The Russian Football Union (RFU) has appointed Italian Fabio Capello as the new national team manager. The former England coach will be hoping to revive the fortunes of a promising Russian squad after a disappointing Euro 2012, where they crashed out at the group stages.

"Today we decided to appoint Capello as out national team's new manager," RFU deputy president Nikita Simonyan told ITAR-TASS news agency. Simonyan is acting chief of the Union, and went on to say that they expected the Italian, "To come to Moscow in the nearest future to finalise the details of his contract and sign it."

Capello is expected in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday.

The 66-year-old Italian has previously coached the English national side to quarterfinals at the World Cup and European Championships. Before moving into international football Capello won domestic and continental titles with AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Spanish side Real Madrid.

Capello had been part of a managerial wish list published by the RFU featuring, amongst others, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and World Cup winning Italian manager Marcello Lipp.

Capello told the Italian news agency ANSA that he was, "happy and proud" to be taking charge of the Russian national team.

"I'll be happy if my work with the Russian team will go [the] right way. The cooperation with this team is a great challenge for me as Russia is a great country."

World Soccer Magazine's executive editor Keir Radnedge told CNN the Russian national team, "Wanted international pedigree, they felt this was important. They want pedigree, achievement, which whatever he did or didn't do with England he certainly did at club level."

"They felt he qualified England for two major tournaments and he got them through the group stages. He's now got the international tournament pedigree he didn't have before he got the England job."

Capello replaces the Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, whose Russian team crashed out of Euro 2012 after a surprise defeat by Greece in the Group Stages. Russia are hosting the 2018 Fifa world Cup and Keir Radnedge believes this had a bearing on Capello's appointment.

"There has been talk that if he gets them through the next two years then he could go on to the hosting in Russia. It is important for the Russians to build there own kudos on the world stage. They've gone to so many tournaments and started like world beaters and really fizzled out half way along the course."

Capello's first game in charge will be against Northern Ireland when Russia begin their campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.