I came. I saw. I conquered. The famous words of Julius Caesar can be used to sum up prospective England coach Fabio Capello's managerial CV at club level.
The Italian, who is expected to have talks with the Football Association on Wednesday, has had six spells at the helm of four of Europe's biggest clubs and led each to their domestic league title, as well as also winning a European Cup.
And the 4-0 defeat of Barcelona his AC Milan side produced to win the Champions League in 1994 is widely hailed as one of the greatest performances by a club side in history.
"Capello has never failed," says Fabio Licari, international football writer for Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport. "Everywhere he has gone he has won.
"Capello is fantastic and knows football as few people do in the world.
"He is a pundit on Italian television and he always sees the action before it happens."
Although Marcello Lippi, who led Italy to the World Cup in 2006, has been mentioned as a candidate to become England manager, Capello is now the big favourite and he has made no secret of his ambition to take up the job.
It is easy to see why the FA find the idea of Capello so appealling.
It set out to look for a "world-class" coach, and few fit that description better than the 61-year-old.
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Former England managers Terry Venables and Glenn Hoddle as well as ex-Chelsea playmaker Gianfranco Zola are notable fans.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also gave a ringing endorsement of Capello, who scored twice against England during his playing career.
"I just feel he's a strong man, a strong character," said Wenger.
"He has a clear idea of what he wants. I believe as well he's a strong winner. The guy is convinced of the methods he uses."
Those methods, though, are not without controversy.
Capello's goalkeeper at Juventus, Gianluigi Buffon, called him a "dictator" and Licari added: "For sure, he is strong. It is not as if a player can say 'I will do what I want' as there will be a fight."
Capello had little hesitation dropping Beckham Capello will not be shy of taking on some of the bigger egos among the English players.
His no-nonsense approach has seen him fall out with some of the leading names in Italian football, including Francesco Totti, Alessandro del Piero and Antonio Cassano.
David Beckham has also felt Capello's wrath. When he was coach at Real Madrid, Capello dropped the former England captain in January 2006 after announcing he would be joining LA Galaxy at the end of that season.
But Capello showed his sense of justice and ability to swallow his pride by recalling Beckham, who helped Real Madrid to the La Liga title last season.
That championship was just the latest in a long line of success for Capello, whose managerial career started in 1991 at AC Milan, and he masterminded the Italian giants to four Serie A championships in five seasons, as well as that European Cup.
He then moved to Real Madrid, but the achievement of then winning La Liga in one season at Real Madrid in 1997 could not stop him being sacked and, after a brief return to AC Milan, he found himself at Roma.
The quality of the candidate is outstanding - the only problem he could have, I don't know how good his English is
Arsene Wenger on Capello
Another Serie A title followed in 2001 before the Old Lady of Juventus beckoned in 2004 and he won back-to-back league championships at the Stadio delle Alpi.
Juventus were later stripped of the second championship in a match-fixing scandal which came to light in the summer of 2006.
Capello followed that with another single-season stint at the Bernabeu and again won the title, only to be sacked last summer because of the style of football the team were playing.
Capello had done what the Madrid board had demanded - brought success back to the Bernabeu. But he had not done it in the manner they desired.
In Madrid, they demand style and elegance in their football. But Capello is steeped in the Italian tradition of "catenaccio" - a style of play founded on a firm defence.
"In Italian football you learn to defend first," Licari said. "Remember Capello is the manager who invented Marcel Desailly as the midfielder in front of the defence."
Capello's Milan won the European Cup in style in 1994 That was the position the great France defender played in the AC Milan side that dismantled Barcelona in the European Cup final in 1994.
But, according to Lippi, that does not mean an England under Capello would play the free-flowing football purists crave.
"The game against Barcelona is not an example match," Licari explained. "Capello is defensive-minded."
And if that leads to criticism, Capello is unlikely to care. He is notorious for his lack of patience with the media.
Licari has little doubt the "wise" Capello will be able to handle the English media, but has a slight reservation about how his countryman would adapt to the more stretched nature of international games compared to the flurry of matches at club level.
Wenger has another concern: "The quality of the candidate is outstanding. The only problem he could have, I don't know how good his English is."
But, with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho ruling himself out of the running for the job, Licari ominously said: "If Capello or Lippi cannot get the results for England I do not know who can."
