HUH Jung Moo

• Name: HUH Jung Moo
• Country: Korea Republic
• Date of Birth: 13 January 1955

Coaching Career

• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 2007 to 2010
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 2005 to 2007
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1998 to 2000
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1996 to 1998
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1995 to 1995
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1993 to 1995

Playing Career

• Ulsan Hyundai Horangi (KOR) : From 1984 to 1986
• PSV Eindhoven (NED) : From 1980 to 1983
• Korea Electric Power Corporation / Navy (KOR) : From 1978 to 1980
• Yonsei Univ. (KOR) : From 1974 to 1978

Huh Jung-Moo is one of the most experienced coaches in Korea Republic, in terms of his participations in major international competitions. The 55-year-old has taken part in the AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Games, the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament as well as the FIFA World CupÔ, while leading Chunnam Dragons to three Korean FA Cup successes in the past two decades.

After hanging up his boots in 1986, following an illustrious playing career that culminated in that year’s FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Huh joined the coaching staff of Korea Republic as a fitness trainer at Italy 1990. The following year saw him appointed as the assistant coach of Pohang Steelers, where he went on to take the reins in 1993. Huh then temporarily returned to the national team as an assistant coach for Kim Ho, under whose guidance the Taeguk Warriors narrowly missed out on a place in the second round of USA 1994.

His coaching debut for Korea Republic was a friendly with Brazil in Suwon on 12 August 1995, which ended in a 1-0 defeat. Huh subsequently joined his hometown club Chunnam Dragons, where he went on to establish himself as a tournament specialist with successes in the Korean FA Cup in 1997, 2006 and 2007.

However, his second spell in Korea Republic’s hot seat was not so successful. Huh’s charges were defeated 3-2 by Turkmenistan in their opening match at the 1998 Asian Games Football Tournament in Bangkok, before going down 2-1 to hosts Thailand in the quarter-finals. Despite the disappointing results during the transitional period, Huh would be regarded by many later on as the man who picked up talented young players such as Lee Young-Pyo, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Park Ji-Sung, who have become the stalwarts of the Taeguk Warriors.

The autumn of 2000 was probably the busiest time in the coaching career of Huh, who led Korea Republic’s U-23 side at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in September before taking their senior side to the AFC Asian Cup the following month. The young Taeguk Warriors could not overturn the 3-0 defeat by Spain despite winning the remaining group games against Morocco and Chile at Sydney 2000, although their seniors managed to finish third in the continental finals in Lebanon.

After stepping down from the coaching post, Huh served the Korean FA as a technical advisor for the national team under Guus Hiddink at Korea/Japan 2002, before joining the technical committee as its vice chairman in 2004. He was also the senior assistant coach for Johannes Bonfrere during the 2004 Asian Cup in China.

The final chapter of his football life, as he described upon his third appointment as Korea Republic coach in December 2007, has proved to be a success so far. Huh’s charges topped their group with three wins and three draws in the third round of qualifying for South Africa 2010, before going on to claim their place in world football’s showpiece event with two games remaining in the final round of the preliminary competition.

Otto REHHAGEL

• Name: Otto REHHAGEL
• Country: Germany
• Date of Birth: 9 August 1938

Coaching Career

• 1. FC Kaiserslautern (GER) : From 1996 to 2000
• Bayern München (GER) : From 1995 to 1996
• Werder Bremen (GER) : From 1981 to 1995
• Fortuna Düsseldorf (GER) : From 1979 to 1980
• Arminia Bielefeld (GER) : From 1978 to 1979
• Borussia Dortmund (GER) : From 1976 to 1978
• Werder Bremen (GER) : From 1976 to 1976

Affectionately known in his native Germany as the 'Kind der Bundesliga' (The Bundesliga Kid), the septuagenarian Otto Rehhagel has been defying the passage of time for many years now.

During his eventful playing and coaching career in the German top flight, the veteran Greece coach racked up all manner of records, some of them more glorious than others. Rehhagel has been involved in the record number of Bundesliga wins, draws and defeats, and the teams he has coached have scored and conceded more goals than those of any of his contemporaries.

