His contract will run at least through 2010.
By Grahame L. Jones, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
2:45 PM PDT, June 3, 2008
Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swede who coached England to the quarterfinals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and the 2004 European Championship, today was named Mexico's national team coach.
Eriksson, 60, replaces Hugo Sanchez, who was fired in March after failing to qualify Mexico's talent-laden under-23 team for the Beijing Olympics. The former Manchester City coach was in Mexico City this morning ironing out final details on his contract, which will run at least through the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
It was not immediately known whether he would travel to San Diego Wednesday for Mexico's game against Argentina at Qualcomm Stadium. El Tri is currently being led by interim coach Jesus "Chucho" Ramirez, who is believed likely to remain with the national team as Eriksson's assistant.
News of the appointment was announced by Jorge Vergara, the owner of Chivas de Guadalajara and part-owner of Chivas USA. "It's unanimous," Vergara, a member of the Mexican soccer federation's executive committee, said in Mexico City. "Eriksson has been accepted."
Even though the presidents of Mexico's 18 first-division teams approved the hiring of Eriksson, the move is still unlikely to be greeted with unanimous approval.
For instance, Jared Borgetti, the national team's all-time leading goal scorer, said last week that the time was not right for a foreign coach to take charge of El Tri.
"It has to be someone who knows Mexican football, who knows Mexican players, the lives of Mexican players and who knows the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, which are very different from Europe," Borgetti said.
"It's not just about football, you have to face other things. When you go to play in Central America and the Caribbean, the conditions are very different to Europe."
Eriksson is about to find that out. Mexico's first qualifying game for South Africa 2010 is on June 15 against Belize in Houston.
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