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| January 16, 2006 | Monday | Zilhaj 15, 1426 |
Eriksson wants England job until 2010
LONDON, Jan 15: England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has no intention of not honouring his contract and would like to extend it to the 2010 World Cup, his agent said on Sunday. Athole Still, reacting to a News of the World sting in which Eriksson was quoted as saying he was prepared to dump England after this year’s World Cup in Germany, called it a “disgraceful entrapment”.
Eriksson told a journalist posing as a wealthy Arab businessman that he would be willing to quit and manage Premier League club Aston Villa after the Germany tournament in which England are among the favourites.
No-one was answering FA phones on Sunday morning but the BBC quoted an FA source as saying Eriksson’s job was “not at risk in any way”.
Still, speaking on BBC radio, said: “If the FA wants him to stay, then he will stay — absolutely.
“In fact, Sven said to me quite recently ‘perhaps I’ve got used to this job, in spite of all the annoyances of it, perhaps you should have a word with (chief executive) Brian Barwick and see if the FA would be interested in my staying until 2010’.”
Still maintained that Eriksson was on an FA-sanctioned trip to Dubai in a consultancy capacity when the talks turned to investment in a Premier League club.
“The people we spoke to said they had a substantial sum of money to invest in a Premiership club,” he said.
“I mentioned Aston Villa and Sunderland. The rest of the conversation was sheer fantasy.”
The News of the World, Britain’s biggest-selling paper, said its “fake Sheikh”, investigative correspondent Mazher Mahmood, posed as a rich Arab, flew Eriksson to a deluxe hotel in Dubai and discussed with him plans to buy the Birmingham club.
When the reporter asked Eriksson if he would be willing to leave his job with the England national team to coach at Villa, the Swede said: “Everything is possible, but only at the end of the season,” the paper reported.
It said Eriksson had asked for 5.0 million a year to lure him to Villa, and told the “Sheikh” the Midlands team could be bought for £25 million.—Reuters
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