Interview: FA development boss Trevor Brooking

Here, the BBC's John Murray gives us an insight into how the fixture negotiations went in Zagreb.

By John Murray BBC Radio 5 Live football commentator

Capello very much took a strong part in negotiations to sort it all out

I was mildly surprised while eating my toast and coffee on Monday morning to look up and see England manager Fabio Capello walking into the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

It may be a fairly regulation thing for most people to do but, in my experience, Sven-Goran Eriksson never did, staying very much in his own quarters.

Capello, wearing wine-coloured glasses and a smart suit without a tie at that time (although he later put one on), just walked to a table in the corner with Football Association development director Sir Trevor Brooking and the rest of England's negotiating team.

I had a word with Sir Trevor and he told me the fixture list may not be resolved on the day and might have to be finalised by the drawing of lots in Zurich on Wednesday.

So I was expecting a long day when Capello and the rest of the England negotiating team went into a meeting with representatives from the other five countries in the group at 9.30am.

Seven hours later - and following a 40-minute break for lunch - they came out and said everything had been agreed.

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I think there had been a few differences of opinion between Ukraine and Croatia that had caused a bit of delay.

The problem was that as soon as solutions were found in one area, problems popped up in others.

At one stage, Trevor said that some of the representatives had been on the verge of walking out and leaving it to lots.

But, after piecing the schedule together on a chart as they went along, they eventually found some common ground.

The FA told us that Capello's priority had been to arrange the games against Croatia for September 2008 and September 2009 - and he got what he wanted.

His reasoned that the English players would be their freshest at that point of the season.

Capello has also avoided finishing the qualifying campaign with a home game against Croatia or Ukraine, something he did not want to happen

With a free Saturday before the home game against Croatia in September 2009, he also has more time to prepare for what could be a crucial match.

Capello has also avoided finishing the qualifying campaign with a home game against Croatia or Ukraine, something he did not want to happen.

But the one thing he perhaps had to accede to was a trip to Kazakhstan in June 2009.

It will be very hot there at that time of year, but at least the game should be played in the evening when the temperature will be cooler.

I got the impression that the FA got a good deal of what they wanted from the negotiations - and Sir Trevor also told me that Capello had taken a leading role in the talks.