Eriksson report is FAKE NEWS
Whitmore will remain coach of Reggae Boyz
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) general secretary, Dalton Wint, has rubbished a report by English newspaper, The Mirror, that former England, Sweden and Manchester City coach Sven Goran Eriksson is set to replace Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore as coach of the Reggae Boyz.
The report in the Mirror, which headlines, ‘Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to become new Jamaica boss to prolong 43 years managerial career’, said the 72-year-old is the number one choice for the Reggae Boyz job following the resignation of coach Theodore Whitmore in the summer.
It added that Eriksson, who has been out of work for more than a year after a spell in charge of the Philippines national team, is expected to accept the job with the Jamaican FA. It said he would combine coaching with a role as technical director. However, his main objective would be to qualify the Caribbean island to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Mirror report quoted Eriksson as saying he “received questions about Jamaica via an intermediary.”
But Wint insists that the report is false and could not be farther from the truth.
“That (report) is absolute rubbish. It is a million miles from the truth,” he stated.
“Mr Whitmore is the designated coach of the national team and we have no change to that. He has a contract up until the end of 2023 and no changes have been made to his contract,” Wint added.
“Rumours can start anywhere, anyhow and any time. Rumours don’t have to have logic and that’s why it is called a rumour. But he (Whitmore) has the respect and support of the president and the board of directors of the JFF at this time, so there is no need to look in that direction (new coach) with the work Whitmore has done over the last few years,” he insisted.
Whitmore has done several stints with the Jamaica senior team, two as interim coach and twice as head coach. He has been at the helm since 2016 and has won three Caribbean Cup trophies and has been to one Gold Cup final and a semi-final.
Eriksson’s lengthy career has seen him coach some top clubs in England, Italy and Portugal. He has also coached national teams such as England, Mexico and Ivory Coast.