Capello blasts FA over Terry decision

ROME - England manager Fabio Capello has hit out at his employer the Football Association after it stripped John Terry of the England captaincy due to racism allegations.

Terry, 31, was relieved of his duties on Thursday due to an ongoing court case in which he is accused of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers centerback Anton Ferdinand during a match last year.

But that is a decision Capello says he is not comfortable with.

"I don't agree with the decision, I spoke with the chairman (David Bernstein) telling him that in my opinion Terry cannot be punished until the court's decided - that's the civil justice, not the sporting one - that Terry has done that which he is accused of," Capello told a soccer program on Italian Rai public television.

"For that I felt it was right that Terry should keep the captain's armband.

"However, the fact that the board has taken this decision is their right when it comes to England."

Terry's court case is not due to take place until July 9, after the European Championship finals in Poland and Ukraine and the FA felt it would be inappropriate to keep him as captain with suspicion hanging over his head.

"Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, the Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved," said the FA's statement on Thursday.

"This decision has been taken due to the higher profile nature of the England captaincy, on and off the pitch, and the additional demands and requirements expected of the captain leading into and during a tournament."

The case has attracted huge media attention in England, due in no small part to the fact that the England dressingroom is a multi-racial environment and is likely to include Ferdinand's brother, Rio.

Capello's outburst is unlikely to come as a surprise to England's decision-makers, though, who were well aware of the Italian's stance.

"Fabio Capello has not been involved in the FA Board discussions which reached this conclusion, but understands the FA Board has authority to make this decision," Thursday's statement said.

Agence France-Presse