REUTERS

Ruud Gullit believes Fabio Capello will avoid plunging England into chaos by resigning before Euro 2012, despite the manager's public fallout with the Football Association over the John Terry captaincy row.

London – Ruud Gullit believes Fabio Capello will avoid plunging England into chaos by resigning before Euro 2012, despite the manager's public fallout with the Football Association over the John Terry captaincy row.

Gullit, who played under Capello at AC Milan, believes the Italian had every right to voice his disapproval of the FA's decision to strip Terry of the national armband.

Terry has pleaded not guilty to racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand and his trial has been adjourned until after the European Championship finals in Ukraine and Poland.

Nevertheless, FA chairman David Bernstein decided having Terry as captain at the tournament would cast a cloud over England's prospects and so last week removed the Chelsea skipper from the coveted position.

Gullit though is still convinced Capello won't quit his £6

million-a-year contract with England.

“I saw him on Sunday night, but I didn't get the feeling that he was concerned about anything,” Gullit said Monday.

“I think he just wanted to put his opinion straight away and do the things he think is best for the national team,” the Dutch great added at the Laureus World 2012 Sports Awards in London.

“He is a guy who doesn't like people telling him what to do and with some justification Ä his record speaks for itself.

“I know him well so let him do his job. But he wants to do the European Championships.”

Capello has faced calls to drop Terry altogether from international football, amid fears over a dressing room split, until the Chelsea defender's racism case is heard on July 9.

But Gullit, one of the most celebrated black players of his era and a former Chelsea manager, insisted Terry should stay in the squad, saying: “I don't see why he should not go to the Euros.”

Capello, who was informed by the FA board of their decision but not consulted beforehand, made his displeasure clear in an interview on Italian television at the weekend.

“In my opinion Terry cannot be punished until the court's decided – that's the civil justice, not the sporting one – that Terry has done that which he is accused of,” Capello said.

“For that I felt it was right that Terry should keep the captain's armband.

Meanwhile former Chelsea and France star Marcel Desailly said France, Euro 2012 group rivals of England, could benefit from the Terry row.

“If you have problems in your national team and media, we'll try and take advantage of that in the summer,” said the World Cup-winning defender. – Sapa-AFP