Curious stats aside, however, Otto Rehhagel is one of the most successful German coaches of all time. His long association with the game started way back in the 1950s. Over the next two decades he made over 200 Bundesliga appearances, building up a reputation as a player with an uncompromising streak, a virtue he has instilled in his Greece side.

A top-flight coach for fully 25 years, he took the helm at all the country’s leading club sides, including Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, Kaiserlautern and Bayern Munich. Then, in 2001, he accepted the Greek FA’s invitation to become their national coach.

His nine-year association with the country has brought many landmark achievements. Having only qualified for the FIFA World Cup™ finals on one previous occasion, a forgettable first-round exit at USA 1994, Greece suddenly began to work miracles under Rehhagel.

It was the German who masterminded their stunning triumph at UEFA EURO 2004, which was achieved with a pragmatic style of football short on attacking frills. As a reward, he became the first foreigner to be named Greek of the Year, and when the German FA subsequently came in with an offer to take charge of the national side, he eventually turned it down.

Though they failed to reach Germany 2006 and came up short in their defence of their European crown in 2008, Rehhagel and his charges proved their durability by winning a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. In the meantime, he further cemented his reputation by taking Greece to their highest ever position in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: eighth in July 2008.

Famed for his motivational skills, Rehhagel has created a club atmosphere in the Greek dressing room and has not been afraid to bring in new players to replace some of the veterans of their glorious EURO 2004 campaign. And though Greece continue to lack genuine stars, the team spirit and solidity Rehhagel has forged makes them formidable opponents.

The first foreign coach ever to lift the European Championship trophy, it would be no surprise to see the durable German inspire another impressive performance from his underrated side in South Africa.

Lars LAGERBACK

• Name: Lars LAGERBACK
• Country: Sweden
• Date of Birth: 16 July 1948

Coaching Career

• Nigeria (NGA) : From 2010 to 2010
• Sweden (SWE) : From 2000 to 2009
• Hudiksvalls (SWE) : From 1987 to 1989
• Arbra (SWE) : From 1983 to 1985
• Kilafors (SWE) : From 1977 to 1982

Playing Career

• Gimonas CK (SWE) : From 1970 to 1974
• Alby FF (SWE) : From 1960 to 1969

Lars Lagerback was hired to coach Nigeria just a few months before the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, and the veteran Swede has been busy assessing players and getting his team’s overall tactics in place. A serious student of the game and a top-notch evaluator of form, Lagerback can be counted on to bring the strongest Super Eagles team to South Africa. With little time to bring it all together and having never coached outside of Sweden before, many are sceptical that he can get the best from his team once at the finals, but the canny tournament campaigner should not be underestimated. And with the always talented Nigerians at his disposal, Lagerback will be looking to make amends for missing out on the 2010 finals with his native Sweden.

After a long playing career in domestic football, Lagerback honed his coaching skills with small Swedish clubs and, from 1990 to 1995, leading Sweden’s U-21 team. He took over the Swedish national ‘B’ team in 1996 and joined national team manager Tommy Soderberg as an assistant two years later. After a stellar qualifying campaign for the 2000 UEFA European Championship, he was surprisingly promoted to be national team co-manager with Soderberg. The interesting partnership got off to a poor start however as Sweden earned just a point at Euro 2000 and went home at the group stage. But qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and a subsequent escape from the ‘Group of Death’ turned things around, although they lost to tournament darlings Senegal in the second round. A run to the Euro 2004 quarter-final was stopped by the Netherlands and a penalty shootout, and from there out, Lagerback was in sole charge of the team.

He successfully led them to Germany 2006, where they finished second in their group to England and went on to lose to Germany 2-0 in the second round. Lagerback led the team to their fifth consecutive major tournament, but Sweden went out in the group stage at Euro 2008. After finishing third in a tough qualifying group for South Africa 2010 - behind Denmark and Portugal - Lagerback resigned.

But just months later he turned up on the shortlist for coaches being considered to lead Nigeria, who had demoted previous manager Saibu Amodu after the team finished third at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. Lagerback’s compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson and former Senegal boss Bruno Metsu were considered frontrunners for the job, but in the end Lagerback was handed the pressure-filled task with the expectation that he lead the two-time African champions to the semi-finals.

