12.16.2007

FA Board Member Says Capello Hiring Was Rush-Job


The Premier League chairman was keen to stress that he believes that the FA got the right man, but feels strongly that there was no need to go through the hiring process in such a rush.


"I'm not happy with what's gone on and have told the FA," Richards thundered."What was all the rush about? It was totally unnecessary to contact everybody by phone on Thursday when the contracts weren't finalised until the following afternoon. This level of business should not be done over the phone. It needs a face-to-face discussion.


"No one's objecting to Capello - far from it. But it would have made so much more sense to call a board meeting for today, tomorrow or Monday.


"England don't play their next game until February 6, so why the need to do everything in such a mad hurry? It's bizarre. We have the next scheduled board meeting on Thursday, so it wasn't as if there was nothing in the diary.


"Decisions of this magnitude should be made at a board meeting in the right way, so all the detail can be discussed in a calm orderly manner."This is a very important appointment, involving a lot of money and personnel, that should be arrived at via a rigorously proper process."I regard myself as a custodian of the game who tries to do his best for the game. If that means walking out of meetings or objecting to conference calls about the England manager's job, then I'll do it."

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