John Terry’s future as England captain remained under scrutiny after the British government’s sports minister said the Football Association needs to look into allegations over his private life.
The FA was widely reported to be leaving the decision on the Chelsea defender’s position to coach Fabio Capello, but Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said whoever fills the role of England captain should behave off the field as well as on.
Sutcliffe said reports that the married Terry had an affair with the partner of England teammate Wayne Bridge “call into question his role as England captain.”
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“On the field, John Terry is a fantastic player and a good England captain,” Sutcliffe said. “But to be the captain of England you have got to have wider responsibilities for the country.”
Terry had been in line to lead England at this year’s World Cup until last week when a judge lifted a court order that had prevented media from reporting the allegations.
The FA has yet to comment on Terry’s position, but Capello is likely to be questioned on the subject at Sunday’s draw in Warsaw for the 2012 European Championship.
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The opinion of the players in the England squad will likely be crucial to Capello’s decision. Capello, an Italian, is known as a strict disciplinarian.
The allegations may be about to get even more lurid after publicist Max Clifford said the woman at the centre of the furore was considering speaking publicly.
Clifford is now representing Bridge’s ex-partner, Vanessa Perroncel.
“She basically said, ‘What do I do?” Clifford said on GMTV television. “’Journalists are knocking down my door, I’ve got people running round taking photos everywhere I go, I never sought this, I never asked for this, and I’ve never spoken to anybody.’
“I went through what could happen, the various permutations if she talked to the media, if she doesn’t talk to the media. And obviously that’s what she’s thinking about and deciding what she wants to do in the next day or so.”
Bridge released a statement saying his only concern is for the welfare of the child he had with his ex-partner, but several of his Manchester City teammates offered support when they wore T-shirts under their team shirts bearing the phrase “Team Bridge.”