Capello confirmed as new England boss

[Brasil]

Capello confirmed as new England boss


Written by: AFP

	The Football Association has announced that Fabio Capello (seen here in February 2007) has been appointed as the new manager of England.

LONDON (AFP) - Fabio Capello's appointment as the new England manager was finalised on Friday with the Italian taking charge on a four and a half year contract reportedly worth 6.5 million pounds a year.

The Italian, 61, succeeds Steve McClaren, who was sacked last month after a Wembley defeat by Croatia ensured that England would not qualify for the finals of Euro 2008.

Capello's appointment had been approved by the FA's board of management on Thursday, subject to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations which were finally concluded on Friday afternoon.

The former AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus manager will bring an all-Italian four-man support team with him: assistants Franco Baldini and Italo Galbiati, goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi and fitness coach Massimo Neri.

An English coach is to be added to the backroom staff but the identity of that individual has not yet been decided, with under-21 coach Stuart Pearce among the possibilities.

Capello will carry out his first duties in his new job on Monday when he is presented to the media in London, although he will not formally begin work until January 7.

His first match in charge will be a friendly against Switzerland in February with his first competitive fixture not coming until the autumn of next year, when England begin their bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"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 (FA director of football development) Sir Trevor Brooking and I were left in no doubt of his passion and commitment to bring that success to the England team."

Capello had expressed his interest in taking on the challenge of reviving England's fortunes almost as soon as McClaren was sacked and his path to the best-paid job in football management was cleared when Jose Mourinho pulled out of the running earlier this week.

"Fabio Capello is widely recognised as one of the world's finest coaches," added Brooking. "He has achieved huge success wherever he has worked and has the respect of everyone in football.

"Fabio will have the full support of the FA and its coaching set-up. We are excited about working with him over the coming years as we focus on qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."

Leading figures including Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Sven-Goran Eriksson have all endorsed Capello's credentials although the FA has been criticised by some for failing to put an Englishman in charge of the national team.

A tough midfielder who won 32 caps for Italy as a player, Capello initially worked as a business manager in Silvio Berlusconi's Fininvest empire before returning to football as successor to Arrigo Sacchi at Milan.

He led Milan to four Italian titles as well as masterminding their triumph in the 1994 Champions League.

Another five league titles followed in subsequent spells in charge of Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus, although Juventus were stripped of two of those as a result of the corruption scandal that rocked Italian football last year.

[Brasil]

Never be players´ friend, says Capello


Written by: AFP

	New England coach Fabio Capello, seen here in 2005, has an iron philosophy for success - never be a player´s friend.

PARIS (AFP) - New England coach Fabio Capello has an iron philosophy for success - never be a player's friend.

The tough, uncompromising Italian, who was handed a four and half year contract on Friday with the task of making England a serious international force rather than a laughing stock, is determined to ensure that players know their place.

"A coach needs to speak to his players but not become their friend," said the 61-year-old.

"If you become a player's friend, the others are immediately jealous and

then start to think someone is playing just because he is a friend of yours.

"A coach needs to be humble, with a strong personality and be respected by the players."

Capello will start work in January and attempt to restore the confidence of a team whose failure to make the finals of Euro 2008 cost his predecessor Steve McClaren his job.

"In order to improve you have first to find your player's weak points, but you can only improve a person or a player if he understands that everything you do is with the purpose of improving him and not just to expose his weaknesses," Capello told uefa.com.

"The best thing that happened to me, I think it's worth telling, is when I was coaching Clarence Seedorf at Real Madrid. After two months with him, I asked him: 'Do you think you can shoot?' He said: 'Yes, very well'.

"I told him he could shoot only one way. In football you shoot several ways, with the outside of your foot, with the inside, and I gave him a small lesson. He is a lad with great character and determination and he started to work hard and improved a lot."

[Cristiano Best 07]

I'm gonna say that on a scale of 1 to 10 that Fabio Capello is 8.5