No quick decision on Eriksson contract

Sven-Goran Eriksson is expected to wait until this summer before making up his mind on his long-term future amid reported interest from Real Madrid as well as Chelsea.

Eriksson has already started talks with Football Association chief executive Mark Palios over the offer of an extension to his existing contract.

Eriksson and Palios met last Thursday to open discussions over the offer, which would include a pay rise of around £500,000 (€751,200) a year.

Palios made it clear to the Swede that he remains the FA’s first-choice candidate to lead England to the 2006 World Cup and beyond.

However, Eriksson has not yet made any firm commitments to any contract extension, especially with more than two years still remaining on his existing deal until 2006.

The chances are that he will wait until after this summer’s European Championships, giving him the chance to see how England fare, before deciding on his next move.

The Swede is still expected to hold further talks with Palios over the coming weeks, although he has already vowed to see out his existing deal with England in any case.