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Capello admits regret over captaincy

The Italian claims that the Manchester United defender did not come to meet him when he visited Old Trafford for a Champions League clash against Marseille earlier in the month.

Capello said: “It didn’t happen, he didn’t come. He didn’t come. I tried to meet him [Ferdinand] when Manchester United played against Marseille but he told me no.

‘I can understand everything, but I need to make decisions. I think I will be happy and will meet him in the future.”

He said: “Look, it could have been done something better but it is the past. I respect the players, I respect all the people and sometimes I regret what really happened, but it’s possible to do something better.

“Something happened in my mind when I saw the armband being passed around during our game in Copenhagen.

“We changed it in the second half and it was unfair for John Terry to see this.”

“I thought that it was time for John Terry, after punishment, to return and be captain,” he stated.

“I know that Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard are not fit. I knew it was the moment, with one game which is so important, to have one captain like John Terry.

“I spoke with the players and personally with some players, and I spoke with the squad before I decided that John Terry will be the captain, and all the players were happy because John Terry was always a very important leader on the pitch and to the team.”

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.