With his 62nd birthday just days after the finals, the Swede is undoubtedly hoping this year’s present will be the devotion of Africa’s most populous nation, happy with his performance at the first-ever FIFA World Cup on the continent.

Diego MARADONA

• Name: Diego MARADONA
• Country: Argentina
• Date of Birth: 30 October 1960

Coaching Career

• Racing Club (ARG) : From 1995 to 1995
• Deportivo Mandiyú (ARG) : From 1994 to 1994

Playing Career

• Boca Juniors (ARG) : From 1995 to 1997
• Newell''s Old Boys (ARG) : From 1993 to 1994
• Sevilla FC (ESP) : From 1992 to 1993
• Napoli (ITA) : From 1984 to 1991
• FC Barcelona (ESP) : From 1982 to 1984
• Boca Juniors (ARG) : From 1981 to 1982
• Argentinos Juniors (ARG) : From 1976 to 1981

If there is one member of the global footballing fraternity who needs no introduction, it is Diego Armando Maradona. The Argentinian legend is considered by many to be the greatest player to have walked the Earth. Now, at the age of 49, he has put his reputation at stake by taking on an entirely different challenge at the helm of the national team.

Set to take part in his fifth FIFA World Cup™ finals, El Diez knows all about the highs and lows the competition can bring. After captaining his country to glory at Mexico 1986, he experienced the bitter taste of defeat in the Final at Italy 1990, the last time the Albiceleste reached the tournament showpiece.

Maradona began his coaching career at Mandiyu while he was serving a playing suspension for a positive drugs test at USA 1994. The unfashionable club from inland Argentina were struggling to stay in the top flight at the time and looked to the fallen idol for salvation. Maradona lasted just 12 games, however, presiding over one win, six draws and five defeats before trying his luck at Racing Club, one of Argentina’s big five. He fared little better at La Academia, resigning from the post after overseeing just two wins in 13 games. After then resuming his playing career, El Pelusa made his last league appearance in the colours of Boca Juniors in October 1997 and stayed out of the game for the next 11 years.

In October 2008, not long after travelling to Beijing to see watch Argentina win Olympic gold, Maradona was offered the job of national coach following Alfio Basile’s resignation ten games into the qualifying competition for South Africa 2010. Argentina had won just one of their previous seven games and with their qualification bid in serious jeopardy, Maradona agreed to take on the task of turning things around.

“It's totally unfair to expect to see the Maradona style when I only get the guys together two days before each game,” he explained in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com nine months into the job. “I see myself as more of a coach than a technical director.” Whatever his job description, El Diez was able to steer his side into the world finals, overcoming crushing defeats against Bolivia and Brazil to seal their passage in the final game against Uruguay in Montevideo.

Though his qualification record of won four lost four was far from perfect, Maradona has since had the satisfaction of seeing his side beat France and Germany in high-profile friendlies away from home, both times without conceding a goal.

“I've been at World Cups, I've played in two finals and I know how to get there, how to handle the group, how to coach them,” he added in that recent interview with FIFA.com. “I know what to say to them. I know what I'm talking about. I didn't come eighth or ninth and it didn't happen to me just like that. I know something about all this.” The time for him to prove it has arrived.

Carlos Alberto PARREIRA

• Name: Carlos Alberto PARREIRA
• Country: Brazil
• Date of Birth: 27 February 1943

Coaching Career

• South Africa (RSA) : From 2009 to 2010
• Fluminense (BRA) : From 2009 to 2009
• South Africa (RSA) : From 2007 to 2008
• Brazil (BRA) : From 2003 to 2006
• Corinthians (BRA) : From 2002 to 2002
• Internacional (BRA) : From 2000 to 2001
• Santos (BRA) : From 2000 to 2000
• Atletico Mineiro (BRA) : From 2000 to 2000
• Fluminense (BRA) : From 1999 to 2000
• Saudi Arabia (KSA) : From 1997 to 1998
• Metro (USA) : From 1997 to 1997
• São Paulo (BRA) : From 1996 to 1996
• Fenerbahçe (TUR) : From 1995 to 1996
• Valencia CF (ESP) : From 1994 to 1995
• Brazil (BRA) : From 1992 to 1994
• United Arab Emirates (UAE) : From 1990 to 1990
• Saudi Arabia (KSA) : From 1988 to 1990
• United Arab Emirates (UAE) : From 1985 to 1988
• Fluminense (BRA) : From 1984 to 1984
• Brazil (BRA) : From 1983 to 1983
• Kuwait (KUW) : From 1978 to 1982
• Fluminense (BRA) : From 1975 to 1975
• Asante Kotoko (GHA) : From 1968 to 1968
• Ghana (GHA) : From 1967 to 1968
• Sao Cristovao (BRA) : From 1967 to 1967

