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Page last updated at 10:13 GMT, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 11:13 UK

England player ratings removed from 'Capello Index'

The Capello Index
Forlan is top-ranked, while Defoe was the highest scoring Englishman on the site

The England player ratings generated by the controversial 'Capello Index' have been removed, three days after Fabio Capello demanded they be taken offline.

The rankings, which judged the players on their performances in this summer's World Cup, appeared online on Saturday.

"I did not authorise this and am angry it was published," said Capello, while the Football Association claimed it was "satisfied" with the Italian's actions.

Ratings for non-England players remain available to view, however.

The project was set for launch before the World Cup but following a media outcry into England coach Capello's role it was postponed.

The website uses a statistical system devised by former Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid coach Capello to award players a score out of 100.

And, despite a disclaimer on the website attempting to distance Capello's input into the ratings, those marks awarded to England's players have been taken down.

606: DEBATE

The disclaimer read: "Fabio Capello contributed, with his indisputable knowledge and experience, in the laying down of the foundations of this project.

"A team of professors and experts in mathematical and statistical calculations then went on to create the system used in order to generate the ratings.

"The Capello Index cannot, and must not, be summarised as 'The vote given by Capello' to the players but is the result of a system which is capable of analysing and evaluating the actual performance adding various scientific variables."

Before the England players' ratings were removed, not a single member of Capello's squad appeared in the top 45 players on the index.

England's tournament ended with a 4-1 last-16 defeat by Germany.

Captain Steven Gerrard was the only member of England's squad to be ranked in the top 100 performers of the group stages, coming in at a lowly 65.

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe had the highest average score of Capello's squad, with 62.47, while goalkeeper Robert Green, who was dropped by Capello following his glaring handling error that gifted the United States an equaliser in England's opening 1-1 Group C draw, had the lowest score - 51.67.

CAPELLO'S PLAYER RATINGS
Top player overall: Uruguay's Diego Forlan
England players in the top 100 up to the last 16: Steven Gerrard (71st), John Terry (87th), Matthew Upson (100)
Sole England player in the top 100 of the group stages: Steven Gerrard (65th)
Highest average score for an England player: Jermain Defoe (62.47)
Lowest average score for an England player: Robert Green (51.67)
Highest score in the World Cup final: Spain's Andres Iniesta (75.17)

Uruguay's Diego Forlan, the Golden Ball winner in South Africa, tops the ratings. Germany's Miroslav Klose and Thomas Mueller are second and third respectively.

Tournament winners Spain occupy the next three spots with Andres Iniesta fourth, Xavi fifth and David Villa sixth.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Dutch winger Arjen Robben, Germans midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer complete the top 10.

News of the project first emerged in early May, when Capello announced himself as a co-founder of the Index, alongside Chicco Merighi, the founder of an online gambling company.

"It's not only about money, my interest is in football," Capello said at the time.

A four-week trial of the index - limited to players from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - rated Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Sol Campbell as the best English central defenders ahead of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand.

However, following harsh media criticism of the idea as badly timed and potentially damaging to players' confidence, Capello was forced to put World Cup ratings on hold after holding emergency talks with the FA.

The site claims, though, that the analysis will next season be applied to "all games of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Champions League", with all the data to be published "within two hours of the end of the matches".



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see also
Capello to have aide by September
19 Jul 10 |  Football
Capello to remain as England boss
02 Jul 10 |  World Cup 2010
Capello postpones ratings website
11 May 10 |  World Cup 2010
BBC Sport's David Bond on Capello Index
11 May 10 |  Football
Capello Index out of character - Bond
11 May 10 |  World Cup 2010


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