As the furore over John Terry finally starts to die down, it’s time to examine whether Fabio Capello made the right decision.

By Priyanka Kumar

There’s a banner one can always find in the Matthew Harding Stand at Stamford Bridge - ‘JT - Captain, Leader, Legend’. Last week, Fabio Capello decided he didn’t quite agree, eventually taking away the ‘honour’ of captaining England from John Terry.

The decision came after a torrid week for the Chelsea defender, following allegations that he had an affair with England teammate Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend. Terry’s private life became the subject of intense speculation and media scrutiny, even as the issue of whether he should remain as England captain became a matter of national concern. (Even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was forced to comment on the matter!) Eventually, though, it was the manager who had to take a call, and, typically, Capello’s decision was quick, ruthless … and correct?

It is perhaps surprising that the practical Italian stripped Terry of the captaincy because of his indiscretions off the field. Terry has been regular fodder for tabloids throughout his career, something Capello would have been well-aware of when he handed him the armband in August 2008. Just months prior to this latest controversy, Terry was caught on camera ostensibly accepting money to arrange private tours of Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham. In fact, it is rare to find a modern footballer who does not have his share of skeletons in the closet. (The previous incumbent, David Beckham kept his job despite allegations of an extra-marital affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos.)

The vastly-experienced Capello has dealt with all kinds of players in his time at the club level, but there is nothing to show that moral judgments have influenced his decisions. The wayward striker Antonio Cassano, who played under Capello at Roma and Real Madrid, proudly revealed in his autobiography that he had notched up over 600 lovers, including some he sneaked into the physio’s room at Roma under the nose of the manager. But the only punishment the Italian ever dished out to Cassano was for his behaviour on the pitch. This is certainly the line of thinking his compatriot Carlo Ancelotti has followed, dismissing the affair allegations as a private matter before firmly retaining Terry as Chelsea skipper.

In any case, personal conduct aside, the England captain should simply be one who is best for the job. And there is very little that counts against Terry if only football criteria are taken into consideration – the centre-back is one of the best England have at the moment, certainly given his current form. Moreover, in the 15 matches in which he was captain under Capello, Terry led the team well, showing all the qualities needed as England won 11 and drew 2 on their way to securing qualification for the World Cup.

Many, including Capello himself, feel the importance of being the captain of the England national team is anyway blown out of proportion. Despite the media hype surrounding them, footballers, or even sportsmen in general, seldom make for good role models, as Tiger Woods recently proved. In practical terms, the scope of a captain’s role in international football is very limited, and Capello would certainly like to see responsibility shared equally among the many experienced members of his squad, such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Beckham. The significance of being a captain is more symbolic then, further built upon by the media.

It is precisely the media attention that may have finally forced Capello’s hand. As far as the harmony of the England dressing room goes, any damage likely has already been done. The 63-year-old, though, is more than capable of handling any fall-out and ensuring the team remains united ahead of the World Cup. He will also be reassured over the effect of this entire affair on Terry’s personal form, after seeing the defender’s resolute performance in Chelsea’s win over Arsenal at the weekend. Terry has shown admirable mental strength and character to put off-field distractions on one side and give his best on the field, which is precisely what Capello will expect from one of his team’s most important players in June.

But while the Italian can discipline his players, he cannot control the media frenzy that follows any England side to the World Cup. And perhaps to reduce the impact of the negative publicity on the team’s preparations as well as on Terry, Capello may have felt it was best to take the captaincy away from the under-fire Terry and bring the focus firmly back on Team England.

Captain? Not anymore for England. Legend? Not yet perhaps. But on Sunday night at Stamford Bridge, Terry showed once more that he is always a leader on the pitch, armband or not.