Russia’s football bosses talked to ex-England manager Fabio Capello yesterday in the hope of convincing one of the sport’s biggest names to revive the flagging fortunes of the national squad.

Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko gave no details of the negotiations amid reports that the globetrotting 66-year-old Italian was asking for the whopping annual sum of seven million euros.

“From here, we move on to the next candidate,” Mutko said.

“I think that over the course of a week – certainly by next Tuesday – all the consultations with the managers on our list... will be held.”

Capello’s name was one of 13 to feature in an extraordinary list of possible managerial targets that Russia was forced to release to dispel rumours that it had already secretly hired a coach.

The wish list includes such giants as ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and one-time Liverpool chief Rafael Benitez as well as former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.

The Englishman for one wasted no time brushing off the Russian approaches but telling The Sun that “I haven’t been contacted but I’m sure it’s a fantastic job for someone.”

But Capello’s name has clearly interested suffering fans the most. The ex-England manager was rumoured to be the Russian Football Union’s first choice and reportedly eager to accept the lucrative and high-profile assignment.

One football union official told the Lifesports.ru website that Capello had given “an agreement in principle to head the Russian team” as long as his pay request was met.