Sven-Goran Eriksson reveals he is ‘glad Gareth Southgate left on his own terms’
- The English Football Association continues the search for the next England manager
- Eriksson was the boss of the Three Lions for five years between 2001 and 2006
Sven-Goran Eriksson said he was pleased that Gareth Southgate was able to leave England on his own terms after “he couldn’t do it himself”.
The former Three Lions manager praised Southgate for “setting the bar very high” and said the FA “have a huge job to do to replace him”.
In a debate over whether the next manager should be English, he said in the Telegraph: ‘For me it shouldn’t matter. The most important thing is to find the right man who can not only lead the team to a final but also go the distance.
‘If he is English, or foreign, I don’t think it should mean much. You just need to find a top manager, or a young man with a good future.’
A number of candidates have been linked with the England job so far, including Eddie Howe, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Jurgen Klopp. However, it is understood that Tuchel and Klopp are not realistic prospects at this stage.
Sven-Goran Eriksson has said he is ‘happy’ that Gareth Southgate was able to leave England on his own terms
Southgate resigned after England’s European Championship final defeat to Spain on Sunday
Eriksson, who was England manager for five years between 2001 and 2006, subsequently described his departure as head coach.
He added: ‘I was sacked in 2006 and left after the World Cup that year, but I left for other reasons. It had nothing to do with football.
‘There was the “fake sheikh” prank with the News of the World. It was a trap. There was also a fascination with my private life and the women I was with at various times. I was sacked because of that and the “sheikh”.’
‘We should have done better than the quarter-final at the 2006 World Cup, but I would have preferred to be sacked for losing to Portugal on penalties.’
On Thursday it was announced that former German national team coach Joachim Löw is interested in the vacant position at England.
The 64-year-old Löw led his country to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and coached the team for 15 years.
According to him, he would like to talk to the FA after Gareth Southgate’s sacking. The sun.
This comes after it emerged that Ange Postecoglou is reportedly on the list of candidates being considered by the English Football Association for the position of next England manager.
Low hasn’t coached a team for three years, but is eager to get back on the sidelines
Lee Carsley, right, is set to replace Gareth Southgate as interim manager of the England team
Low’s last match before stepping down as Germany manager was the 2-0 defeat to Southgate’s England at Wembley in the round of 16 of Euro 2020. The former Stuttgart and Fenerbahce manager has not played since.
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley is also said to be in pole position to succeed Gareth Southgate as interim manager.
According to The Sun, the former Everton man is likely to captain the Three Lions in their next international against Ireland in less than eight weeks.
The FA is expected to follow the example of Southgate in 2016, who was promoted from Under-21 manager to England manager, also initially on an interim basis.
English Football Association bosses have confirmed they are looking for a new manager, but they believe Carsley, 50, is the best candidate to take charge of England’s next match.