Russia's football coach Fabio Capello has banned his squad members from using Twitter during the upcoming World Cup tournament in Brazil, but will allow them to send text messages, a news report said.
"I don't like it when people are constantly scribbling and publishing something on Twitter. So Twitter is completely banned. But text messages are still allowed," Capello said in an interview with Russian sports magazine Sports Express.
Striker Maxim Kanunnikov had earlier played down reports of a social media ban, saying "the topic has been discussed but it is not categorically forbidden."
This is not the first time that Capello, a known disciplinarian, has tried to clamp down on players' communication habits during a tournament.
While head of the English national team, Capello forbade his players from using Twitter and Facebook or publishing columns for newspapers or magazines, Britain's The Telegraph reported ahead of the last World Cup.
Capello and his 23-man squad arrived Sunday in Brazil, where the opening game of the 2014 World Cup is set to get underway Friday between the home nation and Croatia.
Russia take on South Korea in their first game next Tuesday, and will also play fellow Group H teams Algeria and Belgium — with the top two teams progressing to the next round.
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Fabio Capello Ban on Social Media Not Official, Russian Striker Says
