BLACKBURN ROVERS yesterday insisted that the Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson would definitely be moving to England later this year to pick up the managerial reins at Ewood Park.
Blackburn's chairman, Robert Coar, was more angry than concerned as he set about denouncing as "rubbish" stories which suggest Eriksson is ready to renege on the deal he struck with the Lancashire club only recently.
Eriksson has signed a contract which takes effect on July 1st, the date he is scheduled to part company with his present club, Sampdoria. "The sooner people accept these facts the better for everyone," said Coar.
However, reports in Italy have stated that Eriksson is now being, courted by another leading Serie A club, Lazio, who dismissed their coach, Zdenek Zeman, earlier this week. Indeed, yesterday's edition of the respected sports paper Corriere dello Sport, claimed that Eriksson had already asked Blackburn to release him from his contract with immediate effect. The paper said that Eriksson wished to succeed Zeman at Lazio because of a "dramatic change" in his personal circumstances.
It is understood that Eriksson and his wife have separated and that he wishes to remain in Italy to ensure that he does not lose contact with his two children, a daughter who lives with her mother in Florence and a son who is studying in Rome.
Coar said he found the stories all rather confusing and reiterated his belief that Eriksson will definitely be arriving in Blackburn this summer. "We have a written agreement that he will be over here in July and that, believe me, is still the situation," he said.
"I spoke to Sven on Thursday when he said that he had heard all the rumours linking him with a possible move to Lazio. He dismissed those rumours. This is all very irritating because I seem to be spending most of my time trying to put the record straight."
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