FA to meet England manager to address Terry demotion

London: The Football Association chairman, David Bernstein, will meet Fabio Capello this week at Wembley to try to draw a line under a public row over the decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.

Bernstein, who informed Capello of the FA board's decision to remove the armband from Terry last Thursday night, will address his provocative decision to make those feelings public at their meeting.

However, despite suggestions from the former FA executive director David Davies that Capello could be in "breach of contract" and bookmakers shortening the odds on his departure before the European Championship in June, Bernstein is expected to try to calm the situation. It is understood that the FA has not examined the detailed terms of Capello's contract or taken legal advice on whether he has broken them and is keen to move on, while being clear there is no suggestion of revisiting the decision over Terry.

Capello told the Italian broadcaster Rai1 on Sunday that the FA had "absolutely not" made the right call over the issue and that he "completely disagreed" with Bernstein. At the meeting he is likely to restate his displeasure about the way the decision was reached and the outcome but has accepted that the FA board was within its rights to act.

"I spoke to the chairman and I told him that I don't think someone can be punished until it becomes official," Capello said on Sunday. "The court will decide. It's going to be civil justice, not sports justice, to decide if John Terry committed the crime he is accused of. I thought it fair that John Terry keeps the captain's armband."

Capello was at Anfield on Monday night for Liverpool's match with Tottenham Hotspur, where one of the leading contenders to replace Terry as captain, Steven Gerrard, led out the home team. It remains to be seen what effect Capello's backing of Terry has on the willingness of any prospective replacement to take on the job. Rio Ferdinand has already ruled himself out.

Terry, who has yet to respond publicly to the decision, was deposed as a result of his trial for allegedly racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand being set for July 9, eight days after the Euro 2012 final. He denies the charges.

Davies, a former longstanding FA executive director, said he believed Capello could be in breach of contract over his comments.

"It is being taken very seriously by the FA. You have to ask what his motive is. You have to suspect he wants to prevent John Terry retiring as a player before Euro 2012, but there are wider issues," he told the BBC. "A contract may have been breached, there is strong leadership now at the FA from David Bernstein. Last week he wasn't slow to take things forward and he may not be slow to do so now."

— Guardian News and Media Limited