Mr Eriksson’s appointment would end weeks of speculation over the position following Mr Keegan’s resignation earlier this month.It is understood that the Swede was in second place on an FA hit list of three. The top choice had apparently been Arsenal’s French coach, Arsÿne Wenger, but neither he nor his club had shown any enthusiasm for him taking the job. The only Englishman understood to have been on the list was Roy Hodgson, formerly the coach of the Swiss national side.Lazio’s president, Sergio Cragnotti, appeared to confirm last night that when Mr Eriksson’s contract expires at the end of June, the coach will be leaving to take the reins of England “I could not stand in his way,” Mr Cragnotti said. “It was the chance of a lifetime.”Mr Eriksson came to the fore in the FA’s thinking largely because of an absence of suitable English candidates. Although never a distinguished player, Mr Eriksson has built an enviable reputation as a coach of some of Europe’s biggestclubs. This year he led Lazio to the Serie A title, which is arguably the hardest league competition in the world.. Peter Taylor, the temporary England coach, will this week hold a second and final meeting with his assistant Steve McClaren before announcing his squad for the friendly against Italy in Turin on 15 November.

Peter Taylor, the temporary England coach, will this week hold a second and final meeting with his assistant Steve McClaren before announcing his squad for the friendly against Italy in Turin on 15 November.
The Leicester City manager, Taylor, and Manchester United’s second-in-command, McClaren, held initial talks last Thursday evening when they discussed possible contenders to face the Italians. They will get together again during the next few days in a brief break from club commitments before Taylor reveals his squad next Thursday. But the former England Under-21 coach re-affirmed that the accent will be put on youth – with players not involved in the World Cup qualifiers with Germany and Finland called into his plans.Taylor said: “I have said I would be giving one or two youngsters a go. I didn’t say that they would be brand new to the squad – but they not have played the last time [against Germany and Finland].”The way I feel about things is that I might be doing the new England coach a favour with that approach. They might be looking at somebody and not be sure whether they can do the business or not – and a World Cup qualifying game would have too much pressure to blood a youngster. But I have the scope in a friendly international to be able to do that.”Milan will not face expulsion from the Champions’ League after playing the Brazilian goalkeeper Nelson Dida in their campaign this season.

It was thought that Dida – who made the last-minute blunder to gift Leeds a 1-0 victory over the Serie A side on 19 September – originally signed for Milan as a European Community player, despite owning a forged Portuguese passport.Dida’s registration has now been altered, but Milan still face investigation by the Italian football authorities.. Brazil

Brazil
Emerson Leao, the new national coach, has been banned from the touchline for his first match in charge.Leão was given a 20-day suspension by a Brazilian Football Confederation disciplinary commission for insulting the referee during a match with his club, Sport Recife. The volatile coach was sent off after the incident, which happened before he took charge of Brazil.The commission said the suspension would include Brazil’s home World Cup qualifier against Colombia on 15 November. Leão named his squad for that match yesterday and included the veteran striker Romario, who has scored seven goals in two games since returning from a two-year international absence.