**The Football Association is looking into a security breach after a tape emerged purporting to carry discussions between England coaches and players.**The recording, allegedly made at the England hotel as the squad prepared for last week’s friendly with Egypt, has been offered to media outlets.
And it is unclear whether it was obtained through a bugging device or by the intercepting of phone calls.
It is the latest distraction in the build-up to this summer’s World Cup.
The recording, believed to be several hours long, is alleged to contain conversations between coaching staff and players at the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire ahead of the 3-1 victory over Egypt at Wembley last Wednesday.
The FA’s solicitors have written to news outlets to state the recording was obtained illicitly and that any publication of its contents would be a breach of Press Complaints Commission rules.
The incident comes in the wake of the furore over reports surrounding Chelsea and England defender John Terry’s private life.
“It’s a nightmare for Capello, when you think about what he has had to deal with in recent weeks”
BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar
Terry allegedly had an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the former girlfriend of ex-Blues team-mate Wayne Bridge, who is now at Manchester City.
Chelsea skipper Terry was subsequently stripped of the England captaincy by national manager Fabio Capello, while Bridge announced he did not want to be considered for international duty, thereby ruling himself out of the World Cup plans.
“It’s a nightmare for Capello,” said BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar.
"When you think about what he has had to deal with in recent weeks, particularly the way in which his team has been affected by the John Terry and Wayne Bridge affair.
“Having got off quite lightly early on, the spotlight finally fell on him over Terry and he is finally beginning to realise how the media in this country can work.”
Capello, who is still hopeful Bridge may change his mind about playing for England, also has injury concerns over several players.
Bridge was seen as the natural replacement for Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, who is facing a race against time to be fit for the finals in South Africa after breaking his ankle, while Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand has persistent back problems.
United defender Wes Brown, who filled the right-back slot against Egypt, is waiting to find out whether he suffered a broken bone in his left foot during the champions’ 1-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday.
The 30-year-old had a scan on the injury on Sunday.