Capello Angry Over Fa's Claim He Backs Veto of Bernabéu Friendly

Fabio Capello was last night angry at suggestions from the Football Association that he had backed the governing body's decision to veto the Bernabéu as the venue for a proposed friendly against Spain next February.

An FA spokesman said yesterday that England's manager had been consulted from the start over the refusal to play at Real Madrid's stadium, where England players suffered racial abuse when the countries last met there four years ago, and had agreed with its policy.

However, sources close to Capello insisted last night that the matter had not been discussed with Italian and that, had it been, he would not have recommended a veto on playing the fixture there.

Capello has had two one-season spells as Real Madrid's manager, winning the league on both occasions. He would welcome the opportunity to return to the Spanish capital and is upset at the implication that he would feel uncomfortable taking his England team to the Bernabéu and would support denying the stadium the chance to host a Spain international. He has always worked hard to maintain the best possible image in Spanish football.

The FA's director of communications, Adrian Bevington, had said: "This fixture is one of the friendly games that Fabio Capello requested to play. But as yet a venue is still to be confirmed and the contract still to be signed. However, from the outset the FA, with Fabio, were clear we would not play the fixture in Madrid due to the incidents of racial abuse we faced last time."

The Spanish football federation said it was aware of the FA's feelings but emphasized that it would have the final say on where any friendly would be played. "The fans that go to the Bernabéu are fantastic, as they are in the whole of Spain," said a spokesman, Jorge Carretero. "We're not thinking about an alternative location because at the moment there is no contract that is signed. If we reach an agreement then the game will be played where the Spanish federation thinks is best."