FA deny rift with Eriksson
The Football Association have moved to stress that there is no rift between them and Sven-Goran Eriksson over the Rio Ferdinand affair.
Some reports this morning suggested that leading FA figures were upset at the way in which Eriksson did not take a strong public stance against players threatening strike action at Ferdinand's exclusion.
Instead, Eriksson admitted he had wanted to call up Ferdinand despite his failure to take a drugs test, revealing that he had been following "orders" from his superiors.
He remained on the sidelines while the two sides negotiated an uneasy truce, appearing at a press conference on Wednesday night to welcome the end of the controversy.
That, however, has not stopped the Daily Mail reporting that Eriksson is contemplating his future as national coach.
FA head of media Adrian Bevington nevertheless insisted: "The Football Association still support Sven-Goran Eriksson as strongly as ever.
"There is great respect at the FA for his results as England coach, with eight consecutive victories behind him, and his strong relationship with his players.
"Sven was also involved and consulted throughout the talks over the past couple of days.
"We now look forward to further success with him, including hopefully the team's participation in the European Championships next summer."
