Fabio Capello has lifted the lid on the reason he stripped love cheat John Terry of England captaincy last month.
The England manager stripped Terry of the honour following revelations of the defender's alleged affair with the ex-girlfriend of his former best friend and one-time Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.
The speculation surrounding Terry's relationship with Vanessa Perroncel proved to be so hurtful for Bridge that he has no longer made himself available for England, claiming his position in the squad was "untenable" and potentially "divisive".
"Until the World Cup, John Terry will not be the captain again. After the World Cup? If I remain as England manager? I think not," Capello said in The Guardian.
"I asked for the captain to set an example for the young people; for the children and the fans. What he did was not good. I told him this and he understood.
"But I took the decision only because of what happened with Wayne Bridge, nothing else. I didn't ever consider taking John Terry out of the squad, just as I didn't decide to take Wayne Bridge out.
"And I don't believe the other players will have lost respect for him because they know his leadership qualities."
The Italian added: "In Spain or Italy, the captain is the oldest player or the one with the most caps. Here it is different. You look at the captain in a different way.
"To me, being a leader is more important than being the captain. John Terry is a leader. I have asked him to be the same. He will be the same. He will be a leader without wearing the armband."
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The England manager stripped Terry of the honour following revelations of the defender's alleged affair with the ex-girlfriend of his former best friend and one-time Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.
The speculation surrounding Terry's relationship with Vanessa Perroncel proved to be so hurtful for Bridge that he has no longer made himself available for England, claiming his position in the squad was "untenable" and potentially "divisive".
"Until the World Cup, John Terry will not be the captain again. After the World Cup? If I remain as England manager? I think not," Capello said in The Guardian.
"I asked for the captain to set an example for the young people; for the children and the fans. What he did was not good. I told him this and he understood.
"But I took the decision only because of what happened with Wayne Bridge, nothing else. I didn't ever consider taking John Terry out of the squad, just as I didn't decide to take Wayne Bridge out.
"And I don't believe the other players will have lost respect for him because they know his leadership qualities."
The Italian added: "In Spain or Italy, the captain is the oldest player or the one with the most caps. Here it is different. You look at the captain in a different way.
"To me, being a leader is more important than being the captain. John Terry is a leader. I have asked him to be the same. He will be the same. He will be a leader without wearing the armband."
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Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
