John Terry has been installed as England's permanent captain for a third time after being forgiven by head coach Fabio Capello for his off-the-field behaviour.
Capello revealed at a Wembley media briefing that the Chelsea skipper will replace Rio Ferdinand as skipper - starting with next Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier with Wales in Cardiff.
But he has been unable to communicate the news personally to Ferdinand with Capello claiming the Manchester United defender "preferred not to meet me" at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Terry was initially appointed England skipper by Steve McClaren in August 2006 and then Capello reinstated him in August 2008 after initially experimenting with different players in the role.
He stripped Terry of the honour 13 months ago after an alleged affair with a former girlfriend of England team-mate Wayne Bridge.
But Capello has decided Terry has served a sufficient punishment after describing him as the "biggest personality" in the England dressing room and a "leader".
The way the armband was passed around from player to player after Frank Lampard, captain for last month's friendly in Denmark, was substituted was also a factor for Capello.
He said: "I decided John Terry would be the captain for this game (against Wales) because, after the game in Copenhagen, the way the armband was moved around was upsetting for him.
"Also, I said my decision would be the day before the (Wales) game because I wanted to speak with the players, I wanted to speak with John Terry.
"I also knew the England doctors spoke with the doctors of Manchester United and Liverpool and I knew that Rio and Steven Gerrard were injured.
"But I have decided that John Terry, after one year of punishment, will again be the permanent captain. I think one year's punishment is enough.
"He was my first choice when I (initially) decided on the permanent captain."
Capello added: "John also, when he played without the armband, was everytime a leader on the pitch, a leader in the dressing room. He was really good every time.
"I have been impressed with John in the 12 months he was not captain.
"Always he is the same. He is a player that is himself a leader.
"This is really important. He is the biggest personality in the dressing room."
Capello believes Terry will have learnt from his alleged off-the-field indiscretions and is confident he will have the support of the dressing room.
He said: ""Sometimes the leader can make mistakes - not only him but I, you, all the people.
"It is not a risk making Terry captain again. He understood the mistake and he learnt from his mistakes and all the people learn from mistakes.
"He will be a very important captain for us because when I choose him, I know he is a leader.
"I also think the players will be happy. I think so. They respect John Terry as a leader, absolutely."
Capello will give the reasons behind his decision when the England players meet up at their Hertfordshire base on Monday to prepare for the game with Gary Speed's side.
Ferdinand will revert to his previous role as vice-captain when he recovers from injury with Gerrard, also ruled out of the Wales clash, next in line to wear the armband.
Capello had been keen to speak to Ferdinand when at United for the Champions League clash with Marseille but the meeting never took place.
He said: "I tried to meet Rio at the Manchester United game.
"I hope I will meet him in the future to speak with him personally and privately, not by phone because I think by phone is not so good.
"He was ready to meet me but he preferred not to meet us. I don't know why. It is a question for him, not me.
"I was ready, I wanted to speak with him and explain my decision.
"I hope he will be fit to play for the national team because he is one of the most important people with his experience and value as a player.
"I spoke with Steven and it is no problem for him and he told me he wants to be fit to play the next Euro game against Switzerland.
"The most important thing for him is to return to playing on a weekly basis after the operation."
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baby
Capello is costing ENGLAND nearly 16.500 per day yet what for.This is England and we should be managed by an English side just look at Brazil and Spain. We should follow their example.
The Barcelona manager plays the same team every week that accounts for their movement and Quick passing Fergie said he can,t understand why they don,t get injured.Perhaps he should read a book it will explain somebody who plays regular is less likely to get injured than one who only plays the odd game.
Take note Cleverley scored yet again for Wigan he did the same at the other club nobody in our current midfield is fit to clean this boys boots he is everything Carrick and Fletcher will never be class..
how soon we forget
ABSOLUTE GARBLE cappello wanted to speak to rio infront of all the media knowing that he had already had 2 previous meetings earlier reporting that he was going to appoint terry as capt full time. rio sat in rooneys private box out of the way as a mark of respect to diss capello the way he did it to rio.well done mr ferdinand top geezer invite him to rosso and poison the italian BAFFOON !!!!!
well if Ferdinand spent more time on the pitch than on the physios table he may have kept the job.AND EURO 12 IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIM
Time to kick the national side into touch Rio and concentrate all your efforts for your club!
Support the Team and Live the Dream.....
How could capello say that,This has been in the papers for weeks now but he was only gonna tell him yesterday at the game........now that's rich,what did he expect.... a brass band.no wonder england fell to pieces at the world cup.Terry slept with a teammate's spouse,how is that suppose to help team morale?.I don't care how well he performs on the pitch,you cannot betray a teammate that way and keep his or the other players respect unless........they are all of the same character.
