John Terry was Friday stripped of the England captaincy following reports of an extra-marital affair with the ex-girlfriend of international team-mate Wayne Bridge, the Football Association (FA) confirmed.
The move followed a meeting between Terry and England’s head coach, Fabio Capello, at FA headquarters at Wembley.
In a statement, Capello said: “After much thought, I have made the decision that it will be best for me to take the captaincy away from John Terry.
“As a captain with the team, John Terry has displayed extremely positive behaviour. However, I have to take into account other considerations and what is best for all of the England squad.
“What is best for all of the England team has inspired my choice. John Terry was notified first.”