As the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ hosts prepare for their most daunting task yet in international football, most of the responsibility to mould the side and deliver them to the ‘Promised Land’ lies in the hands of experienced journeyman and FIFA World Cup-winning coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira. Now in his second stint as Bafana Bafana head coach, Parreira’s return was greeted with mixed feelings in South Africa. Although the Brazilian’s many supporters are adamant that he is the man to right the wrongs of the team ahead of the world’s greatest showpiece, he was re-hired following a spate of inauspicious results under then-coach, Joel Santana, who led the team to eight defeats on the trot. Immediately after Parreira’s arrival, he focused on reviving the morale and insisted on boosting the flagging confidence amongst his charges. And his arrival has seemingly breathed life back into the hosts.

Parreira certainly has the pedigree to inspire. He led his native country to the beautiful game’s ultimate prize at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. The extensively-travelled coach also brings a wide-range of experience, which should prove vital in revitalising a South African side struggling with some complicated pre-tournament issues. However, Parreira will be hoping to avoid the difficulties he endured during an inauspicious first spell as head coach, which witnessed him fail to lead South Africa beyond the first round at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. While some have been quick to dismiss South Africa’s chances at the World Cup, Parreira has reminded the sceptics about Bafana’s gallant showing at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Even though he was not at the helm then, Parreira can claim it was he who did the spadework for his compatriot, Santana.

South Africa 2010 will be sixth FIFA World Cup as a coach, and Bafana will be the fifth team he’s led at the finals - breaking the record of four he’s held jointly with Bora Milutinovic. Parreira led Brazil to the USA 94 title after a penalty shootout in the Final0, but he failed to get the Seleção past the quarter-finals at Germany 2006, where they lost to eventual finalists France. His first FIFA World Cup came back at Spain 82, when he led Kuwait to a point. United Arab Emirates in 1990 followed, as did a stint with Saudi Arabia at France 98. Parreira has dubbed this World Cup as “Mount Everest” for his side, but he has vowed to mount a strong challenge and lead Bafana Bafana beyond the group stages. From there, as he famously told reporters, “anything is possible.”

Oscar TABAREZ

• Name: Oscar TABAREZ
• Country: Uruguay
• Date of Birth: 3 March 1947

Coaching Career

• Boca Juniors (ARG) : From 2003 to 2003
• Vélez Sársfield (ARG) : From 2000 to 2001
• Oviedo (ESP) : From 1997 to 1998
• Cagliari (ITA) : From 1997 to 1997
• AC Milan (ITA) : From 1996 to 1997
• Cagliari (ITA) : From 1994 to 1995
• Boca Juniors (ARG) : From 1991 to 1993
• Uruguay (URU) : From 1988 to 1990
• Deportivo Cali (COL) : From 1988 to 1988
• Peñarol (URU) : From 1987 to 1987
• Montevideo Wanderers (URU) : From 1985 to 1986
• Danubio (URU) : From 1984 to 1984

Playing Career

• Bella Vista (URU) : From 1977 to 1978
• Puebla (MEX) : From 1976 to 1977
• Fénix (URU) : From 1975 to 1975
• Montevideo Wanderers (URU) : From 1974 to 1975
• Sportivo Italiano (URU) : From 1972 to 1973
• Sud América (URU) : From 1967 to 1971

One of the football world’s more thoughtful and laid-back coaches, Oscar Washington Tabarez is nevertheless a man of firm convictions and clear ideas. Aptly known in the game as Maestro, the much-travelled Tabarez is set to lead Uruguay into the FIFA World Cup™ finals for the second time.

