Capello heads for talks with Bernstein over Terry

6 February 2012 England manager Fabio Capello pictured at Anfield the day after controversial comments made on Italian television regarding John Terry. (GETTY IMAGES)

Fabio Capello, the England manager, will meet the Football Association chairman, David Bernstein, today for talks on the Italian's publicly-stated unhappiness over the governing body's decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy.

The pair will meet at the FA headquarters at Wembley, where Bernstein will have frank words with the 64-year-old about the FA board's view of him announcing live on Italian television that he "absolutely" disagreed with the Terry decision on Sunday.

Currently there is little appetite among the board to part company with Capello before his contract ends in July. Much will depend on how he responds to Bernstein, who will report back to an FA board that still wants assurances from Capello that he will not launch an all-out public assault on their decision over Terry ahead of the friendly with the Netherlands on 29 February.

Bernstein will explain why the FA arrived at their decision to take the captaincy from Terry after his case for racial abuse of Anton Ferdinand was adjourned last week until 9 July – after Euro 2012.

In an interview with CNN, the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said that he sympathised with Capello's predicament. Ferguson said: "When you are the manager of a team and have a captain that is an important part of that team then you don't want to lose him, so I can understand there's a lot of controversy about it."

Terry's manager at Chelsea, Andre Villas-Boas said that Capello was justified in speaking out. The Portuguese said: "He has the right to his opinion."