Seasoned Italian takes reins with CSL crisis club

SHANGHAI - Former England, Real Madrid and Russia manager Fabio Capello on Sunday was named head coach of Jiangsu Suning, one of the biggest coaching signings yet in a spending binge by the Chinese Super League.

The Nanjing-based club said the disciplinarian Italian would "bring some of the world's most advanced ideas and methods to drive the elevation of Jiangsu soccer, and Chinese soccer overall".

Capello is the latest high-profile import to China following a flurry of deals that reportedly put Ezequiel Lavezzi and Carlos Tevez among the world's best-paid players and saw Chinese clubs smash the Asian transfer record five times within 12 months.

Jiangsu Suning has been particularly free-spending, signing high-priced imports like Brazilians Ramires and Alex Teixeira.

But a disappointing season was compounded by elimination from the AFC Champions League two weeks ago, and the club is now flirting with relegation from the nation's top tier.

Jiangsu announced the departure of South Korean coach Choi Yong-soo shortly after its AFC Champions League exit.

Glittering career

Capello, 70, brings a glittering resume.

He won five Serie A titles - four with AC Milan and one with Roma - plus two La Liga crowns with Real Madrid. He also won the Champions League during his time at Milan.

Capello was appointed England manager in December 2007, signing a lucrative contract with a mandate to halt decades of under-achievement on the pitch.

His hard-line disciplinarian approach reaped impressive results during a honeymoon period, when a revitalized England qualified for the 2010 World Cup with ease.

But Capello's first taste of management at a major international tournament ended in humiliation as England crashed out with a 4-1 lost to old rival Germany in the last 16.

He survived the storm of criticism following that failure and guided England to qualification for Euro 2012, only to resign before the tournament after disagreeing with the Football Association over the decision to take the captaincy from John Terry, who was facing racism allegations.

Appointed to the Russia job after Euro 2012, Capello oversaw an impressive qualifying campaign for the World Cup, reaching for finals in Brazil for the first time in 12 years.

The Russians were knocked out in the group stages, and Capello was let go the following year amid a rocky qualifying campaign for Euro 2016.

Jiangsu said that in addition to serving as head coach, Capello will be involved in the club's overall management and oversee training of coaches and youth players.

Jiangsu is one of China's wealthiest clubs and it is controlled by retailing giant Suning Commerce Group.

Last year, the company bought a majority stake in Inter Milan.

Jiangsu was runner-up to Guangzhou Evergrande in the CSL last season, earning a berth in the AFC Champions League, but is now second to last in the 16-team domestic competition.

Capello joins the club just as the Chinese Football Association has stepped up its fight against escalating big-money deals for foreign players, which have raised concerns over the solvency of clubs.

Last month the CFA announced prohibitive new curbs just ahead of the summer transfer window, which opens on June 19.

The CFA said loss-making clubs that pay a transfer fee for a new player must invest an equivalent amount in a government-run fund set up to cultivate Chinese youth players.

The association also said that starting in the 2018 season, clubs will be required to field an equivalent number of foreign players and under-23 Chinese players in each league game.

Agence France-Presse