A solid right-back in his playing days, Tabarez began his career with Institucion Atletica Sud America in 1967 and ended it 11 years later with Club Atletico Bella Vista. In between came spells with fellow Uruguayan sides Sportivo Italiano, Montevideo Wanderers, and Fenix and a stint in Mexico with Puebla.

He took first steps as coach in 1980, training the youth teams at the unfashionable Montevideo club of Bella Vista. Three years later he was in charge of the national U-20 team, steering them to the gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Venezuela, his first success as coach.

Next stop was the Uruguayan first division for consecutive spells with Danubio, Montevideo Wanderers and Penarol, where he won his maiden club title, the 1987 Copa Libertadores, the last time the famous Montevideo outfit won the biggest prize in Latin American football.

Following a short sojourn with Deportivo Cali in Colombia, Tabarez took charge of the national team for the first time, taking La Celeste to the final of the 1989 Copa America, where they finished runners-up to Brazil, and to the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™.

A 2-0 defeat to the host nation in the Round of 16 marked the end of his stewardship and a year later he crossed the River Plate to take over at the mighty Boca Juniors, helping them to the Argentinian championship for the first time in 11 long years. That success proved the springboard to Europe, where, as well coaching Cagliari in two separate spells in the nineties, he also took the reins at AC Milan and Spanish side Oviedo.

Returning to Argentina, he was in charge at Velez Sarsfield in 2001 before being reinstalled at Boca Juniors in 2002, overseeing their second-place finish in that year’s Apertura. After more than two decades in the hotseat, he then stayed out of the game for nearly four years, only returning to the game in March 2006, when the Uruguayan FA invited him to return to the national side.

His achievements in his second coming have been considerable. As well overhauling the national set-up and leading his side to fourth place at the 2007 Copa America and masterminding their qualification for South Africa 2010, Tabarez has also revitalised the country’s youth football. Proof of that came in 2009, when, along with Brazil, Los Charrúas were the only side to qualify for both the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups.

As welcome as those successes have been, Tabarez’s overriding ambition is to see his side shine in the world finals and thereby add his name to long list of legends who have helped shape the history of Uruguayan football.

Raymond DOMENECH

• Name: Raymond DOMENECH
• Country: France
• Date of Birth: 24 January 1952

Coaching Career

• France (FRA) : From 2004 to 2010
• Olympique Lyon (FRA) : From 1988 to 1993
• Mulhouse (FRA) : From 1984 to 1988

Playing Career

• Mulhouse (FRA) : From 1984 to 1986
• Girondins Bordeaux (FRA) : From 1982 to 1984
• Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) : From 1981 to 1982
• RC Strasbourg (FRA) : From 1977 to 1981
• Olympique Lyon (FRA) : From 1970 to 1977

Always guaranteed to divide opinion, the least that can be said about Raymond Domenech is that he leaves few people indifferent. Even as a defender during his playing days he was seen as a tough-tackling warrior by some and an over-physical spoiler by others. Now, after six years in the France job, he strikes supporters either as mischievous and passionate or over-confident and provocative. He is a paradoxical figure, uniting a nation as coach of the national team but splitting them down the middle when it comes to his methods.

As a player starting out with his hometown club Lyon, his combative approach quickly earned him the nickname ‘Le Boucher’ (The Butcher), and he happily cultivated his image as a hard-nosed defender by growing a somewhat intimidating moustache. Despite his uncompromising style, he earned recognition at international level and helped win two French titles, with Strasbourg and then Bordeaux.

His transition to coaching came in the twilight of his playing career, when he spent two years as player-coach for Mulhouse before finally hanging up his boots in 1986. Two years later, he became the first man in the dugout at the start of the Jean-Michel Aulas era at Lyon, who had spent the previous five seasons in the second tier. The return to his alma mater proved an immediate success, as Domenech led Les Gones back to the elite in his first season and kept them there for five years before taking on a job at France’s National Technical Training Centre and taking the reins of the French Under-21 side. He oversaw several gifted generations of talent during his time with the U-21s though was unable to secure any titles other than a pair of Toulon Tournament wins.

