German coach Rudi Voller ended speculation over his future yesterday by committing himself to Germany until the conclusion of World Cup 2006.
The former international striker has led Germany to qualification for next year's World Cup and will sever his ties with Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this year.
Voller has an advisory role with Leverkusen, whom he was due to join as coach before national team coach-elect Christoph Daum failed a drug test. Daum lost the chance of the job, and Voller took over last July.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will be honoured with the inaugural lifetime achievement award at tomorrow night's BBC Sports Personality of the Year show.
Ferguson - in his last year as Old Trafford manager before retiring - is the longest-serving Premiership boss and has won seven league titles, four FA Cups, one League Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and the European Cup in 1999.
BBC director of sport Peter Salmon said: "This is our first-ever lifetime achievement award and I can think of no better recipient: the most successful and charismatic football manager in recent times."
Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of this season after 15 years at the club to take a lengthy break with his family before returning to football in some other capacity. Hutchinson has been in direct charge of the football side of the club, dealing with transfers, as well as being responsible for hiring Claudio Ranieri.
