A young English manager could be given the opportunity to lead an Olympic football team on home soil after the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish said that they would play no part in the 2012 campaign.
An all-England line-up agreed yesterday under a compromise deal between the four home nations opens the way for Stuart Pearce, the England Under-21 head coach, or an up-and-coming coach seeking international management experience to step into the role.
Fabio Capello, the England manager, has expressed an interest and is a frontrunner. But Pearce's chances would be strengthened if Fifa, the world governing body, reduces the age limit of Olympic footballers from under-23 plus three over-age players to under-21 across the board.
Fifa members could do this next week at their congress in the Bahamas in a move that would dash the hopes of David Beckham captaining an Olympic team and would keep Theo Walcott out of the side.
Hopes for a fully represented Team GB collapsed when the Scottish FA, the chief intransigent, made it clear this week that it remained “resolutely opposed” to the idea because it threatened Scotland's independent future at international level.
But, with the 2012 Games taking part largely in England, the other home nations agreed that they could not stand in the way of both men's and women's teams being fielded. The indecision risked hurting England's 2018 World Cup bid.
Fifa set a deadline of May 31 for a resolution. It could ratify the deal at its congress next week which will be attended by Lord Triesman, the FA chairman, and Lord Coe, a director of the 2018 bid. The Olympic football competition will be held in stadiums around the UK, including Old Trafford and Hampden Park. The final will take place at Wembley Stadium
Source: The times
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