Appointed coach of the senior team in 2004, following on from the reigns of Roger Lemerre and then Jacques Santini, he brought an instant breath of fresh air to proceedings, not least due to his talents as an orator when confronted with the press. He inherited a squad weakened by the retirements of veterans such as Zinedine Zidane but eventually succeeded in persuading the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ winner to return to the fold, along with Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele. With those senior figures back on board, he boldly told the nation to clear their diaries for 9 July, 2006, the date of the Final, even before the tournament had kicked off. He kept his promise, however, as France won their way through to meet Italy in Berlin, when just one spot-kick against the crossbar during the penalty shoot-out denied him the hero status Aime Jacquet had been accorded eight years earlier.

Instead, he has had to grow used to a torrent of criticism whenever Les Bleus put in under-par performances, with the team’s poor showing at UEFA EURO 2008 a particular low point. Domenech was castigated for his tactical choices and his management of the squad, which contained a number of injured players and others struggling for form. He then did little to appease his critics when his first words to the media after France’s elimination contained a marriage proposal.

It was a far from uncharacteristic move for a man with a special interest in the spoken word and a penchant for the well-turned phrase, and whose press conferences have always been an occasion worth attending. Some of his more celebrated declarations include the lines: “Sometimes I think that if I was standing right in front of myself, I’d hate me,”; “If I could select myself, I’d play”; and “Only the results count – in the end I’ll either be God or the Devil.”

Despite the criticisms, Domenech has nonetheless overseen more France matches than any of his predecessors, including the 12 qualifying games on the road to South Africa. As he prepares his charges for the global showcase, his team and formation contain both genuine talent and experience, however a number of question marks remain. Much like 2006, in short.

Fabio CAPELLOCountry

Name: Fabio CAPELLOCountry: ItalyDate of Birth: 18 June 1946 Coaching CareerReal Madrid (ESP) : From 2006 to 2007Juventus (ITA) : From 2004 to 2006Roma (ITA) : From 1999 to 2004AC Milan (ITA) : From 1997 to 1998Real Madrid (ESP) : From 1996 to 1997AC Milan (ITA) : From 1991 to 1996Playing CareerAC Milan (ITA) : From 1976 to 1980Juventus (ITA) : From 1970 to 1976Roma (ITA) : From 1967 to 1970Spal Ferrara (ITA) : From 1962 to 1967 If Fabio Capello collects art in his private life, in his professional life it is silverware. As a midfielder with Roma, Juventus and AC Milan, the future England manager won four Serie A titles and two Italian Cups. After stepping into coaching, he achieved even greater success. In 15 seasons as a club coach he won the league title with AC Milan, AS Roma and Juventus in Italy, and Real Madrid in Spain.
Wherever he has gone, he has left the stamp of a winner. At Milan in the early 1990s, he maintained the winning machine set up by Arrigo Sacchi. With Roma, he oversaw a first Serie A success in 18 years. He guided Madrid to the Spanish Liga summit in two separate year-long stays a decade apart. By then he had already claimed the biggest prize in European club football, the UEFA Champions League, in 1994 when his Milan side shattered Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ 4-0 in Athens. Capello, in short, is a serial winner and now his goal is the holy grail of world football, the FIFA World Cup™.
As the Italian said when taking the reins of an England side that had failed even to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008: “England has a great team that can go right to the top." His first match in charge brought a nervy 2-1 win over Switzerland in February 2008. By the end of 2009, though, he had overseen an impressive qualification campaign, England securing their place in South Africa with two games to spare. Capello’s charges were Europe’s highest scorers, a measure of their improvement the 4-1 and 5-1 defeats of Croatia, his predecessor Steve McClaren’s nemesis in EURO qualifying. His 22 games in those first two years brought 15 wins with the only losses sustained against France, Spain, Brazil and, with qualification already assured, Ukraine. As a player Capello was known as the Geometra (Surveyor) for the precise lines of his passing and he has introduced a hitherto absent degree of discipline into the England set-up. Players know there are lines that cannot be crossed – with strict rules, for instance, on mobile phone use, team dress, and dining together. Capello’s aim is to create a team ethic but he has shown no inclination to become pally with players. As Paolo Di Canio, who played under him for Milan, once said: “He’s not there to be your friend. He’s there to be your boss.” Ever the pragmatist, his exclusion of Michael Owen showed a desire to select players on form alone rather than reputation. A serious, often terse figure in press briefings, he underlined his no-nonsense approach when he took swift action in February to strip John Terry of the captaincy over negative publicity surrounding his private life. Capello – who turns 64 on 18 June, the date England play Slovenia – once scored the goal that earned Italy their first victory at Wembley Stadium. Half a lifetime later, he is seeking to guide England to their first international success away from that same venue. Rio Ferdinand, his captain, says the Italian’s presence at the helm brings the belief England can do just that: "He's been successful in every country he's been in. He knows what it takes to win and that's what we needed for England.”

