FA to confirm Capello
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Lawyers for Fabio Capello and the FA worked late into the evening last night, finalising a contract that would install the Italian as England's head coach today. "Capello is the best possible choice for England," came the gracious verdict of Marcello Lippi, the World Cup-winning coach and briefly Capello's rival for the England vacancy. Forza Fabio!
After all the talk of cloak-and-dagger movement, Capello and the FA played it impressively straight yesterday with the Italian jetting in, setting up brief camp at the Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon, meeting Brian Barwick and Sir Trevor Brooking for three hours at Wembley, and then returning to Milan on a scheduled flight out of Heathrow.
The sight of Capello strolling through Heathrow unperturbed by the madding crowd of camera-men indicated an individual who possesses the honours degree in stoicism required for the Impossible Job.
"He is a class act," enthused an FA source yesterday. The sight of the FA's head of security, Ray Whitworth, accompanying Capello through the terminal highlighted how close the Italian was to joining the Soho Square payroll.
Barwick, the FA's chief executive, and Brooking, the director of football development, were both impressed with Capello and will today contact board members to rubber-stamp his appointment. Capello may fly back this evening with a formal press conference tomorrow.
The admiration Capello evokes within the coaching profession was voiced by Lippi. "It's enough to see how many trophies Capello has won to realise what his qualities are," said Lippi, who added his astonishment at England missing Euro 2008. "Like everyone else I was surprised," he said.
Capello's imminent appointment drew a positive reaction from England's official supporters club. Of the move from Steve McClaren to Capello, Mark Perryman said: "It's like going from Captain Mainwaring to Field Marshal Montgomery." -
in the near future ENG will be playing wif 2 DM soon
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cool.. wow..
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tis man is strict
beckham got chance liao -
FA land Capello but have to take on his entire coaching staff
Fabio Capello should be confirmed as England's new coach today — but last night lawyers were still haggling over the cost of his four Italian assistants.
After conference calls with members of the FA board, chief executive Brian Barwick was told he could press ahead with negotiations for a two-and-ahalf year deal worth £6million a season, with the option of a two-year extension.
Capello could fly back to London today, although last night an official unveiling on Monday appeared more likely, as deals have not yet been agreed for the four key members of his backroom staff.
Capello, who is said to have pencilled in Aston Villa's FA Cup-tie against Manchester United on January 5 as his first official engagement, wants a director of football in Franco Baldini, Italo Galbiati as his assistant coach, a fitness coach in Massimo Neri and Franco Tancredi as goalkeeping coach. All four supported him in guiding Real Madrid to the Spanish title last season.
While the FA board have no objection in principle, they are concerned by the mounting cost, particularly as board members are pushing for the addition of an Englishman to the coaching staff.
The imminent appointment was criticised by Steve Coppell and Gareth Southgate last night.
Reading's Coppell said: 'I'm sad. I'm a proud English manager and I would have loved to have an Englishman in charge. You look at his c.v. and I must admit it is enticing. He is everything you would want an England manager to be but, as an Englishman, how would you like an Italian coming in taking your job? 'We have now created a situation where it is very hard for an English manager to get to the top of the tree. The only way now for an English manager to get a job in the Premier League is if he takes a team up there himself. 'Certainly, none of the elite half of the table are going to appoint an English manager.'
Middlesbrough manager Southgate said: 'I don't see the point of international football if you are not representing your country. With international football, whatever country it is, it should be player, coach, kit-man, whoever, from that country.' Derby's Paul Jewell added sarcastically: 'If you put an 'o' on the end of his name, then he is going to be good, isn't he?' -
GASP! negative football ftw
all italian manager are renown for that -
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i cant wait to see england play under his guidance.
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Gasp! England manager? Another failure to qualify for a major tournament?Originally posted by allentyb_v2.01:GASP! negative football ftw
all italian manager are renown for that
Sam Allardyce?
Martin O Neil?
David Moores?
Harry Redknapp?
Big CVs? Nah, they are good managers, good in the premier league. Great at managing mid-table to relagation battlers. Whether they are up to the job of managing a top level club or something as big as the national team, hard to say.
They are not given a chance to prove? At the expense of missing out another major tournament? I am sure this is something the FA wouldnt want to gamble on again.
Capello may not be a success, but at least on paper he has an outstanding CV. Reality of life, who wouldnt want to go for something impressive and strong, even it is on paper?
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Capello can polish faded golden generation
Chris Murphy
Roll the tape forward two-and-a-half years.
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Soccer City: Set to be the venue where Capello delivers England the World Cup.
A defensive England side are labouring towards a one-nil victory over Brazil in a supremely dull World Cup final in Johannesberg.
John Terry puts the shackles on Robinho; Owen Hargreaves marks Kaka out of the game and Micah Richards doesn't even allow Ronaldinho enough space to floss his impressively large teeth.
The seconds tick away.
Wayne Rooney dribbles towards the corner flag and shows no signs of moving.
The three minutes of injury time are up, the referee blows for full-time and it is confirmed: England are World Champions.
Fair enough, they had a scare getting out of the group stages after a fortunate draw against Ghana and yes, the penalty that handed them victory in the quarter final against France was for a foul a few inches outside the box.
