English FA chairman David Triesman insists that the Football Association will never hand over control of the England's national team program to the professional game and denied that the Premier League was now more powerful  than the FA. His statements come in the wake of Ian Watmore's resignation as chief executive after less than a year in the position and accusations that the FA is "dysfunctional."

In response to a call by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan that the EPL should run England's national team, Triesman said that will never happen: "I think Dave should re-read the FIFA statutes and he will find out we are responsible for the game overall in England, that's our mandate.

"I have no intention of seeing any of those rights given up and I think we are perfectly capable of doing it. If you look at the success of the England team at the moment under the general management of the FA and outstanding coach Fabio Capello, it's a bit hard to say we are getting it wrong."