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Eriksson could coach Mexico

MEXICO CITY: Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson could take charge of Mexico, according to the president of the national federation.

"We have a very clear picture of the profile we are looking for. We talked with Mr (Luiz Felipe) Scolari, we talked with Mr Eriksson and we are closing in on him (the Swede)," Mexican Football Federation president Justino Compean told local radio on Tuesday.

Eriksson is manager of Manchester City but recent media reports have said he is likely to be sacked despite a respectable ninth-place finish in the English Premier League.

Mexico has been looking for a permanent replacement since former Real Madrid striker Hugo Sanchez was sacked as coach in March after only 16 months in the job.

The Mexicans cast their net wide in search of a successor including Brazilian Scolari, coach of Portugal.

Jesus Ramirez, who coached the Mexico team that won the under-17 world championship in Peru in 2005, is working as interim coach until a full-time replacement is signed.

Mancini's stint at Inter looks over

MILAN, Italy: Roberto Mancini's stint at Inter Milan appears to be over after a meeting to discuss his future with club President Massimo Moratti lasted only 25 minutes, the coach's agent Giorgio De Giorgis said on Tuesday.

"Is it finished? More or less, it seems to be, but I don't have any confirmation," De Giorgis told La Gazzetta dello Sport's website (www.gazzetta.it).

There has been intense speculation in the Italian media that Mancini is about to leave as he has made no public comment since Inter clinched its third Serie A title under him nine days ago.

Nasri interested in Arsenal

MARSEILLE, France: Olympique Marseille playmaker Samir Nasri is to leave the Ligue 1 club and is interested in a move to Arsenal, his agent said on Tuesday.

"He will leave OM. It will be done in the coming days," Jean-Pierre Bernes, who said last week that Arsenal had made an offer for the France international, told local television LCM.

"Arsenal's offer has caught his interest from a sporting point of view. I think that in his career plan, it is something very interesting for him."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told French television channel TF1 at the weekend there was a chance that 20-year-old Nasri could join the London club. "If it did (happen), it would be before Euro 2008," Wenger said.

Nasri, who is in a provisional 30-strong France squad for Euro 2008, started his professional career at Marseille in 2004. He extended his contract with the club this year until 2012.

Leao quits as coach of Santos

RIO DE JANEIRO: Former Brazil goalkeeper and coach Emerson Leao quit as coach of Santos on Tuesday, ending his third stint at Pele's former club after only five months.

Leao, 58, resigned after his side was knocked out of the Libertadores Cup by Mexico's America last Thursday and trounced 4-0 by Cruzeiro in the Brazilian championship on Sunday.

"We decided it was better to stop here," Leao told a news conference after becoming the fifth Brazilian coach to lose his job in the last two weeks.

He blamed refereeing decisions for his team's failure to do better in the Paulista championship, which kicks off the marathon Brazilian season, and the Libertadores.

Brazil has one of the highest turnovers of coaches in the world and there have already been 13 coaching changes at the 20 first division clubs since the season began in January.

(China Daily 05/29/2008 page19)