Hitzfeld denies England link

Ottmar Hitzfeld has pledged his future to Bayern Munich - quashing speculation that he could be a successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson as England coach.

The German has been touted as a potential candidate to lead England beyond 2004 should Eriksson decide to move on after next summer's tournament in Portugal.

But Hitzfeld, in the ski resort of Engelberg, told Munich newspaper TZ: "I have received no offer. It does not specially interest me.

"I don't know what all this means exactly and anyway I want to see out my contract at Bayern (until 2005)."

Eriksson has been offered an extension to his current contract by the FA, which would take him up to the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

The Swede also revealed recently that he plans to have talks with the FA about their offer in the new year.