Opinion

Fabio Capello have done it after all! As you must already know, the English Football Association yesterday, on February 9th, announced the discharge of England national team coach. For a few weeks running the football community watched in perplexity the strange behaviour of an Italian - and it is all over now. But the irony is that Capello was shown the door for one of his not numerous sensible and logic deeds.

Suffered for Terry

For a start, we'll remind you that at the end of last year John Terry, "Chelsea" player and the captain of England national football team, was criticized severely.  He was accused of racist statements regarding another footballer of Premier League Anton Ferdinand. Without going into details of the conflict it should be mentioned that John is only the accused today, but not guilty - investigation is still carried out!

But in English society the discussion began of whether a man of such a status has a moral right to wear the captain's armband. On one hand, the accusation is serious enough: if the guilt will be proven, he may not only be deprived of the captain's title, but also lose the cap of a player (let's remember the old affair of Lee Bowyer and Hart). On the other hand, the presumption of innocence is still in force!

  The officials of Football association have been involved in the discussion too - they have decided that "till the details are finally clarified" the footballer will stay in the national team, but he will be deprived of the captain's title. And Fabio Capello has just the opposite opinion: he noted that the guilt of the "Chelsea" player is not proven and remarked that the appointment of a captain is exceptionally internal affair of the team. And what's more, the Italian coach made a public statement that John Terry will remain the captain.

The reaction of the officials was fast: Capello was called for a talk, and after an hour of discussion the decision about his resignation was made. Apparently, not only in association they had a sigh of relief , but also the coach himself  did, because he had been talking all the recent time about his plans for "after Euro 2012". Many football players, ex-footballers and coaches concurred in their comments, that at any rate the dismissal of Capello will do the national team good - first of all, in the psychological context. It's a paradox, but suddenly emptied places of coach and captain of English national team returned the team back to the list of favorites of future European championship!

Redknapp - the next?

Unfortunately, John Terry will not be the captain of national team any more - a new coach will evidently avoid confrontation with football officials since his first days. However, the fate of John is of much less interest today in England, than the personality of future coach of national team.

  The current manager of "Tottenham Hotspur" Harry Redknapp was named the first candidate for the leadership of "Three Lions". His nomination was backed by former football stars  Gareth Southgate, Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and many others. But it appeared that neither Redknapp himself, nor the management of "Tottenham" are delighted with such an idea. Anyway, while Harry pronounces the traditional phrases about a great honour to be the coach of the national team, he thinks only about the nearest match of "Tottenham" with "Newcastle". Among the other candidates for the post of national team manager they call Guus Hiddink, Roy Hodgson, Terry Venables and - as is usual with such cases - half a coach world.

Groundhog foretells England's failure

According to tradition, the closer is an important sports tournament, the more animals appear as if able to predict the results of separate matches or the whole championship.

In Kharkov, the hosting city of Euro 2012, the local celebrity - groundhog Timka - was entrusted to foretell future of the championship. And here are some results: in the game of Spain-England the British will win (well, it may be true), in the match of Germany-Russia the Russians will get the day (we can imagine that too), and in pair of Netherlands-Poland the hosts of the tournament will gain a victory (bookmakers cry!). These are quarterfinals. In semifinal, according to the groundhog, England will be "swatted" by Poles.

So what can we say... Just an animal!