England boss Fabio Capello is ready to anger former club Real Madrid to protect his players ahead of their friendly against Spain.

The Daily Mail says Capello will protect his England players from abuse by refusing to play February's proposed friendly against Spain at Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium.

England's head coach, who condemned supporters at Wembley on Saturday for jeering Ashley Cole during the 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan, fears a repeat of the racist barracking the left back suffered in Spain in November 2004.

Capello has told the FA and the Spanish Football Federation to find an alternative venue for the friendly on Wednesday, February 11, but they have yet to come up with a suitable stadium.

FA sources insist that relations between the countries are healthy and they have tentatively put forward alternative venues such as Barcelona's Nou Camp, Valencia's Mestella and Murcia's Estadio Nueva Condomina.