Even by English football's standards, the latest embarrassment is a new low. Sam Allardyce was forced out in disgrace after one game in charge of the national team.
Having taken 25 years to reach the pinnacle of English football management, Allardyce was toppled after only 67 days by his hubris and indiscretions involving undercover journalists posing as businessmen.
The English Football Association decided Tuesday, within 24 hours of a Daily Telegraph sting being published, that the 61-year-old Allardyce lacked the integrity to hold one of the most prestigious jobs in the game.
Allardyce had a 100 percent record — winning his only game against Slovakia earlier this month — but will go down as the England manager with the shortest tenure.
A covert video showed Allardyce appearing to offer advice to fictitious businessmen on how to sidestep an outlawed player transfer practice and also to negotiate a 400,000-pound ($519,000) public-speaking contract to top up an annual England salary of 3 million pounds ($4 million).
The FA acted swiftly to publication of the story, holding emergency talks with Allardyce in london before announcing the termination of his two-year contract on Tuesday evening. England is not rushing to replace Allardyce. Gareth Southgate, the manager of England's under-21 side, will take charge of the senior team's next four matches across October and November.