England football coach Glenn Hoddle will learn his fate today when he is summoned to the game's headquarters in London to explain his controversial comments about disabled people.
The acting chief executive of the Football Association, Mr David Davies, said last night that Hoddle would be given a chance to explain his comments to officials today. An announcement on the outcome of the discussions - which officials began with Hoddle yesterday - is expected at lunchtime.
"Our great regret and Glenn Hoddle's great regret is any upset caused to disabled people," Mr Davies said in a statement.
The controversy has centred on a quotation from Hoddle in the Times, which said: "You and I have been physically given two hands and two legs and half-decent brains. Some people have not been born like that for a reason.
"The karma is working from another lifetime. I have nothing to hide about that. It is not only people with disabilities. What you sow, you have to reap."
In a further development last night a spokesman for Hoddle said he would be seeking legal advice today with a view to issuing a writ against the Times. The spokesman said: "The writ is basically dissatisfaction with what has been written."
The England coach's position became increasingly fragile yesterday when the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, joined the debate, saying on television that in the present circumstances it would be "very difficult" for Hoddle to stay on in his position.
In a frank interview with ITN News, Hoddle said he was sorry the reports had hurt disabled people but he would not resign over the issue "because at the end of the day I did not say those things".
But the Times increased the stakes, stating it did not misquote the coach or publish his comments out of context. Mr Hoddle was adamant that he did not say disabled and handicapped people were paying for their sins in a previous life.
At the weekend Hoddle said he was misquoted, but yesterday he claimed: "I did not say those things and at the end of the day I want to put that on record because it has hurt people. The reason I'm concerned at this moment in time . . . I'm not going to resign over this because at the end of the day I didn't say those things."
As reporters camped outside English football's headquarters at Lancaster Gate, Hoddle received a further blow to his prospects when the national team's new sponsor, Nationwide, distanced itself from the row.
The company, which is seeking an urgent meeting with the Football Association, has just signed u8 an £8 million contract with the FA, and its marketing director, Mr Mark Lazenby, said it would not allow its good reputation to be "tarnished" in any way.
"Glenn Hoddle has to understand that as a personality he can't escape the fact that he has a responsibility to ensure that his personal views shouldn't be confused with those of the England team, the FA or its sponsors," Mr Lazenby said.
In the Commons, the Sports Minister, Mr Tony Banks, echoed the Prime Minister's comments when he told MPs that sport had become "one damn thing after another" and if Hoddle's comments were quoted accurately, it would be "very difficult" for him to remain in his post.