Capello refutes England future claims

Posted Saturday, December 03, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Fabio Capello has refuted suggestions he could stay on as England manager beyond the 2012 European Championships.

The Football Association's director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking said Thursday there was still a chance Capello could remain in his post beyond the end of his £6million-a-year contract next summer if England performed well at Euro 2012.

However Capello said he intends to bow out at the end of his contract as scheduled.

"As an England manager, this is it for me," the Italian said Thursday on the eve of the Euro 2012 group stage draw.

While preoccupied with an appeal to UEFA over striker Wayne Rooney's ban that has ruled him out of the tournament's group stages, Capello will be in Kiev for Friday's draw.

And he believes England will face a tougher task in Poland and Ukraine next summer than they did during their poor 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa because the level of teams in Europe is superior.

"Absolutely," he said. "This time it will be stronger.

"It will be stronger because if you look at the groups and all the teams, particularly the three European teams who reached the World Cup semi-finals; the technical level is at the top, the organisation of the teams is at the top.

"Also some teams who didn't play well at the World Cup will now be back at the top.

"Portugal, France and Italy will be better. It will be a really tough tournament."

However Capello believes the England team's mix of youth and experience can bring something positive back from the tournament next summer.

"When we went to South Africa the gap between the older players and younger players was too big," said Capello.

"Now the gap is closer and the younger players are improving a lot."