Capello to be named new Russia boss
Reuters - Monday 16 July 2012, 12:22
Former England manager Fabio
Capello will have a tough task of rebuilding Russia's national
team after the country's FA (RFU) said on Monday they had chosen
him to take charge.
RFU acting president Nikita Simonyan said they had decided
to hand the job to Capello, known as a strict disciplinarian,
following Russia's disappointing Euro 2012 campaign.
"We have decided to name Fabio Capello as the new manager
of our national team. We await him in Moscow over the next few
days for the final details and the signing of the contract,"
Simonyan told local media on Monday.
The 66-year-old Italian, who quit as England boss in
February, said he was happy to work in Russia.
"I am happy, if contract negotiations go well as I believe
they will, it will be a wonderful adventure, as Russia is a
great country," he told Italian news agency ANSA.
Capello will succeed Dutchman Dick Advocaat, whose contract
expired after Russia failed to advance past the group phase At
Euro 2012.
The Russians had been hoping to reach at least the
quarter-finals in Poland and Ukraine following their surprise
run to the Euro 2008 semi-finals under Advocaat's compatriot
Guus Hiddink.
Upon returning home, the players faced heavy criticism from
high-ranked politicians, media as well as ordinary fans.
"We had a good team but order and discipline was obviously
missing," Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said last week.
"GOOD CHOICE"
Capello, who has had success coaching top clubs such as Real
Madrid, AC Milan, AS Roma and Juventus, had already received a
glowing endorsement from Russia captain Andrei Arshavin.
"Russia's national coach has been appointed - he is Fabio
Capello. We wish him success in his new job," Arshavin, widely
considered the country's most influential player, wrote on his
personal website.
Capello, who will become Russia's third foreign coach in a
row, will be tasked with blooding new players into an ageing
team, something his predecessor Advocaat failed to do in his two
years at the helm.
Capello was regarded as favourite for the job even before
coming to Moscow for talks with Simonyan and Mutko last week
after the RFU published a list of 13 high-profile candidates,
which also included former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry
Redknapp, ex-Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez and former Barcelona
coach Pep Guardiola.
"Capello would be a good choice," Mutko said last week.
Russian media reported Capello would earn up to 10 million
euros a year after signing a contract through to the 2014 World
Cup, with the possibility of extending it for another two years.