Fabio Capello Blames Money for Off-Field Controversy

3 Mar 2010

England boss Fabio Capello has blamed the amount of money players receive in the modern-day game for contributing to a spate of off-field controversies that have plagued his side lately.

The Italian has expressed concern that the eruption of recent scandals is threatening to undermine England's imminent World Cup campaign in South Africa this Summer.

"They are young boys, who are rich boys. This is the problem," he stated.

"It is not only here. In Italy, in Germany, in Spain, in every country where football is so important it is the same problem."

England are due to play an international friendly against Egypt this Wednesday at Wembley but have had to deal with their stars hogging the media spotlight for reasons other than their footballing talents.

John Terry was stripped of the England captaincy after an alleged affair with Vanessa Peroncell, the ex-girlfriend and mother of Wayne Bridge's child, Bridge was a former Chelsea team mate of Terry's.

Bridge also made headlines for snubbing Terry when Manchester City and Chelsea met over the weekend by refusing to shake his hand.

This comes after Bridge ruling himself out of selection for the England side this year, saying that he didn't wish to play for the national side as he felt his position had become “untenable and potentially divisive”.

Ashley Cole too caused a media frenzy following his separation from pop star wife Cheryl Cole last month.

Capello urged his team to let their performance speak for them, as opposed to their personal lives and issued a warning to his side; "I want to speak about the performance. I want to speak about the style we played, only about what really happened during the game. Not outside the pitch."

"Players have to be an example to the children, for all the fans.

"It will be really important in this last period to be careful in their own lives. I ask them to take no chances."

Victor Chandler and Paddy Power have England at 4/11 odds to beat Egypt in the upcoming friendly.