Is it Harry's game as Capello walks? (From The Northern Echo)

Is it Harry's game as Capello walks?

8:00am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News By Andrew White, Assistant News Editor

ENGLISH football was in turmoil last night after Fabio Capello quit as manager.

The Football Association will hold a press conference at noon today to discuss the fallout from the John Terry affair, amid criticism of its handling of the situation.

FA chiefs angered their manager by stripping Terry of the captaincy before the Chelsea player’s racial abuse trial in July – a charge he denies.

Capello told Italian TV he “absolutely” disagreed with the action – and that set him on a collision course with the FA.

Capello quit last night following a crisis meeting with FA chiefs, after which chairman David Bernstein said the Italian had “conducted himself in an extremely professional manner”.

Capello was later reported to have told the Italian media he felt the FA “insulted me and damaged my authority”.

But last night he insisted he will not go into detail on the reasons behind his resignation.

He told ANSA, the national Italian news agency: “I leave England and I will not say anything else.’’ When asked about the quotes attributed to him by other Italian news agencies, he said they were “false”.

The Italpress agency quoted Capello at length attacking the Football Association.

His son, Pierfilippo, said in an email: “A story on football-italia website quoting Fabio Capello is not accurate and not true.

“We will take legal actions against any further story of this nature.’’ The FA’s first job will be to find a successor, with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp installed as a red-hot favourite on the day he was cleared of tax fraud charges.

Roy Hodgson, Stuart Pearce and Jose Mourinho were also linked with the job and momentum last night appeared to be building behind former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink.

But Redknapp remains the front-runner, with several former players lining up to support his case.

Newcastle legend Paul Gascoigne gave his backing to Redknapp, but said former England boss Terry V e n a b l e s should be o f - fered the job if the FA could not get the Spurs manager.

After jokingly ruled himself out of contention, he said: “I think the obvious choice for everyone is Harry, but I don’t think Tottenham are going to release Harry. He is a players’ man. Everyone would want to play for him.”

He added: “If Harry didn’t want it and Spurs weren’t willing to let him go, I would give that man Terry Venables a shot again, without a shadow of a doubt.

“That man is just an unbelievable manager and Harry is a similar type of bloke.”

Former Sunderland manager Roy Keane told ITV: “Harry Redknapp will be the clear favourite to get the job and I’m sure he will be the fans’ favourite.”

Stuart Pearce, manager of England Under-21s and the Great Britain Olympic team, is expected to be put in temporary charge.

F A head of elite development and former Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate said he believes Pearce is a strong candidate to take temporary charge, but the longerterm picture may not be so clear.

He said: “There is a game at the end of the month. I would imagine the likely solution is someone like Stuart Pearce gets temporary charge.

‘‘But then you’ve got to think of the summer and can you get the person you want for the longer term because most of the leading candidates are working with clubs at the moment.”

He added: “Harry Redknapp is one of leading candidates but Spurs will have something to say about that and (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.”

Former England captain Gary Lineker backed Redknapp for the top job, claiming he could manage both England and Spurs in the short term.

He tweeted: “As you ask, I think new man should be English.

Players have to be, so should boss. HR the man if he wants it. He can do both jobs till May.”

But former England defender Danny Mills said he was sceptical about whether Redknapp would be able to juggle both jobs.

Scotland manager Craig Levein was another to cast doubt on whether the 64-yearold would be able to do both jobs in the short term.

Levein said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “It might be very difficult for a manager to stay at his club and devote the time that’s needed to do the England manager’s job. I don’t know what the FA will decide is best way forward.”