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League managers slam choice of Capello
Fabio Capello - file
london, (reuters)
Premier League managers Gareth Southgate, Steve Coppell and Mark Hughes have criticised the Football Association (FA) board's decision to approve the appointment of Italian Fabio Capello as England coach.
Subject to final contractual agreement Capello will succeed Steve McClaren, who was sacked last month after England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, and become the second foreigner in the job following Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001-06).
"When I played (for England) under Sven, I felt it was all right to have a foreign coach but I have changed my mind since then," Middlesbrough manager Southgate told British newspapers on Friday.
"I don't think an England team should be coached by anyone other than an Englishman."
Southgate's views were echoed by Reading manager Coppell, another former England international.
"I am sad," said Coppell. "I am a proud English manager and would have loved an Englishman to have been in charge.
"You look at the list of contenders and what he (Capello) has done ticks all the boxes but I just wish he was English. We have now created a situation where it is very hard for an English manager to get to the top of the tree."
Hughes, who was in charge of his native Wales before taking the helm at Blackburn Rovers in September 2004, said things were starting to look grim for British managers.
"The longer it goes on that the top jobs go to foreign coaches, the more difficult it will become for English and British coaches to get the big jobs in the future," said Hughes. "I am disappointed for British coaches because another huge opportunity has been given to a foreign manager."
Fabio Capello - file
london, (reuters)
Premier League managers Gareth Southgate, Steve Coppell and Mark Hughes have criticised the Football Association (FA) board's decision to approve the appointment of Italian Fabio Capello as England coach.
Subject to final contractual agreement Capello will succeed Steve McClaren, who was sacked last month after England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, and become the second foreigner in the job following Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001-06).
"When I played (for England) under Sven, I felt it was all right to have a foreign coach but I have changed my mind since then," Middlesbrough manager Southgate told British newspapers on Friday.
"I don't think an England team should be coached by anyone other than an Englishman."
Southgate's views were echoed by Reading manager Coppell, another former England international.
"I am sad," said Coppell. "I am a proud English manager and would have loved an Englishman to have been in charge.
"You look at the list of contenders and what he (Capello) has done ticks all the boxes but I just wish he was English. We have now created a situation where it is very hard for an English manager to get to the top of the tree."
Hughes, who was in charge of his native Wales before taking the helm at Blackburn Rovers in September 2004, said things were starting to look grim for British managers.
"The longer it goes on that the top jobs go to foreign coaches, the more difficult it will become for English and British coaches to get the big jobs in the future," said Hughes. "I am disappointed for British coaches because another huge opportunity has been given to a foreign manager."
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