As England's preparations for this summer's World Cup get ever more chaotic, manager Fabio Capello has now been shocked by the discovery that a team meeting last week was illegally bugged.
It is reported that England security was breached and conversations secretly recorded at the Grove hotel in Hertfordshire as Capello and his team prepared for their friendly with African champions Egypt, a game the English won 3-1 at Wembley.
A member of the public is believed to have taped six hours of conversation in which tactics, defensive injuries, player bonuses and the recent scandals involving John Terry, Wayne Bridge and Ashley Cole were all discussed. The tapes are believed to have been offered to all the major British newspapers.
The English FA has launched an investigation into how the bug was planted and solicitor Charles Russell has moved to block any publication of the illicitly-obtained material, stating that any publication would be illegal and represent a breach of Press Complaints Commission rules and the Data Protection Act.
A spokesman for The Grove hotel, meanwhile, was quoted by the Sun as saying: "We do not know anything about it.
"We have been hosting England for three or four years and provide a very high level of security for them. They also bring their own security team. It would surprise me if they had been bugged here."