Hindsight is that most wonderful thing but surely it hasn't taken Sven-Goran Eriksson a whole 20 years to conclude that he should have stayed with Lazio and not succumbed to the lure of managing England.

The Swede admitted on an Italian radio show this week that 'maybe I made a mistake' in swapping his stylish and successful Lazio team for what was arguably the most unforgiving job in world football back in 2001.

'A few times I thought to myself it might've been better to stay at Lazio and in Italy,' he said. 'But when an offer from the England team comes along, that's once in a lifetime.






Sven-Goran Eriksson with David Beckham after England crashed out of the 2006 World Cup, losing on penalties to Portugal. His tenure promised so much but delivered little 







The Swede, who was the first overseas manager of the England team, 토토사이트추천 settles into his office at the FA's headquarters in Soho Square after being appointed in 2001 







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'I thought that I couldn't say no and would've regretted it for the rest of my life if I had turned it down.'

Well, Sven, it's probably fair to say that lingering feeling of regret is mutual. England expected much of you but the overwhelming sensation, looking back on that five-and-a-half year tenure, is one of crushing disappointment.

All one of the most gifted collections of English footballers ever assembled had to show for that era of apparently boundless promise were three quarter-final tournament exits.

Somehow, this assortment of genuinely world class footballers, who frequently excelled for their clubs and were serial winners of major prizes, regressed into playing hopelessly sterile football whenever they slipped on an England jersey.

England may have lost just one qualification match during Eriksson's tenure yet were reliably afflicted with stage fright whenever a fixture of importance and high-pressure arose at a tournament.

The optimism of Sven's early months, peaking with that electrifying 5-1 win over Germany in Munich, soon faded into the usual going-through-the-motions ennui witnessed under so many managers that had come before.






Eriksson was a popular figure at Lazio, having guided them to a series of major prizes







Eriksson waves farewell to the Lazio faithful at the Stadio Olimpico before heading to England







Eriksson was greeted with a man dressed as John Bull as he arrived for his first day at work

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