First XI of World Cup Coaches

Interesting concept.

Who are the best 11 coaches in the World Cup?

I would not suggest I know all 31 of them (because Nigeria still has a vacancy) well enough to form a top 11. I like a half-dozen ... and I dislike two -- Diego Maradona of Argentina and Raymond Domenech of Argentina.

But that hasn't stopped Robin Hackett over at espn.com from picking his 11. A British guy, I do believe. And, whaddaya know, he has Fabio Capello at the top of the list.

Other coaches on his first XI are ...

Otto Rehhegel, of Greece -- who has done the most with the least, in my opinion.

Raddy Antic, Serbia.

Marcelo "El Loco" Bielsa, Chile.

Vicente Del Bosque, Spain. Hard to argue with what Espana has done, in the past 2-3 years.

Marcello Lippi, Italy. How is that Italy produces so many fine soccer coaches and so few competent generals, over the past 100 years?

Ottmar Hitzfeld, Switzerland.

Joachim Loew, Germany.

Dunga, Brazil. OK, just about anybody could take over Brazil and run some random collection of 11 guys out there and probably make at least the quarterfinals ... but Dunga appears to be a real coach. The hard man that the sometimes wandering minds of the Brazilian players need.

Milovan Rajevac, Ghana. This guy is pretty good. Just ask him.

Morton Olsen, Denmark.

One guy not on this list that probably should be? Matjez Kek, Slovenia. When you get a country of 2 million souls into the World Cup, finishing ahead of finals regulars Poland and the Czech Republic in qualifying and then eliminating Russia in a home-and-home playoffs ... that's an accomplishment. He would make my 11, perhaps instead of Rajevac of Ghana.