Daniel AGGER

Daniel AGGER

• Date of Birth: 12 December 1984
• Height: 188 cm
• Shirt number: 4
• Position: Defender
• Current club: Liverpool (ENG)
• International Caps: 32
• International Goals: 3
• First international: Finland - Denmark (2 June 2005)

After Liverpool broke their record for the highest transfer fee they had paid for a defender, it is safe to assume that Daniel Agger is an exceptional talent.

Brou ANGOUA

Brou ANGOUA

• Date of Birth: 28 November 1986
• Height: 178 cm
• Shirt number: 2
• Position: Defender
• Current club: Valenciennes (FRA)
• International Caps: 7
• International Goals: 1
• First international: Israel - Côte d'Ivoire (19 November 2008)

Defender Benjamin Angoua joined French side Valenciennes in January 2010 and has been moving up through the national ranks since 2005, playing at U-20, U-21 and U-23 level, and most recently saw 94 minutes of action in two FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers

Benoit ASSOU-EKOTTO

• Date of Birth: 24 March 1984
• Height: 178 cm
• Shirt number: 2
• Position: Defender
• Current club: Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
• International Caps: 9
• International Goals: 0
• First international: Cameroon - Guinea (11 February 2009)

Currently plying his trade for north London outfit Tottenham Hotspur, Benoit Assou-Ekotto took his first steps on the professional ladder at French club Lens.

Antolin ALCARAZ

• Date of Birth: 30 July 1982
• Height: 184 cm
• Shirt number: 21
• Position: Defender
• Current club: Club Brugge (BEL)
• International Caps: 6
• International Goals: 0
• First international: Oman - Paraguay (19 November 2008)

Paraguay are not exactly short of quality defenders, though that has not stopped Antolin Alcaraz from catching coach Gerardo Martino’s eye.

Anthony ANNAN

• Date of Birth: 21 July 1986
• Height: 171 cm
• Shirt number: 6
• Position: Midfielder
• Current club: Rosenborg (NOR)
• International Caps: 32
• International Goals: 0
• First international: Brazil - Ghana (27 March 2007)

Anthony Annan might only be 23 years old, but he holds the distinction of already having competed at two CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Andre AYEW

Andre AYEW

• Date of Birth: 17 December 1989
• Height: 175 cm
• Shirt number: 13
• Position: Midfielder
• Current club: Arles (FRA)
• International Caps: 21
• International Goals: 1
• First international: Ghana - Senegal (21 August 2007)

Attempting to follow in a famous father’s footsteps often extracts a heavy toll on young footballers, but Dede Ayew has already made remarkable strides of his own.

AN Yong Hak

• Date of Birth: 25 October 1978
• Height: 182 cm
• Shirt number: 17
• Position: Midfielder
• Current club: Omiya Ardija (JPN)

An Yong-Hak should be one of the best known of the enigmatic East Asians after spending the past eight years switching between clubs in Japan and Korea Republic.

AN Chol Hyok

• Date of Birth: 27 June 1987
• Height: 178 cm
• Shirt number: 7
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Rimyongsu (PRK)

AHN Jung Hwan

• Date of Birth: 27 January 1976
• Height: 177 cm
• Shirt number: 9
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Dalian Shide (CHN)
• International Caps: 71
• International Goals: 17
• First international: China PR - Korea Republic (23 April 1997)