Sven safe but FA fear more sleaze

14 April 2012

Members of the Football Association's Board met at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, today amid growing fears that the game could be hit by another wave of sleaze allegations.

In an elaborate "cloak and dagger" operation to try to wrong foot the media pack, the 12 members of the Board were not told until this morning the venue for the talks which will decide the fate of Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Although the England coach is certain to survive, Standard Sport has learned that FA directors are growing particularly concerned that the public image of the ruling body will be damaged by more revelations about his affair with secretary Faria Alam.

As if to confirm their fears, it emerged today that publicity guru Max Clifford has signed a deal to represent Alam and is negotiating deals to sell her story to newspapers, television companies and magazines for £500,000.

The board wants to sack Eriksson but, following an inquiry into the PR shambles surrounding his affair with Alam and her relationship with former chief executive Mark Palios, does not have sufficient evidence to fire him without paying off the remaining four years on his £4millionayear contract.

If they could reach a cheaper settlement in return for Eriksson going quietly it is understood they would accept it.

The meeting, which didn't start until 2pm today, will focus on whether Eriksson explicitly denied the affair when he was first questioned by executive director David Davies and how the FA came to issue a statement denying the relationship which officials were forced to retract a few days later.

The controversy has already led to the resignation of Palios following the bodged attempt to cover up his fling with Alam and his PR chief Colin Gibson, whose resignation has been accepted. That decision, plus the departure of Alam, is expected to be confirmed following the meeting.

The England coach could still face a charge of gross misconduct if he fails to convince the Board of his view that he neither confirmed nor denied the affair.

But that looked increasingly unlikely today. Davies, the FA executive director who is running the FA following Palios's sudden departure, is also expected to survive.

It is understood there is insufficient evidence to fire him for his part in the damaging episode, even though he was the official who asked Eriksson about his relationship with Alam last month.

A vote of no confidence in chairman Geoff Thompson was also a possibility following his decision to issue a statement which prematurely cleared Palios last week.

Eriksson was not called to the meeting because he attended a hearing involving Manchester lawyer Peter Norbury, from top law firm Eversheds, who headed the independent inquiry into the scandal. The Board was due to focus on Norbury's report, expected to be around 20 pages long, and did not take any more evidence from other parties.

Norbury and his legal team were due to work until the early hours of this morning finishing off their report in time for the meeting.

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Sven safe but FA fear more sleaze

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