City's Sven in talks with Benfica - £1.8m deal offered
Last updated at 23:05pm on 7th May 2008
Sven Goran Eriksson yesterday met representatives of Portuguese club Benfica as he began preparing for life after Manchester City. Sportsmail can reveal that the Swede met Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira and sporting director Rui Costa at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, where he has been living during his 10 months in the city.
It is believed that the Benfica contingent left the meeting believing the former England coach would take the job, but Eriksson later told friends he was still undecided.
The fact that he agreed to speak to the Potuguese in such a high-profile place clearly indicates that he expects the sack once the season is over. Eriksson managed Benfica from 1982-84 and 1989-92, and Vieira had high hopes of tempting him back when he arrived in Manchester on a private jet yesterday morning, but his offer of £1.8million a year will not match the £2.5m the Swede earns at City.
He is almost certain to be sacked by owner Thaksin Shinawatra when he returns from a post-season tour of the Far East at the end of the month — although the former Thai prime minister may yet be handed his dream of European football for City, who are the Barclays Premier League Fair Play winners.
They finished fifth in the Fair Play League behind four clubs who are already in Europe next season — Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Norway top UEFA's Fair Play League and are expected to be awarded an automatic place in the UEFA Cup. Behind them the next best seven countries — England, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Spain and Estonia— go into a draw for two more places.
City's Sven in talks with Benfica - £1.8m deal offered | the Daily Mail
Eriksson 'in talks' with Benfica
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has held talks with Portuguese club Benfica, BBC Sport understands.
The City boss, whose job is under threat from club owner Thaksin Shinawatra, has twice previously managed the Lisbon club.
BBC Sport understands Eriksson has been told he will be sacked at the end of the season and Luiz Felipe Scolari has been approached as a replacement.
Thaksin has claimed Eriksson's future as City boss is yet be resolved.
"We have made no decision," said the former Thai prime minister. "We will do an evaluation at the end of the season."
The Swedish coach's agent Athole Still was unavailable for comment late on Wednesday.
Benfica spokesman Ricardo Maia said: "Whether someone is or is not in Manchester to try to persuade Eriksson, we have nothing to say about it."
Eriksson has coached Benfica twice, leading the Lisbon club to two championships and a domestic cup in the early 1980s.
He then went to Italy but returned to Benfica in 1989, taking the club to the 1990 European Cup final, a game they lost to AC Milan, before winning the Portuguese title in 1991.
Benfica risk missing out on a Champions League spot for next season after a disappointing season.
They are fourth in the SuperLiga, three points behind rivals Sporting Lisbon.
BBC.co.uk/football