FA chief Palios resigns

MARK PALIOS last night resigned as chief executive of the FA. Palios informed FA chairman Geoff Thompson of his decision at 6pm, and it was accepted with immediate effect.

While Palios insists he has done nothing wrong, his position had come under increasing pressure after yesterday's News of the World claimed that director of communications Colin Gibson had offered a full and extensive account of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's relationship with FA secretary Faria Alam in exchange for keeping Palios - with whom Alam also had a relationship - out of the story.

Palios said last night: "I am very sad that I feel this is necessary. It has been a privilege to be chief executive of the FA but with privilege comes the burden of responsibility."

Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that Gibson had offered his resignation to Thompson but was still awaiting a reply. Given Palios' insistence that he has done nothing wrong, it is difficult to see how the director of communications could keep his job in light of the alleged offer he made to supply dates and venues of meetings between Eriksson and Alam to the News of the World.

Gibson said: "I have offered my resignation to the board because I felt it was the honourable thing to do. They said the matter will be dealt with as soon as possible."

Executive director David Davies has been put in temporary charge of the organisation with immediate effect, with the FA due to make a formal statement on the matter today.

Events leading up to Palios' resignation began when the News of the World revealed details of Eriksson's affair with Alam three weeks ago.

The FA subsequently issued a strongly-worded denial of the story, claiming there was "no truth whatsoever in the suggestion that our client (Ms Alam) and Mr Eriksson are having, or have had, a sexual relationship". The News of the World were also contacted by lawyers acting for the FA and Ms Alam.

However, faced with the true picture seven days later after the same newspaper came into possession of e-mails which confirmed the affair and revealed Palios had been involved with the same woman, the FA were forced into an embarrassing climbdown and retracted the earlier denial.

It was then Gibson allegedly made his dramatic offer to release details of Eriksson's affair in return for keeping Palios out of the story. It appeared inconceivable the deal was offered without Palios being aware and, after 13 turbulent months, the man whose get-tough policy was a cornerstone of his time in charge, fell on his sword.

Palios' resignation will at least take some of the heat off the FA ahead of next Thursday's crucial board meeting, which is due to hear the findings of an independent inquiry into the statements that accompanied news of the Eriksson-Alam affair.

It does not though affect the major remit of the exercise, which was to establish whether Eriksson lied to the FA in a telephone call which was supposed to confirm or deny the relationship, something the Swede insists he did not do.

If the verdict goes against Eriksson, who was last night carrying on his duties as normal in Amsterdam watching Arsenal take on Ajax, his job could yet go with it.

Whether the FA is ready to face a short-term future without a chief executive or a coach is open to debate.

Brought in to replace Adam Crozier and determined to clean the game up, Palios has brought some positive elements to the game, notably the vastly speeded up disciplinary process which was announced last week. Ultimately, his tenure will be remembered for three largely unhappy events.

The first was the long-running saga of Rio Ferdinand's missed drugs test, which set the FA on collision course with Manchester United, the national team's players and Eriksson.

The second was the lucrative extension he offered Eriksson after it was discovered the Swede had been talking to Chelsea.

At a time when it is believed some members of the 12-man FA board were unsure about Eriksson's ability to take the England team forward, Palios' sudden offer reportedly caused consternation and the chance of getting out of it without having to fork out £14 million in compensation is alleged to be one of the reasons why 'Svengate' has erupted the way it has.

Finally, no matter what his protests to the contrary, Palios will be forever tainted as the man whose skin Gibson apparently attempted to save at the expense of the England manager.

Given Davies' testimony to the inquiry is so crucial to Eriksson's future, the next few days will be tricky for the former BBC man.