Bernstein refutes suggestion that Capello will stay on

There is no chance of Fabio Capello remaining as England manager beyond the 2012 European Championships, Football Association chairman David Bernstein insisted yesterday.

Bernstein also claimed the FA had not started the search for the 65-year-old Italian’s successor, adding: “You can’t be half-pregnant on these things.”

Responding to speculation that some within the FA are keen for Capello to extend his contract, Bernstein told the Leaders in Football conference in London: “One day he’s going to go next week, the next day he’s going to stay for 20 years.

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“The position is very clear. He is our manager until the end of the European Championships. That is it.”

On the search for a successor, he added: “It is not something on our agenda at the moment. You can’t be half pregnant at these things.”

Bernstein yesterday accused FIFA of failing to do enough to tackle corruption in the game and cast doubt on Sepp Blatter’s proposed reforms to clean up the global game.

Bernstein also insisted he had no regrets about standing up at the FIFA Congress this summer to call for Blatter’s re-election as president to be postponed.

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Blatter stood unopposed after arch-rival Mohamed Bin Hammam was forced to pull out of the race amid bribery allegations against the former president of the Asian Football Confederation.

It was one of several corruption scandals to engulf FIFA in recent years and Blatter promised to reform the organisation, with an announcement about how he intends to do this due on October 21 following a meeting of the organisation’s executive committee.

But Bernstein said: “We had a UEFA strategic meeting two weeks ago in Cyprus and there was great disappointment expressed there about the lack of progress that FIFA are making in terms of governance.

“There is a FIFA ExCo this month and we are hoping something will come out of that but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

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“It’s a difficult nut to crack, we will just have to see what Mr Blatter will do.”

Bernstein also revealed Argentina’s FIFA vice-president Julio Grondona had apologised for his “unacceptable” attack on England at the FIFA Congress.

Grondona, who is also president of his country’s national association, branded the English “liars” and “pirates” in June, but has now written a letter of apology.

Bernstein said: “I was pleased to receive a letter of apology from the Argentinian (FA) president Grondona following his unacceptable comments about England in Zurich.”