Sidelined Fabio Capello on warpath over decision to strip John Terry of England captaincy Terry is charged with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, a charge he strenuously denies, but with his trial adjourned until after the European Championship, Bernstein took the view that he could not continue. The Chelsea captain, who can continue to be selected for England, is understood to be considering his international future in the wake of the decision. It is thought to have left him deeply disappointed. Terry insists he is not guilty of the charges but as a result has lost a position in which he took great pride. He will not take a "knee-jerk" decision, however, and will consult his lawyers about the legal implications of his next move. His commitment to the national cause will be tested later this month when Capello selects a squad to play a friendly against Holland at Wembley. The FA's lack of consultation with Capello left him angry, particularly at the speed with which the FA moved. The FA privately admits Capello is not happy with the decision. Capello was informed by Bernstein only on Thursday night, a week after the Italian had made a personal call to Terry to reassure him that he remained his first choice to lead England in the summer. Capello is also understood to have visited Terry at Chelsea's Cobham training ground since he was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence to deliver the same message. At 10am on Friday Bernstein rang Terry to tell him that the board had decided to strip him of the captaincy, leaving Capello embarrassed and arguably undermined by events. Sources close to Capello say that he appreciates that Terry's role was vulnerable following the lengthy adjournment of his case, but he feels undermined at the swiftness with which Bernstein acted. The decision to omit Capello from deliberations was quite deliberately taken by Bernstein, who was keen to take the decision at board level, with the FA's wider responsibilities in mind, rather than rely on the input of its most highly-paid employee. Capello has already announced he is leaving after Euro 2012, but Bernstein and the FA board had to balance the short-term feelings of the manager against their wider role as a regulator. The multiple controversies over alleged racist incidents this season, particularly the eight-match ban handed to Liverpool's Luis Suárez, are understood to have weighed heavily in the board's deliberations. By acting to remove Terry "in the interests of all parties" Bernstein and the board are hopeful that they can retain the FA's moral authority to adjudicate in racism matters without prejudicing Terry's trial. Gerrard's return to the captaincy is dependent on his proving his fitness for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine this summer. Capello named him as vice-captain in February 2010 after Terry was removed for the first time, following his alleged affair with Wayne Bridge's girlfriend, and replaced by Rio Ferdinand. Capello considers him the best candidate now as he has the best blend of experience and leadership qualities among the likely starters in England's first XI. His fitness is a major concern, however, and should he break down before June, Capello will face another leadership crisis in a dressing room that proved fragile at the 2010 World Cup. Rio Ferdinand, Anton's brother, ruled himself out of contention yesterday, suggesting that he remained resentful at being replaced by Capello in favour of Terry following injury last year. He tweeted earlier on Friday that he just wanted to concentrate on playing for Manchester United and later, when asked by the BBC whether he wanted to be captain, he said: "Honestly? I've been England captain before for a brief period. It was taken away from me. If I'm selected for the [England] squad then as usual I'll be delighted. Playing for your country is a great achievement and I'll meet up happily give 100 per cent as usual. Ferdinand and Terry will not meet this weekend when Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge after the Chelsea player was ruled out with injury. With Ferdinand out of contention and an unlikely starter on form anyway, Capello's options would narrow markedly were Gerrard to get injured. Wayne Rooney is an option but will not be available for the first two games of the tournament. Ashley Cole is the most experienced member of the squad and would be favoured by the Italian, but has already turned down the chance to lead the team. Barry and Scott Parker are both considered potential captains but with Jack Wilshere possibly returning, neither would be guaranteed to start. Joe Hart has some appeal as a fixture in the side but Capello does not like his captains to be goalkeepers. Bernstein acted after Terry's trial was adjourned on Wednesday until July, meaning it would hang over the squad throughout Euro 2012. He consulted his 13 fellow board members and in a statement said the decision was taken "in the best interests of all parties." Sports minister Hugh Robertson backed the FA's decision, saying it would have been "impossible" for Terry to continue. Robertson said: "I completely support the FA's decision. It would have been impossible for John Terry to have continued as captain with this charge over his head.