News that the Football Association (FA) has hired new employment law advisers would not usually register that strongly on Personnel Today's news radar.
But with FA chief executive Brian Barwick having just been given the push, the threat of more jobs to be axed and England's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign about to kick-off, the timing of the annoucement is intriguing.
Law firm Mace & Jones has been handed a contract to act as employment law advisers until 31 May 2010 - two weeks before the World Cup in South Africa gets underway. This should be perfect timing for them to negotiate a payoff for current head coach Fabio Capello following England's anticipated dismal failure to get to the finals.
Capello signed a £6.5m-a-year deal in Janaury that takes him up to July 2012. The smart money is on him not lasting anywhere near as long as that. If the FA want to get rid of him, like they did with ex-coach Steve McClaren, then it's going to cost them.
Unless, that is, Capello plays away from home with a female FA employee, a la Sven Goran Eriksson, then the legal eagles at Mace & Jones will really be earning their crust.
