Hitzfeld sticks with Bayern

OTTMAR HITZFELD has pledged his future to Bayern Munich – ending speculation that he could be a successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson as England coach.

The German has been touted as a potential candidate to lead England beyond 2004 should Eriksson decide to move on after next summer’s tournament in Portugal.

But Hitzfeld said: “I have received no offer. It does not specially interest me.

“I don’t know what all this means exactly, and anyway I want to see out my contract at Bayern (until 2005).”

Eriksson has been offered an extension to his current contract by the Football Association, which would take him up to the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

And the Swede revealed recently that he plans to have talks with the FA about their offer in the New Year.