Whether he changes his name to Fabs Cappell is another story. 

Fabio “Don” Capello has been called upon to coach England. Oh boy, the English have no idea what they just did. This guy is a perfectionist.

So, what is possibly on the horizon for English soccer?

For starters, England’s soccer woes are deeper than what people think or saying. England’s depth is not on par with other great soccer nations and it may have to stop considering itself a world power in order to truly improve. Not that it’s as bad as alleged. Lest we forget England did reach the quarter-finals at the 2006 World Cup before bowing out to Portugal in penalty kicks. On the other hand, the performance in the group stage was under whelming to say the least.

Capello will face an uphill battle convincing English players, who tend to be deferent to authority,  to adhere to his particular and oft fiery disciplinarian manners. Capello feels he will have world class talent - and in some cases he will - but he will not have the luxury of dipping into a deep lineup like he had in Spain and Italy.

Expect a steep learning curve as there will be a culture shock. It will be an all-Italian coaching staff and Italians do things differently than is accustomed in England. They are exceptional on the training and diet front and Capello is a solid tactician who is not afraid to confront players he feels are not providing optimum performance. This may lead to some friction.  

Tactics and training are secondary in England and it shows on the pitch to anyone outside England.

Capello’s fondness for English soccer is well documented but did he take on a big project here? Time will tell. It can either end very well or with indifference. Will he be able to get more out of the English than Sven Goren Eriksson did? If Capello, a proven world class manager, can’t get it done then it will be time for England to look in the mirror.

Let the English Italian Renaissance begin.