Fabio Capello's resignation as England manager has thrown the Football Association into a desperate hunt for a replacement just four months out from Euro 2012.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has predictably emerged as the front-runner to replace the Italian, and Football Association chairman David Bernstein will have much to ponder in the coming days as he seeks to take the national side forward.
Four men have been at the heart of the England managerial saga, and here's a look at their roles - and what they will do next.
Fabio Capello's exit has garnered little sympathy from fans and the media, with his impressive winning percentage overshadowed by a lamentable World Cup performance two years ago. Capello's judgment, not least his decision to hand the captaincy back to John Terry after stripping him of it due to events in his personal life, has also been called into question. The Terry U-turn came back to bite him when the FA removed the armband from the defender a second time after it emerged his trial for the alleged racial abuse of Anton Ferdinand would not be held until after Euro 2012. Capello's disgruntlement at the FA's decision prompted his resignation.
Capello has unsurprisingly decided to escape the hype and was this morning photographed leaving his London home with his wife and two suitcases in tow. His long-term plans remain open to speculation, with moves to Inter Milan and big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala already mooted in the Italian press, though Inter president Massimo Moratti called such talk "totally groundless".
Harry Redknapp has long been the bookmakers' favourite to replace Capello, who had been due to leave his £6million-a-year post at the end of Euro 2012. The biggest obstacle to Redknapp's succession was swept away on Wednesday when he was cleared of two counts of tax evasion just hours before Capello quit. Redknapp's sterling work at Tottenham means the Barclays Premier League side will be loath to see their man go, particularly as he has over a year remaining on his contract, and the FA - having spent so much on the Capello project - could again be forced to dig deep to get their man.
Redknapp should probably sit tight. Redknapp on Friday insisted he remained focused on Spurs with his side seven points off the Premier League summit. With Stuart Pearce due to lead England in their next match on February 29, Redknapp could conceivably see out the season with Spurs before taking up any offer from the FA to lead the team at Euro 2012 and beyond.
David Bernstein has been a reassuring presence since becoming FA chairman 13 months ago and did not shirk from going over Capello's head on the thorny matter of the Terry captaincy. Bernstein calmly referred to Capello's criticism of the decision on Italian TV as a "frankly dissatisfactory situation", and then made no attempt to persuade him to reconsider his resignation when the two met on Wednesday. His handling of the matter has been met with widespread approval, with sports minister Hugh Robertson yesterday labelling Bernstein a "class act".
Bernstein will be central to the FA's efforts to recruit a permanent manager. He has moved quickly to appoint Pearce as interim boss for their next match, and will start working with his board this morning to find Capello's long-term successor.
History will judge John Terry as a pivotal figure in Capello's reign, with his initial removal as captain in February 2010 giving way to a moment's rare acclaim for his decisive actions. Capello's decision to return the armband to Terry last year was less well received, and backfired totally when the Chelsea skipper again got into hot water after being charged with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand - a charge he denies. The FA's decision to relieve him of the captaincy a second time was the trigger for Capello's departure.
A new manager eyeing a break with the past may not look fondly on a player who has twice been stripped of the captaincy, and Terry more than most must fear what effect this changing of the guard will have on his international prospects.
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