The future of John Terry's reign as England captain remained uncertain, with the English Football Association (FA) confirming that Fabio Capello alone would decide if he would lose the armband.
The Chelsea defender has been at the centre of a tabloid storm in the United Kingdom over revelations of an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, a former girlfriend of teammate Wayne Bridge. The pair broke up in December. Bridge is an international teammate of Terry and played alongside him at Chelsea before moving to Manchester City.
England's next fixture is a friendly against Egypt at Wembley, London, on March 3. Both players would expect to be included in the squad.
There have been calls for Terry to be replaced as captain, and it is believed he is considering resigning from the role. The FA said yesterday that Capello, the England head coach, would have the final say.
A spokesman said: Fabio is fully up to speed with developments regarding John Terry. He spoke with our chairman Lord Triesman and chief executive Ian Watmore, who both backed him to make the best decision for England on footballing grounds.
"Fabio is dealing with the matter in his own way using his extensive experience as a football manager."
Capello has missed much of the controversy as he has been in Switzerland recoving from knee surgery, but will be present in Warsaw, Poland, on Sunday when the draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship is made.
Terry had already been at the centre of several non-footballing controversies. Late last year it was revealed he accepted £10,000 (Dh60,000) in return for giving a private tour of Chelsea's Cobham training facilities without first getting permission from the club.
In September 2001 Terry, along with three other young players, abused members of the public after a drinking session at a Heathrow Airport bar and the following year he was one of four Chelsea players charged with asault after a fight with doormen at a nightclub. Terry was cleared in court.
Terry was also thrown out of a nightclub later that year after urinating in a glass in a nightclub before dropping it on the floor.
He was also embarassed when his mother and mother-in-law were cautioned after being caught shoplifting last March.
Despite attracting such controversy his status as a natural leader on the football pitch has never been in doubt.
Steve McClaren made him England captain in 2006, and he kept the armband under Capello - but only after a lengthy audtion process when Rio Ferdinand, Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham were all used in the role.
Capello's concern will be how this scandal affects his standing with his international teammates. Bridge may yet make the decision easier for Capello, with suggestions he may retire from the national side.
lthornhill@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
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Brave CF 27 fight card
Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)
Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)
Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
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Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)
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Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
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The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Business Insights
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
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Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)