Brian Barwick is confident Fabio Capello will lead England to success over the next few years.
It was confirmed yesterday the Football Association chief executive will leave
his post on December 31 following a disagreement with chairman Lord Triesman
over the precise nature of his job.
Barwick does have a host of credits to his name, although he was also
responsible for the farce that accompanied the announcement of Sven-Goran
Eriksson's successor and the botched attempt to hire Luiz Felipe Scolari.
However, he did get Capello on board and is predicting big things for the
future.
'I'm convinced that in Fabio Capello, the England team has the right manager
and a genuine chance of success,' said Barwick.
After the eras of Mark Palios, Adam Crozier and Graham Kelly, Barwick will at
least leave the FA free of any stigma of controversy.
He may also point to his strong record, which includes building Wembley and
gaining agreement for the National Football Centre in Burton, as well as the
record TV deals he negotiated, as proof his departure is to the detriment of the
organisation.
However, Triesman is a man who clearly likes to get his own way.
The Labour peer has made sweeping changes since becoming the first independent
chairman of the FA at the start of the year.
He was not close to Barwick and felt he lacked the necessary business skills to
modernise the organisation.
Barwick did not chair the weekly management board meeting on Tuesday. He then
pulled out of the presentation party for England's 2-2 draw with the Czech
Republic last night with no explanation offered.
'I am sad to be leaving the FA - an organisation it has been a privilege to
lead - but I believe it is in the best interests of all parties,' said Barwick
in a statement.
'I have always endeavoured to do my job with passion, decency and integrity,
and I believe I am leaving a strong legacy for the future.
'We have achieved a lot over the past three and a half years: opening the new
Wembley Stadium, implementing the structural review and increasing our broadcast
and commercial contracts to record income levels.
'The organisation is in better financial health than ever before, and I am
also delighted to have seen the recent launch of the Respect programme, which is
very important to me.
'I would like to pay tribute to the FA board for their strong support, and
especially thank my colleagues at the FA for their tremendous efforts during my
tenure.'
Triesman also paid tribute to Barwick despite being the pivotal figure in his
departure.
'On behalf of everyone at the FA, I would like to express my sincere thanks to
Brian for the stability and growth that he has brought to the organisation,' he
said.
'Brian leaves with our best wishes for the future and will always be welcome
back as our guest at Wembley.'
Speculation will immediately begin as to Barwick's likely successor.
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has steadily grown in influence at
the FA and his work at Old Trafford is held in high esteem.
However, it is hardly likely the current salary of £450,000 per annum will
appeal to someone who earns in excess of double that figure.
Also, if Barwick thought his wings were being clipped, the role as Triesman
sees it is unlikely to suit Gill.
A more plausible candidate is the FA's chief operating officer, Alex Horne, the
former boss of Wembley, who had already been handed many of Barwick's
responsibilities.
