John Terry was removed as England captain Friday as he awaits trial for racial abuse, but the Chelsea defender will remain eligible to play for the national team at the European Championship.
The English Football Association said Terry would be stripped of the captaincy “until the
allegations against him are resolved.”
“(The board) collectively decided it is in the interests of all parties that John has the responsibilities of captaincy removed at this time,” the FA said. “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 FA board can confirm that he has not been excluded from the squad.”
England coach Fabio Capello was not consulted about the decision. Capello and the FA had previously said Terry could continue as captain because he was “innocent until proven guilty” of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match in October.
Fergie's advice
Sir Alex Ferguson will advice Manchester United players Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra to perform pre-match handshakes with John Terry and Luis Suarez, respectively, as the issue of racism continues to cast a shadow over football.
Apart from the controversy reagarding Terry, Ferguson also said that Evra should also shake hands with Surarez. “Patrice has already shown the courage to fight it by complaining about it, so therefore he has nothing to be ashamed of. I don't think it's a problem shaking hands."
“Football is football, it’s a competitive game, I don't think there is anything really wrong with the handshake. It dresses the game up a little bit.”