England boss quits in dispute

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Anthony Devlin / the associated press archives England soccer manager Fabio Capello is out after four years on the job.

LONDON -- Fabio Capello quit suddenly as England coach on Wednesday in a dispute over captain John Terry, throwing the national team's preparations for the European Championship into turmoil.

The Italian, whose contract was due to expire after Euro 2012, resigned during an hour-long meeting with Football Association executives at Wembley Stadium after four years in the job.

The drama unfolded hours after Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, who has long been considered Capello's likely successor, was cleared by a British jury of tax evasion.

The FA said nothing in its statement on Wednesday night about the process for replacing Capello.

"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision," FA Chairman David Bernstein said. "We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

England's next match is a friendly against the Netherlands on Feb. 29. The team's Euro 2012 opener is against France on June 11 -- a month after the Premier League season ends.

Gareth Southgate, the former England captain who is now the FA's head of elite development, said an interim coach could take charge of the team against the Dutch while the search for a full-time successor continues.

That could leave Redknapp clear to complete the season with Tottenham, which is third in the Premier League and in contention for the title, before taking the England job.

If an interim coach was to be appointed, former Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce is already in place as he runs the British Olympic and England under-21 teams.

"Stuart Pearce is in the building and with the under-21s," Southgate told the BBC. "But you have to think for the summer: can you get the person you want for the longer term? Because the leading candidates are with clubs at the minute.

"Harry Redknapp is one of leading candidates but Tottenham will have something to say about that, and (Tottenham chairman) Daniel Levy is not going to want Harry to leave without a fight. So there's an awful lot to work out in the next few weeks."

Bernstein publicly undermined Capello last week by announcing that his view was not considered when the captaincy was stripped from Terry. The Chelsea defender is facing a criminal trial for allegedly racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a game in October.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2012 C4