Benfica president hopeful eyes Eriksson

Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson could return to football with a third stint at Portuguese giants Benfica.

The Lisbon club are holding presidential elections later this month and one of the candidates for the post, 51-year-old businessman Carlos Alberto Quaresma, has promised to bring the Swede back to the Stadium of Light after previous spells from 1982 to 1984 and from 1989 to 1992.

Quaresma said: “I am going to win and then Eriksson will be my coach. He would be returning to a place where he has some great friends.”

Benfica are currently managed by Fernando Santos, and are seventh in the domestic league with one point to show from their first two Champions League group matches.

Eriksson, who quit as England boss after the World Cup, is still being paid by the Football Association.