Rio does not need England. England needs Rio. I say Rio can just as well resign for England and prolong his playing career with England.
Capello is not the style of Manager England need...big mistake in appointing him ! ..He's got a great CV at Club level..though he's not the man for England ...
Snub England Rio. Don't play for them again, bunch of Girls anyway..
Oh dear, another deluded Italian coach/manager who can't see the wood for the trees.
I hope Rio tells the bottler to 'do one', and concentrates on doing a job for the Reds.
And if Terry is the type of role model Capello sees as England's future, God help the national side.
This is a clear pointer that Rio will retire from international football any time now.
His fitness record has made this inevitable anyway, regardless of how Capello has been treating him.
He is also likely to become a well paid bench warmer for us next season, behind Vidic and Smalling, during his increasingly brief healthy periods.
Ferdinand should be dropped from the squad if he has snubbed the manager, he is never fit anyway. I can't stand Terry but who else fits the bill at the moment?
What? And you're suprised...???
Ferdinand should retire from England duty, Capello is a coward and Terry is just a disgusting human and yet Rio is stripped of the captaincy for this disgrace. Manchester United and bigger and more important than England anyway so Rio should quit International duty and focus on United. Rooney should quit England but he is their talisman so they will pick him, the ABU media are suppose to be demanding this media labelled "thug" doesnt play for England, afterall they tred getting him banned.
Ferdinand is finished with a capital F. He's been drawing a huge wage for doing nothing but Tweeting, making rubbish films and opening restaurants.
What was the last thing he did for club or country?
at least rio didnt put his club or country to shame un like terry is that the sort of role model we want for our children i dont think so what kind of man is cappello he is just saying its ok to cheat on your wife family teammates and fans i will still bring you back when it goes a little quieter i wonder if it was his family he did it to would he still want him then
When John Terry was initially stripped of his captaincy over an issue unrelated to football he took it like a man and with dignity,he carried on playing for his country giving 100% which was admirable.
In contrast Ferdinand has taken John Terry's reinstatement as our National team captain very poorly.Fabio Capello really had little choice because lets face it Rio has become an injury prone player and is hardly ever available for Fabio to consider for selection now,in essence he is a 'CROC'
However now Ferdinand has well and truly spit his dummy out by losing his composure and showing his real colours by publicly snubbing Mr Capello.I suspect now that unless there is an apology from Rio to Fabio then he will never represent his country again and he has only himself to blame for it!
This is exactly why the English football team is a joke.
Do the honourable thing Rio and retire from pointless international football.
Scholes is reaping the rewards from his decision to retire from the England set up to prolong his United career.
Why would you want to be associated with clowns like Terry, Cashley Cole, Stevie G etc anyway?
Also why pander to the FA when they gave you a 9 month ban? Kolo Toure will get less than that and he was caught red handed.
Man United>England
Tweet him! I am happy with the decision on the grounds Terry is the best Captain for the reasons mentioned by Mr Capello and plays more games than Ferdinand. That is why Fegie made Vidic Captain of Man U.
Rio is too busy doing other things.
Seems that Baldini first told Rio that he was staying as captain and then Baldini said to Rio "See you at the Marseille match" and didn't say when or where they would meet. I think England's management team are incompetent.
A good journalist friend of mine has a theory that he ran past me. It goes that Capello and Baldini have been offered a club job at the end of the season. They have accepted but want the FA to terminate the contract and pay the compensation clause of several millions. If this theory is true, expect some more irrational decisions from the Italians or at least decisions that pee off their paymasters, just like bringing John Terry back.
Not sure if I subscribe to that theory but if Capello calls up Joey Barton, you'll know why!
so what!
Shocking decision, I mean you'd think that England manager, Capello could at least have contacted now, England vice-captain, Ferdinand, somehow before reaching this ludacris idea, I mean, I'd rather see the skipper's armband being branded about, again like it was in Copenhagen (between Lampard, A. Cole and Barry), for the game in Cardiff, rather than have that dirty, cheating and lying weasel known as Terry back as England captain, whether he's a natural leader, and deserves respect from the other players (which he doesn't anyways), how can he say that it upset him (as well as Capello), with the skipper's armband being branded about, between the players, well he didn't think about that too long, before he got his trousers down, to where, his brains are, in his pants, to bed his for former team mate, Wayne Bridge's ex-missus, Vanessa Peronccel,now did he?
What is the symbolism and values does the Captaincy hold? Has/does John Terry symbolised those values? Apparently Capello thinks so. Remember this is a man who led Juventus during their bribery years for which the team was relegated and had trophies and titles won during that time taken away from them. His values may not be your values
England have not delivered under Capello's or John Terry's "leadership". Same people, same tactics + same outcomes. Do not expect a different outcome at Europe 2012.
Enough said. Cheers