MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been hired to lead the Philippines’ football team following the surprise departure of Three Lions football great Terry Butcher earlier this year.
Philippine team manager Dan Palami said the Swede would coach the Azkals in next month’s AFF Suzuki Cup and the Asian Cup in January.
“One of the legendary coaches of all time, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will be coaching the Azkals for the Suzuki Cup and the Asian Cup,” Palami said in a video posted on the team’s Twitter page.
“He will be a great addition to the team and I’m sure the players will learn a lot from him.”
The contract terms of Eriksson, 70, have not been disclosed.
He fills a void left by the abrupt departure of Butcher, who resigned as head coach in August without ever taking charge of a single Azkals match.
Butcher, a veteran of three World Cups who had managed in England, Scotland, Wales and Australia, lasted less than 50 days in the job after deciding he could not carry out his plans for the team.
Eriksson in 2001 became the first foreigner to head England’s football team, and has since also coached Mexico and the Ivory Coast as well as league clubs in Sweden, Portugal, Italy and China.
He takes charge as the Philippine team enjoys unprecedented success, having jumped as high as 111 in the FIFA rankings in May 2018.
© Agence France-Presse