"Fabio is very, very open and happy to include an English coach - or English coaches - within his staff," said FA director of communications Adrian Bevington.

"The key point is that that is something we don't have to rush into. People should not get too hung up on the fact there is no English coach on the staff at the moment."

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce was among those seen arriving at the FA's headquarters in Soho Square, London, on Friday.

Alan Shearer, Tony Adams and David Platt have also been linked with a role in Capello's team.

The Italian's trusted aide Franco Baldini, his sporting director at Roma and Real Madrid, is included in the backroom staff along with veteran assistant coach Italo Galbiati, goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi, and fitness coach Massimo Neri.

The FA revealed Capello was the number one choice and was the only man to be formally interviewed for the post, which became vacant when Steve McClaren was sacked on 22 November.

"Fabio is a winner. His record over the last two decades speaks for itself," said FA chief executive Brian Barwick.

"At every club he has managed, Fabio has won the league title and Sir Trevor Brooking and I were left in no doubt of his passion and commitment to bring that success to the England team."

Capello's first game in charge will be the friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on 6 February.

With England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, his first competitive game will be a World Cup qualifier on 6 September.

His contract was finalised on Friday.

The Italian met Barwick and Brooking, the FA's director of football, on Wednesday before his appointment was "ratified unanimously" by the FA board on Thursday.

"Fabio Capello is widely recognised as one of the world's finest coaches," said Brooking.

"He has achieved huge success wherever he has worked and has the respect of everyone in football."

McClaren, who spent just 18 months in charge, hopes Capello succeeds as England boss.

"It goes without saying that I wish my successor all the very best," McClaren said.

"I've always said and still maintain we have an excellent group of players. I'm convinced they'll do the country proud in due course.

"It was a great honour for me to manage England and I'm sure Fabio will share the same sentiments."

Capello expressed his interest in the England job just days after McClaren's departure in November, describing it as a "beautiful challenge".

He has a hugely impressive CV and comes with the backing of such football luminaries as Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Gianfranco Zola and Clarence Seedorf.

The Italian has picked up silverware with all four clubs - AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus - he has been in charge of.

He has guided teams to nine league championships in 16 years as a coach, although Juventus were stripped of the 2005 and 2006 titles because of the club's involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

He also won the Champions League with Milan in 1994 and was an accomplished player, winning 32 caps for Italy.