Inter Milan in 1949-50 and 1959-60. His last station as technical director was Serie C club Lecco until 1979. In his later years he acted as a sports agent for several important players.