Former Football Association chief executive David Davies has suggested that England manager Fabio Capello may be in breach of contract after he openly challenged the decision to strip John Terry of the national team captaincy.
The Italian spoke out in defence of Terry, who was removed as England skipper by FA chairman David Bernstein on Friday without any consultation with Capello, during an interview with Italian broadcaster Rai 1 yesterday.
The FA opted to axe Terry as captain once it was known the Chelsea defender would not face trial over allegations he used racist language to Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road in October until July, after Euro 2012. Terry denies the charge.
Asked whether he was in agreement with FA's decision, Capello said: "No, absolutely not.
"I have spoken to the chairman and I have said that, in my opinion, one cannot be punished until it's official and the court - a non-sporting court, a civil court - has made a decision to decide if John Terry has done what he has been accused of."
Speaking to BBC's Breakfast Time show on Monday morning, Davies said that Capello, who reportedly earns £6million-a-year as manager of the national side, may have breached his contract with his comments and could face action from the FA.
"It is being taken very seriously by the FA because it may be that Fabio Capello has breached his contract," said Davies.
"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.
"You could have what some of the media are calling a morality circus while England are trying to win the second major tournament in football.
"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."
Meanwhile former England boss Graham Taylor feels Capello's public criticism of the FA's decisionhas further damaged the national team's harmony.
Taylor told BBC Radio Five Live: "It doesn't help the situation at all, as England go into the European Championships. I can't see what Capello's agenda is. All it does is disturb everything even more.
"It may be that he wants the FA to take a decision on this job. It depends really on how strongly he feels about it.
"To come out in this public fashion actually, in one respect, gives England an even bigger problem for the selection and harmony of the squad for the European Championships."
Taylor pointed out that whoever is now chosen as England captain by Capello will know full well that the Italian would prefer to have Terry in charge.
He added: "Fabio Capello, having been told by the FA in a private situation what they were going to do, has been a little bit unwise to come out as publicly as this.
"Whoever he makes as captain knows that he is not the manager's choice. That in itself doesn't help the dressing room.
"The FA apparently told Capello in private what they were going to do and why they were going to do it. He disagreed with it and it was noted. The best thing would have been for that to stay there, and not come out in such a public fashion."
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