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Off to England Eriksson to take over as England coach
Updated: Tuesday October 31, 2000 2:43 PM
LONDON (AP) -- Sweden's Sven Goran Eriksson was named Tuesday as the first foreigner to coach England's national soccer team. The 52-year-old Eriksson was picked by the English Football Association to replace Kevin Keegan, who resigned Oct. 7 after a 1-0 loss to Germany in a 2002 World Cup qualifier at Wembley Stadium. The appointment was officially announced by the FA at a news conference Tuesday, a day after the FA confirmed it had offered Eriksson the job. Eriksson coached Lazio to the Serie A title last season and has also won titles in Portugal and Sweden. He was one of three candidates on a short list reported to include Arsenal's French coach Arsene Wenger and Englishman Roy Hodgson. FA chief executive Adam Crozier termed Eriksson a "unanimous choice" and said he would take over full-time on July 1 -- on a five-year contract -- when his Lazio contract ends. Crozier, a Scot naming a Swede to lead England, said he was "very hopeful with the cooperation of Lazio he [Eriksson] will be available to manage in World Cup qualifiers in March and June." England aces Finland (March 24), Albania (March 28) and Greece (June 6). However, a Lazio spokesman in Rome dismissed that possibility as Eriksson was being named. "Any speculation that Eriksson will leave before then is just unfounded rumor," said spokesman Guido Paglia. Crozier said at "no stage did we approach any other manager" and confirmed Eriksson topped a short list of three. "We said right from the very start we wanted to get the best man for the job. We're absolutely convinced we got the best man for the job." "I think it's a big step into the future for us. We're at the stage we need to take that step. We can't please everyone. We have to make the right choice." Eriksson becomes England's third coach in 21 months, succeeding Glenn Hoddle and Keegan. He is also the fourth in four years. Terry Venables was forced out after leading England to the semifinals in the '96 European championship. Crozier said Englishman Peter Taylor, who manages the English side Leicester, would lead England in a friendly against Italy in Turin on Nov. 15. He said he hoped Eriksson would rebuild the team and prepare it for an Englishman to eventually return as coach. Even before the appointment was confirmed, there was widespread criticism that an English coach had not been named to lead the national team. "I can understand why different people have different opinions," Crozier said. "We've got to do the right thing for English football. We've got to move to a different level. We mustn't kid ourselves. We've got a lot of work to do." Former England World Cup star Jack Charlton and players representative Gordon Taylor both slammed the FA for picking a foreigner. Charlton, who had a successful spell as manager of Ireland though he had no family connection with the country, said appointing Eriksson would be a disaster. "I think it's a terrible mistake," he told the Mirror. "The French are managed by a Frenchman, the German have a German in charge and the Italians have one of their own. Who have we got? Someone who has never managed in this country before. "I am very, very upset and I would imagine all the boys I played with in the World Cup team would be too," Charlton said. "In fact I think anyone in this country who feels deeply about football will wonder what the hell we have done appointing Eriksson as England manager. It is a recipe for disaster." Charlton's brother Bobby, who also played on the 1966 World Cup team, has said it would be a "disgrace" to appoint a foreign coach. Taylor, whose Professional Footballers Association represents all pro players in England, said the Swede would run into massive problems in England. "I wish him well but I think there will be tears at the end of the day. I just can't see it working out in England," Taylor told BBC Radio 4. "It is a very sad day for English football and a terrible indictment on our national association when they are responsible for coaching and can't select a product of that coaching system to manage the national system. "It sends out a very demotivating signal. Our system is not working and can't find one person to coach the England team." Taylor also noted that Eriksson had no experience of coaching a national team or managing in England. "He has never managed at international level, there are all sorts of problems with conflicts of interests. He needs to know the players in England," Taylor said.
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