Eriksson set to keep job

2004-08-04 15:30

London - Under-fire England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson looks set to retain his job as the Football Association braces for a shake-down in the wake of the sex scandal that has plunged it into crisis.

The 12-member FA Council will meet on Thursday to discuss the future of Eriksson, who could be removed from his post if officials decide he misled them over an affair the FA says he had with one of their secretaries, Faria Alam.

Mark Palios quit as chief executive of the FA on Sunday after it was confirmed that both he and Eriksson had affairs with Alam.

The 56-year-old Swede is expected to deny that he tried to mislead his bosses over his relationship with Alam which forced the FA into an embarrassing retraction to their initial denial of the story.

Executive director David Davies has been filling the vacant chief executive role on a temporary basis so far this week but former England international Trevor Brooking has been sounded out as the ideal figurehead to represent the organisation over the next few weeks.

Brooking, who has also been touted as a possible caretaker replacement for Eriksson if the England coach leaves, was hired by Palios as the FA's new director of football development in January.

But acting boss Davies was defiant on Wednesday in the face of reports he would be standing down from the post after just two days.

"It's very difficult to be ousted from a position you haven't been installed in," he said.

"Let's be quite clear, my job is executive director, I work with Sir Trevor Brooking and others in the leadership team and with the board of directors we have here and I'm delighted to go on doing so.

"Everyone is rallying round and we are going to come through this, very soon."

- AFP