England's Football Association is investigating security surrounding the national team after conversations between coach Fabio Capello and his players allegedly were secretly recorded.
FA lawyers have moved to ensure that clandestine recordings made during a team meeting remain confidential and are trying to obtain a copy of the tapes from the Daily Star, which first reported details of the bugging.
The secret recordings apparently were made at a hotel north of London last week before England's exhibition game against Egypt. An unidentified individual reportedly tried to sell them to newspapers.
``Preparation involves discretion and secrecy,'' Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said Tuesday. ``Capello may have been discussing important issues about the team, then all of a sudden someone else has got them. So it's a concern.''
Media organizations have been warned publication of the contents of the recordings would be illegal and a breach of the Data Protection Act and Press Complaints Commission rules.
FA lawyers also are ready to act if they are published online or by media outlets outside of Britain.
The incident is another distraction for Capello as he prepares the team for its World Cup opener against the United States on June 12.
Unrelated to the England bugging case, an extensive security operation will be put in place at all hotels being used by the 32 World Cup teams in South Africa.
``The enthusiasm of some fans, ever-present nature of international terrorism and intensively competitive nature of the World Cup necessities that the OC (organizing committee) and government should ensure that the most effective measures of security are implemented,'' according to a FIFA document obtained by The Associated Press.
It says that ``security services will monitor the floors occupied by the teams on 24-hour basis,'' with access to hotels strictly limited to individuals with the appropriate accreditation.
``Cameras will be installed in the passages of the dedicated floors of hotels,'' the document says. ``There will also be a static protection on these dedicated floors.''
It would also be very difficult for security devices to be planted on the transport used by teams.
``Coaches will be checked and cleared onsite by SAPS (South Africa Police Service) explosive units before each journey,'' the FIFA dossier says.
England will be based at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus near Rustenburg.
England team venues in England and abroad already are subject to security measures, while English champion Manchester United sweeps for listening devices on a regular basis after its dressing rooms were discovered to have been bugged four years ago.
Capello's World Cup plans already have been shaken by off-field issues and injuries in the last month. The Italian coach dropped John Terry as captain following allegations the defender had an affair with teammate Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend.
Just as left back Bridge announced he was quitting the team as a result, starting let back Ashley Cole broke his left ankle.
