England did not make a mistake in appointing Fabio Capello, insists FA chairman David Bernstein

The head of English football's governing body praised the achievements of the Italian in charge of national side and is adamant there are no regrets over choosing him

9 Feb 2012 12:55:00

By Chris Myson

More On :  England, Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello's appointment as England manager was not a mistake, according to FA chairman David Bernstein.

Speaking at a specially arranged press conference on Thursday after the Italian’s resignation the previous evening, Bernstein insisted there has been no regrets over the decision to hire the 65-year-old in December 2007, despite acknowledging the move had been expensive.

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Capello, who was on a £6 million-a-year contract which was set to expire after Euro 2012, resigned as manager on Wednesday after publicly disagreeing with the FA's decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy, after the defender's trial was adjourned until July 9.

"I would like to publicly thank Fabio Capello for all the work that he has done," Bernstein said.

"He was certainly expensive but it wasn't a mistake. He's been a great manager. No one is going to defend the World Cup performance, but the qualification processes have been perfectly acceptable.

"He has provided us with two qualifications into major tournaments - the World Cup and now Euro 2012 and recently we have been performing extremely well, particularly away from home.

"I just want to emphasise that all the way through his time with us and when the meeting took place that he has behaved with dignity and honour.

“He is an honourable person and any reports of storming out are not true and a complete misrepresentation of fact."

Bernstein admits he was unsure whether the FA could have avoided the situation but believes Capello's successor must improve performances at Wembley.

"Of course it's regrettable when a manager leaves like this. Could it have been avoided? I don't know. At the end of the meeting, he decided he had to go," he said.

"One thing I am hopeful a new manager will be able to add is some more confidence into the side, which people widely acknowledge has been lacking, especially at home.

“I expect to see more high-class performances at Wembley to get the fans excited. All the great teams are dominant in home games and that is one area we can improve."

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