The England manager, Fabio Capello, right, and Franco Baldini, who has been linked with Roma in Serie A. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images
Fabio Capello's right-hand man Franco Baldini is likely to be allowed to combine his role with a return to club football if England qualify for next summer's European Championship.
The Football Association has tried to put a lid on the debate over who will succeed Capello after the 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine. But it is understood that Baldini, who has been linked with a role at Roma, would be allowed to combine both jobs if England secure qualification in the autumn.
There is only one more England match – a friendly in February – scheduled between the end of the qualifying campaign and any warm-up matches for Euro 2012.
"We are confident from our conversations with Franco that he will remain solely focused on England's qualification campaign," said the Club England managing director Adrian Bevington. "Once we've qualified, we can look at it again."
The FA chairman, David Bernstein, has insisted since his appointment in December that he would not engage in speculation over Capello's replacement, a position that is likely to become increasinglydifficult to maintain as the departuredate draws closer. The Italian was yesterday linked with a move to Serie A with Internazionale after Leonardo's departure as coach to become Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director.
"I've said from my first day you support the manager. I'm not thinking about the next manager, at the front or back of my mind," Bernstein added.
The FA has also confirmed that Capello will travel to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup qualifying draw next month, despite the fact he will not longer be in post when the campaign begins. "The key thing is Fabio going to Rio carries on everything we've said since the World Cup: that Fabio is fully committed to the job," said Bevington. "Fabio was never hesitant about whether he was going to Rio.
"Our position was that we wanted to make sure all the other managers were going because it is optional for coaches to travel. We didn't want to turn up as one of only a few countries with our coach there." Bevington and the FA general secretary Alex Horne will accompany Capello to the first major Fifa gathering since the controversial congress in Zurich that was overshadowed by corruption allegations and criticism of the president Sepp Blatter.
Discussions over the composition of the Team GB squad at the 2012 Olympics are also continuing, with an announcement expected in the next five to six weeks.
The Football Association has tried to put a lid on the debate over who will succeed Capello after the 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine. But it is understood that Baldini, who has been linked with a role at Roma, would be allowed to combine both jobs if England secure qualification in the autumn.
There is only one more England match – a friendly in February – scheduled between the end of the qualifying campaign and any warm-up matches for Euro 2012.
"We are confident from our conversations with Franco that he will remain solely focused on England's qualification campaign," said the Club England managing director Adrian Bevington. "Once we've qualified, we can look at it again."
The FA chairman, David Bernstein, has insisted since his appointment in December that he would not engage in speculation over Capello's replacement, a position that is likely to become increasinglydifficult to maintain as the departuredate draws closer. The Italian was yesterday linked with a move to Serie A with Internazionale after Leonardo's departure as coach to become Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director.
"I've said from my first day you support the manager. I'm not thinking about the next manager, at the front or back of my mind," Bernstein added.
The FA has also confirmed that Capello will travel to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup qualifying draw next month, despite the fact he will not longer be in post when the campaign begins. "The key thing is Fabio going to Rio carries on everything we've said since the World Cup: that Fabio is fully committed to the job," said Bevington. "Fabio was never hesitant about whether he was going to Rio.
"Our position was that we wanted to make sure all the other managers were going because it is optional for coaches to travel. We didn't want to turn up as one of only a few countries with our coach there." Bevington and the FA general secretary Alex Horne will accompany Capello to the first major Fifa gathering since the controversial congress in Zurich that was overshadowed by corruption allegations and criticism of the president Sepp Blatter.
Discussions over the composition of the Team GB squad at the 2012 Olympics are also continuing, with an announcement expected in the next five to six weeks.
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