Sven: 'I won't walk out'

13 April 2012

Sven-Goran Eriksson will resist any attempts by the Football Association to cut a deal for him to walk away from his £4 million-a-year job as England manager.

The England coach could become the next victim of the Soho Square sex scandal following FA chief executive Mark Palios's decision last night to resign after it was revealed he tried to cover up his own relationship with FA secretary Faria Alam.

The FA's director of communications Colin Gibson has also offered his resignation for his part in the scandal.

Eriksson faces an emergency meeting of the FA board on Thursday and if it is found he lied to FA chiefs over his relationship with Faria Alam he will be sacked without the £14m he would be entitled to for the remainder of his contract, due to run until 2008.

According to one member of the FA board Eriksson's position remains untenable.

Privately, however, FA chiefs are considering cutting a deal with Eriksson. They are aware that Eriksson could sue them if they force him out for lying to them over the affair.

But Eriksson has told friends the FA will have to sack him if they want him out.

The England coach has largely kept his own counsel over the last week while others have been digging themselves a large hole.

Eriksson is still keen to continue as England coach and has the full backing of his players.

It would have been impossible for Eriksson to have continued to work with Palios after this latest crisis, but now the chief executive has fallen on his sword it could leave the way clear for the Swede to carry on.

Arsenal and England defender Ashley Cole today urged the FA not to get rid of Eriksson. He said: "We need stability. There is only one guy the players want and that is Sven.