By Andrew Warshaw
February 8 – Fabio Capello sensationally quit as England manager tonight with immediate effect – ironically on the day Harry Redknapp, the bookies’ favourite to have replaced him after Euro 2012, was cleared of tax evasion charges after a two-week trial.
Capello, appointed in December, 2007, resigned following a one-hour meeting with Football Association chairman David Bernstein and general secretary Alex Horne at Wembley Stadium – days after expressing serious reservations about his captain John Terry being stripped of the armband over allegations of racial abuse.
“The Football Association can confirm that Fabio Capello has today resigned as England manager,” a brief FA statement said.
The position of Capello, understood to have been paid £6 million ($9.5 miillion/€7.1 million) a year and whose contract expired anyway after Euro 2012, had been called into question as soon as he went on Italian television last week.
“No, absolutely not” he was quoted as replying when asked if he agreed with the FA Board’s unanimous decision to take the captaincy away from Terry for the second time.
“I have spoken to the chairman and I have said that, in my opinion, one cannot be punished until it’s official and the court – a non-sporting court, a civil court – has made a decision to decide if John Terry has done what he has been accused of.
“I thought it was right that Terry should keep the captain’s armband.
“The fact that the board has decided in this way is because it falls under the competence regarding ethics.”
It is understood the Italian was hardly consulted by the FA Board before the unanimous decision was taken and clearly felt undermined on a point of principle.
Terry had the England armband removed after it was announced that his trial for allegedly racially abusing defender Anton Ferdinand would take place on July 9 – eight days after the conclusion of the Euro 2012 finals.
Bernstein said Capello’s resignation was the right course of action.
“We have accepted Fabio’s resignation, agreeing this is the right decision,” Bernstein said.
“We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future.”
The departure of Capello, who reportedly at times had an uneasy relationship with his bosses at the FA, means England currently have no manager and no captain with just four months to go until the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
England’s next game is a friendly against World Cup finalists The Netherlands on February 29.
Speculation immediately focussed on Redknapp being fast-tracked into the England job despite having steered his club, Tottenham Hotspur, into third place in the Premier League.
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