The Football Association has described talks with prospective new England coach Fabio Capello as "extremely positive and without any problems". Capello flew out of Heathrow airport on Wednesday after meeting with the FA.
The 61-year-old met with FA chief executive Brian Barwick and director of development Sir Trevor Brooking.
FA director of communications Adrian Bevington said: "Understandably further talks are now taking place between Fabio's advisors and ourselves."
Interview: Fabio Capello (Football Focus on 24/11/07) Interview: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
Ex-Real Madrid, Juventus, Roma and AC Milan boss Capello has received glowing references from top names in football.
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The Italian reportedly met with the FA at Wembley Stadium - and Bevington added: "Fabio has returned to Italy to honour a prior commitment."
According to BBC Radio 5 Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard, initial discussions regarding the finer print of a contract happened prior to the Italian's arrival in London.
"I am also told that much of the contractual work had already been handled on Capello's behalf by the Italian super-agent Giovanni Branchini, a man who is renowned for his tough talking, high-profile deal-making," said Legard.
"I am also told Branchini has gone to Tokyo already for the World Club Championship, which suggests that much of the work has been done already.
"It is the first time the pair have worked together and could be an indication of Capello's determination to make things happen with the FA."
Marcello Lippi, who steered Italy to success in the 2006 World Cup, was thought to be Capello's main rival for the job.
Jose Mourinho was the favourite to succeed McClaren, who was sacked after England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, but the former Chelsea boss pulled out of the running.
Capello has won nine league titles in 16 years as a coach, picking up silverware with all four clubs he has been in charge of.
He won the Champions League with Milan in 1994 and was also an accomplished player, winning 32 caps as a midfielder for the national team.
Former AC Milan and England striker Mark Hateley lived in the same housing complex as Capello when he played for the Italian giants.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Be very worried, be very worried. This man will not suffer fools. He will drop people. He will bring people in you least expect him to bring in.
"He's not in this to pick individuals. He'll pick players that will balance up and that's the problem we've had in the past, the fear of dropping the top stars."
"He knows how to get players to play for him. "Okay, he left David Beckham out (at Real Madrid) but he was brave enough to bring him back.
"When David Beckham did get back into the Real Madrid side, it was the David we knew of old. Not only is he a good tactician, he's a good psychologist."
The only problem he could have, I don't know how good his English is. But the technical job, you don't have to worry about him
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
"One of his major qualities is to get the best out of his players, to make sure everyone is committed to the team's goals," the 31-year-old told Radio 5 Live.
"He is very, very specific in what he wants and very clear what he wants from every player.
"Sometimes he really pushes you to the limits and that, of course, has proven effective.
"When the focus is on the training, then he really expects 100% and not less.
"He would rather have less quality but committed players rather than quality players who are not committed.
"But he is also very experienced with great players and is able to get the best out of them."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes England could not choose a better-qualified coach but expressed concern about the Italian's grasp of English, which is said to be limited. "Capello is a strong character," confirmed Wenger.
"He has a clear idea of what he wants. I believe as well he's a strong winner. The guy is convinced of the methods he uses. The quality of the candidate is outstanding.
"The only problem he could have, I don't know how good his English is. A big part of the job is to deal with the media.
"But the technical job, you don't have to worry about him."
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is another fan of Capello.
"To manage a national team you need to be a certain age with plenty of experience and with a presence and a CV that is indisputable and Capello has all of that," said the Scot.
I would say that his credentials are incredible. If the class of Fabio Capello fails then it is very worrying for the England national team
Italian journalist Giancarlo Galavotti
Giancarlo Galavotti, London correspondent for Gazzetta dello Sport, compares Capello to Ferguson.
"I would say he is a Sir Alex Ferguson sort of character," said Galavotti.
"He is very much his own man, very much wants to win and if winning means to set aside players or even staff who have been with him for many years he will do that because he has got only one aim and that is to win.
"I would say that his credentials are incredible. If the class of Fabio Capello fails then it is very worrying for the England national team."
Former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola has voiced his support for Capello, saying he "possesses the ideal pedigree to create a new era of success for England".
He added: "Even when Jose Mourinho was in the running I believed that Capello had even more charisma, talent and experience for a challenging job like this one."
McClaren was sacked on 22 November after England failed to qualify for next year's European Championship.
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