It's love at first sight between Capello 'the dictator' and England as FA and Italian seem made for each other

The 61-year- old Italian had already decided to come. But after three hours together at Wembley Stadium yesterday afternoon it was clear they had fallen for each other in a very big way.

While Capello told those closest to him in Italy last night that he could not wait to start, the Football Association were gushing in their praise.

Capello was 'superb' , 'brilliant', 'a class act' and someone simply overflowing with 'ideas'. It was not just a good meeting but a 'great meeting'. Not just the appointment of new coach but the 'best thing they have ever done'.

It is not yet a done deal and for that reason there was still a sense of anxiety among FA mandarins who remain scarred by Luiz Felipe Scolari's sudden decision to reject them last year.

Fears of a repeat would, one observer admitted, have kept certain people awake last night.

But Brian Barwick, the FA chief executive whose reputation rests on this appointment, was said to be in bullish mood.

This time he is sure he has got his man, and it is not just any man but one of the finest coaches in European football and someone he can proudly sit alongside when Capello is introduced to the media.

Barwick is not often described as cute but he was cute yesterday. After flying into London during the morning, Capello and his son, Pierfilippo, were taken by limousine to the magnificent sight that is Wembley.

Soho Square can wait, thought Barwick. He wanted to show a man who has worked at the Bernabeu and San Siro what England now had to offer him — arguably the finest stadium of the lot and the place that will be his home turf for the next two-and-a-half years and possibly longer.

A tour of Wembley, of the changing rooms as well as the executive boxes, was followed by discussions in the smart new Wembley offices.

Capello, accompanied by his son and a second, Spanish, lawyer, was introduced by Barwick to Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director of Football Development, as well as other senior officials.

Capello met Simon Johnson, the FA's director of corporate affairs and the lawyer who opened the discussions with the Italian's camp 13 days ago, first with Chris Farnell, a leading English sports lawyer, and then Capello Jnr, whose English is excellent.

He also met Adrian Bevington, the FA's director of communications and someone he will get to know extremely well once the deal has been approved by Capello and authorised by the FA board.

Last night Bevington described talks as 'extremely positive and without any problems', having confirmed that Barwick and Brooking had indeed 'held talks' with Capello.

'Fabio Capello has now returned to Italy to honour a commitment,' Bevington said. 'Understandably further talks are now taking place between Fabio Capello's advisors and ourselves.'

Capello, already fluent in Spanish and French as well as a decent speaker of German, has promised to have intensive English lessons before reporting to Soho Square in what is expected to be early January.

Yesterday he spoke a fair amount of English during his detailed discussions with the FA, relying only occasionally on his son to translate when he slipped back into Italian.

'His English is better than people think,' one FA official said.

The subject of his coaching staff was not discussed in great detail but both sides remain open-minded on the question of who works alongside the former AC Milan and Real Madrid manager.

Last night Franco Baldini, his trusted aide and the man expected to join him at the FA, had heard nothing and suspected he may not be part of Capello's plans.

The FA, however, insisted there was plenty of time for Capello to make those calls, be they to Baldini, Gianfranco Zola, Alan Shearer or Stuart Pearce.

When Capello returned to Heathrow yesterday evening, leaving his legal team to finalise contractual issues that should be concluded today, he was accompanied by Ray Whitworth, the FA's long-serving head of security and someone famous for once tackling a six-foot sausage (the intruder was dressed as the Pepperami man) during an England training session.

Whitworth's presence provided further evidence that Capello will soon be England's new head coach, the Italian simply returning home to honour a previous engagement and avoid the glare of the English media, a sensible move given that there would be no hiding place for him in London while the lawyers study the small print.

However, when Capello does return to London, probably tomorrow, he will meet the English media — and be presented as one half of what both sides seem to think is the perfect marriage.