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Capello needs good English as England coach, says Blatter
TOKYO (AFP) - The head of football's world governing body Sepp Blatter said Saturday that Italian Fabio Capello needs good English to make his new coaching job as England manager a success.
"Whatever nationality he has, he should be able to converse and to speak directly to the players and not through an interpreter," FIFA President Blatter replied when asked about some objections in England to hiring a foreigner as national coach.
"This is my principle as a footballer and sportsman," Blatter, a Swiss, told reporters after the FIFA executive committee met here on the sidelines of the Club World Cup.
"As the president of FIFA, I don't mind when the national associations are taking some coaches from abroad," he said, noting that England have already had Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach from 2001 until their exit from the 2006 World Cup.
Arsene Wenger, a Frenchman who manages Arsenal in England, has also said Capello would have to learn English quickly to deal with the demands of a voracious media.
"The only problem I think he could have is with the language. I do not know how good his English is because a big part of the job is to deal with the media," Wenger said.
Blatter said it was the personality of a coach that mattered more.
"Definitely for the motivation of the team, the personality of the coach is naturally important," the FIFA boss said.
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