
After a weekend of damaging revelations surrounding
John Terry and his affair with Wayne Bridge's partner Vanessa Perroncel, all eyes are on Fabio Capello.Will the single-minded England manager take tough action against his publicly-disgraced skipper and demand that he hand over his armband? Regardless, the onus to do the right thing should not be on Capello, but on John Terry.
If the 29-year-old defender wants to preserve the little respect he has left in the England dressing room and ensure he is on that plane to South Africa, he must accept to Capello that his position as captain is now untenable.Capello, a devout Roman Catholic, is likely to be unimpressed by the allegations this weekend that Terry paid for his secret lover to have an abortion. But the Italian will want to hear Terry's version of events first, when the two meet in the coming days. After that tense conversation, a decision should be made immediately.
Many people in England believe that Terry's affair with the French model and mother of Wayne Bridge's child is a private matter, unrelated to his ability to perform on the pitch for the national team.
'JT' has committed no crime; say the most blinkered Chelsea fans and the most fervently-patriotic England supporters who are desperate for the Three Lions to go all the way at the World Cup.
But by 'doing the dirty' on a team-mate (and former best friend) Terry has broken the code of the dressing room. No longer can Terry look his team-mates in the eye and command their full respect. Moreover, reports have emerged that some of Terry's international team-mates are 'disgusted' by his behaviour.
England cannot afford to have a divided dressing room ahead of the World Cup. But above any concerns surrounding England's chances at this summer's tournament is the integrity of the sport in this country.
Nobody expects footballers to be saints - and often the best players get away with the most.