Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is favourite to coach the Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics in London.
FA chairman Lord Triesman says there will be an appointment later this year with Redknapp leading the charge ahead of Fulham boss Roy Hodgson and England U21 coach Stuart Pearce.
"We are now going to start looking at this and I would be very disappointed if we have not appointed a coach for the Olympic team by the end of the calendar year," said Lord Triesman.
"The coach needs that length of time to identify the players who will make up his squad and start working with them to develop a team spirit.
"We can't appoint a Scot, Welshman or Northern Irishman as that would go against our agreement with the other home nations.
"Having a foreign coach is not out of the question, but it will be fantastic to have an Olympics on home soil so it would be great to have a home-grown coach."
