LONDON - The first thing Fabio Capello did when he sat down at his desk as manager of England on Monday was upset FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
It's not as if Capello chose his first day at work to call Blatter up and bawl him out for the crowded international calendar. Or lambast the FIFA president for letting clubs rather than countries dominate the game.
Blatter's problem was that the man who sat down behind the manager's desk at Football Association headquarters at London's Soho Square wasn't English.
"I would say it is a little surprising that the motherland of football has ignored a sacrosanct law or belief that the national team manager should be from the same country as the players," Blatter told the BBC. "I have never seen Italy, Germany, Brazil or Argentina with a coach from another country. In fact, most of the best teams have a coach from their own country."
While Blatter is correct so far as those four nations are concerned, he is wrong about others.
Veteran German coach Otto Rehhagel played a major role in Greece's surprise triumph at the 2004 European Championship where, in the final, it beat a Portugal side guided by a Brazilian, Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Dutch coach Guus Hiddink led South Korea to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup and managers from France, Germany and the Netherlands have been behind the emergence of several African teams at Blatter's biggest competition.
He should also take a look at the achievements of Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic. He is the only person to have coached five different teams at the World Cup - Mexico, Costa Rico, United States, Nigeria and China.
On that basis, Blatter has no real reason to bleat that England has appointed another overseas coach six years after taking on a Swede, Sven-Goran Eriksson.
A procession of homegrown coaches failed to bring success to the team since Alf Ramsey's World Cup triumph in 1966. The latest, Steve McClaren, was fired when England lost to Croatia 3-2 at Wembley and failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
That opened the door to Capello as the FA took a look at the other Englishmen available and decided they weren't capable of taking on such a big job.
The man who led AC Milan, AS Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid to top finishes in their domestic league championships is brushing up his limited command of English and started work ahead of schedule by watching the weekend's FA Cup games.
"It is a huge honour for me to today begin my work as England manager," Capello told the FA website Monday. "I have wanted this job for a long time. I have had the privilege of managing some of the most successful clubs in the world, but the England job is as big as any.
"I have always followed English football closely and admired the passion and intensity of both the games and the crowds. The England fans are famous around the world for their strength of support. With that support also comes expectation."
Although these may not be words Blatter wants to hear, they will go well with those England fans who are happy to have an overseas coach.
Although England doesn't have a competitive game until qualifying for the 2010 World Cup starts in September, Capello has only a short time before the Feb. 6 friendly against Switzerland at Wembley.
Capello spent part of his first day at the office talking to England under-21 coach Stuart Pearce, a tough-tackling former left back who will provide a link to the team.
"I had a very good meeting with Stuart Pearce," Capello said. "I want to have a close working relationship with him. The under-21s play an important part in the England team's development. I am also pleased that my assistant Franco Baldini was able to start with me. It's important that we get on with the job as quickly as possible."
Baldini is one of four Italians who are part of Capello's backroom staff. He also has Italo Galbiati, goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi and fitness coach Massimo Neri.
That's Italy 5, England 1 on the total coaching staff. Blatter will be furious.
