Sport 01-11-2000 Eriksson Signs Up For England who: Sven Goran Eriksson what: Confirmed as new England football coach when: Yesterday snippet: Lazio boss Sven Goran Eriksson has signed a £10million five-year contract with an optional two-year extension to be the England football coach, beginning on July 1st 2001 - but possibly starting much earlier. If he can break off from duties at Lazio, reports The Telegraph`s Henry Winter, the FA hope that Eriksson will be able to take charge of England for World Cup qualifying games against Finland on March 24th, Albania on March 28th and Greece on June 6th. "We didn`t ever say it had to be a foreign coach," the FA`s chief executive Adam Crozier told a press conference yesterday, "we just wanted to get the best possible person. We haven`t exactly over-achieved for a number of years and we need to make a change. We did have a short-list of three but we also had a clear No 1 choice and that was Sven." Reactions so far have been mixed. Jack Charlton branded the FA`s decision "a disaster," reports The Mirror. "I am very, very upset," he said. But David Beckham - despite having stated a preference for an English coach - was glowing in his praise. "He is a good manager with a lot of experience with Lazio and other clubs," he said yesterday. "It should be good. It will be good. We have got many good players and they will become a great team under Eriksson." The man himself could be in England as soon as tomorrow for another official press briefing. [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!