MANCHESTER, England, Jan 31, 2010 (AFP) - England defender Wayne Bridge was shown support from his Manchester City team-mates on Sunday amid reports that England captain John Terry had an affair with his ex-girlfriend.
City manager Roberto Mancini - whose side had just beaten Portsmouth 2-0 - said after the match that some of the players wore shirts bearing the words "Team Bridge".
Nigel de Jong, Carlos Tevez and Stephen Ireland were seen to be sporting t-shirts with the slogan 'Team Bridge' on them as they left the pitch following the match.
"The players are very close to Wayne," said Mancini. "He is a fantastic player and a good guy. It was a nice gesture."
While Bridge is out injured, Terry is weathering a media storm following reports that he cheated on his wife Toni with the former girlfriend of Bridge, French lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel.
Terry's captaincy of England, only months from the start of the World Cup, is now reportedly under threat, although reports suggest Football Association chiefs are set to leave any final decision to England coach Fabio Capello.
Whether such a show of support for Bridge, considered England's second-choice left-back, influences any decision by Capello regarding the England captaincy would be hard to determine.
But Capello, a strict disciplinarian, is mindful of the effect the scandal could have on dressing room unity.
In a statement released on Saturday, Bridge - who while at Chelsea was a neighbour and close friend of Terry's - said he would not make any comment about Terry's relationship with Perroncel and was interested only in the welfare of their three-year-old son.
However, Bridge - who ironically spent a lot of time last summer trying to convince Terry to quit Chelsea for City - is said to be so upset by the scandal that he has considered quitting the England team.
The Football Association has said the final decision on whether Terry continues as captain will be taken by England coach Fabio Capello.
But British Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said if the allegations were true, Terry's role could be in jeopardy.
"On the field John Terry is a fantastic player and a good England captain, but to be the captain of England you have got to have wider responsibilities for the country and clearly if these allegations are proven - and at the moment they are only allegations - then it does call into question his role as England captain," Sutcliffe told Sky News TV.
He added: "I speak to the FA on a regular basis so I will be asking what their viewpoint is and we will see what comes of it in the future."