But the two words tripping off the lips of football fans up and down the land are these; who cares?!
Who cares that the manager is Italian? Who cares if his philosophy is built on a sturdy back-line? Who cares if England only managed to score more than one goal twice in the competition?
A fanciful notion it all may be but if Fabio Capello can instil order, discipline and structure into an England side that unquestionably has talent who knows how far they can go?
If those who have played under him are to be believed, the 61-year-old Italian will be arriving in England with an iron fist, short shrift for prima donnas and an insatiable desire to succeed.
Sounds alright to this observer.
Capello also touches down with a pedigree as a coach that cannot be questioned.
He's won seven Scudetto, two La Liga titles, a Champions League trophy and a European Super Cup.
It was as boss of AC Milan that he bagged European football's most glittering prize, and he did it with a jaunty swagger, thrashing Barcelona 4-0.
The man already being pegged as a negative tactician has handled and inspired the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, David Beckham, Ronaldo, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro del Piero and Pavel Nedved.
Even if he does build his teams on defensive stability is that really such a problem?
After all, this is an England team who conceded five goals in their last two competitive games.
Who knows, he may even be able to come up with a formation that coaxes the best out of perennial underachievers Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
This is a man familiar with many styles of play, who will drill his players repeatedly on the training ground to ensure they get it right and also to ensure they are at a supreme level of physical fitness.
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Fabio Capello: Defensive-minded but able to adopt different tactical plans.
All of which is a far cry from Steve McClaren's hopeful double gamble for the crucial Croatia game last month; employing a new and untried system while taking another long-shot on an inexperienced goalkeeper.
The former Boro boss also did himself few favours through blurring the lines of authority by becoming far too familiar and 'matey' with his star players.
Expect nothing similar from the Italian, who has never been shy of exerting his authority.
When boss at Real Madrid last season he told the club's hierarchy he wanted rid of Ronaldo, who he mocked openly for being overweight, then he reacted to news of David Beckham's pre-contract agreement with LA Galaxy by declaring the midfielder wouldn't play for the Spanish club again.
But in that period he also demonstrated humility and a willingness to admit he was wrong as he grew fond of Beckham's tireless work ethic and re-instated the winger, seeing his decision rewarded by a string of excellent performances that played a huge part in Real's eventual title success.
The message is clear; hard work and a good attitude will amount to respect and fairness from the boss.
And with a country crying out for unrelenting passion, spades of commitment and an insatiable will to win the sound of a manager working our pampered Premier League stars to the bone will be music to their ears.
Finally we might actually get to see what the infamous 'golden generation' are made of.
Changes should well be noticeable off the pitch too and, thankfully, a lot less lively, Capello being a dedicated family man who has been married to his wife Laura for 40 years.
That too is a long way from the reams of print racked up in a series of seedy red-top tales devoted to the off-field antics of Sven Goran Eriksson.
How Capello copes with the intense pressure exerted by the national media will be interesting though.
Yes he has been used to rumour, conjecture, criticism and abuse during his high-profile reigns at AC Milan and Real Madrid, but nothing like the English press can serve up.
However, we can expect no petulant toy-throwing like McClaren and no staccato platitudes like the ever-dull Eriksson. Capello will either tell it exactly like it is, or refuse to answer any question he doesn't fancy.
The fact that he speaks little English may even prove an advantage in the early stages, although little pressure will fall on his shoulders until competitive action begins in September 2008.
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Capello took Milan to four titles in five years and the 1994 Champions League.
In the meantime expect Capello to get round the grounds and learn the Premier League's culture first-hand, fine tune his master plan and install the backroom staff he requires to deliver success to a hungry country.
Eriksson was met with scepticism, being the first foreign coach of England's national team, and he persistently failed to convince the football-loving public that he could produce the goods on the field, especially as he was having such a whale of a time off it.
McClaren's appointment was simply met with disappointment, not to mention derision.
Now, hopefully, Capello will be embraced by English fans and media alike and allowed to get on with job the way he sees fit.
He certainly deserves that chance being a respected, and trusted, winner.
With plenty of time to build his empire and an encouraging crop of young players emerging, maybe that dream of a turgid one-nil win in South Africa two-and-a-half years from now is closer than you might think.
Soccernet: Special Insider -
boring boring england
boring boring boring england
boring boring boring boring england -
Look for 1-0 games.
If they win. -
FARK!
WHY FOREIGN TALENT -
Capello confirmed as England coach
Final negotiations between the FA and Capello's advisors have now been completed and the former Juventus, AC Milan and Real Madrid coach will begin work on January 7.
"I am delighted that Fabio Capello has agreed to become England manager," said FA chief executive Brian Barwick.
"When we set out to recruit the new manager, we said we were committed to appointing a world-class candidate. In Fabio Capello we have that man.
"Fabio is a winner. His record over the last two decades speaks for itself.
"At every club he has managed Fabio has won the league title and Sir Trevor Brooking and I were left in no doubt of his passion and commitment to bring that success to the England team." -
Fark! Top 4 clubs in England are not British either. Where is the talent?
Excitement or risk of not qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, which do you prefer?