John Terry discussion with English FA looms for manager Fabio Capello

The England coach will meet the English Football Association chairman David Bernstein later this week for talks over the decision to strip the defender of the England captaincy.

Fabio Capello, the England coach, has said John Terry should keep the England captaincy.
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Fabio Capello will meet the English Football Association chairman David Bernstein later this week for talks over the decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.

Capello himself came under fire from one of his predecessors for going public with criticism of Bernstein's decision to go over his head and take away the captaincy from Terry.

The Italian will meet Bernstein later this week, for the first time since the FA announced on Friday their decision to remove the armband from Terry until the outcome of his court case in July where he denies a charge of racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

Capello told Italian television he "absolutely" disagreed with the action but Graham Taylor, the England manager from 1990 to 1993, said he should have kept his feelings behind closed doors.

Taylor told BBC Radio Five Live: "It doesn't help the situation at all, as England go into the European Championships. I can't see what Capello's agenda is. All it does is disturb everything even more."

Meanwhile, the former FA executive director David Davies pointed out that whoever is now chosen as the England captain by Capello will know the Italian would prefer to have Terry in charge.

"Fabio Capello, having been told by the FA in a private situation what they were going to do, has been a little bit unwise to come out as publicly as this," said Davies.

"Whoever he makes as captain knows that he is not the manager's choice. That in itself doesn't help the dressing room."

Capello made his remarks in an interview with Italian broadcaster Rai in London on Sunday. Asked whether he was in agreement with the decision regarding Terry, Capello replied: "No, absolutely not.

"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."

Davies, who left the FA in 2006 before Capello was appointed, told BBC's Breakfast Time show that the England manager may have breached his contract with his comments and could face action from the FA.

Meanwhile, the FA are working on a code of conduct covering all selection criteria for England players that should be ready for next season which will cover anyone charged with a criminal offence.