Post by I N F O on Oct 8, 2003 8:23:27 GMT
Sven-Goran Eriksson has expressed his surprise at comments from Gerard Houllier questioning the England coach's friendship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Liverpool boss Houllier said his side's England internationals could be unsettled as Eriksson has been continually tipped as a future Chelsea manager.
And Houllier is clearly worried that Michael Owen, who is out of contract next summer, and Steven Gerrard could be tempted to follow Eriksson if the Swedish coach moved to Stamford Bridge.
But Eriksson said: "My view is that I saw Gerard Houllier during the Amsterdam tournament in August for the first time after the summer and we had a chat about it.
"It took about two or three minutes and that was it. I thought everything was cleared up then, from me and from him.
The timing was bad and he accepted my point
Gerard Houllier
"Now we are in October and chatting about it again. I thought it was dealt with in early August but I have no further comment."
Houllier admits he was unhappy with newspaper reports linking Gerrard with a move to Chelsea just days after Eriksson's much-publicised meeting with Abramovich at his London home.
"It was not good timing that Sven went to see Abramovich and then, two days later, that there were stories saying that Chelsea wanted Steven Gerrard," Houllier told The Guardian.
"We were told at the time that it was pure coincidence. As it is, Stevie wants to stay here but it was certainly not the best timing.
"I know this will generate headlines but at the end of the day I don 't care.
"Eriksson was photographed (arriving at Abramovich 's flat) in all the papers. I told him - I rang him up and spoke to him when it happened - that the timing was bad and he accepted my point.
"There's no resentment, no reproach and he does what he likes to do and lives his life the way he wants to.
"But I was a bit upset that two days after his meeting the Gerrard stories were all over the newspapers."
Liverpool boss Houllier said his side's England internationals could be unsettled as Eriksson has been continually tipped as a future Chelsea manager.
And Houllier is clearly worried that Michael Owen, who is out of contract next summer, and Steven Gerrard could be tempted to follow Eriksson if the Swedish coach moved to Stamford Bridge.
But Eriksson said: "My view is that I saw Gerard Houllier during the Amsterdam tournament in August for the first time after the summer and we had a chat about it.
"It took about two or three minutes and that was it. I thought everything was cleared up then, from me and from him.
The timing was bad and he accepted my point
Gerard Houllier
"Now we are in October and chatting about it again. I thought it was dealt with in early August but I have no further comment."
Houllier admits he was unhappy with newspaper reports linking Gerrard with a move to Chelsea just days after Eriksson's much-publicised meeting with Abramovich at his London home.
"It was not good timing that Sven went to see Abramovich and then, two days later, that there were stories saying that Chelsea wanted Steven Gerrard," Houllier told The Guardian.
"We were told at the time that it was pure coincidence. As it is, Stevie wants to stay here but it was certainly not the best timing.
"I know this will generate headlines but at the end of the day I don 't care.
"Eriksson was photographed (arriving at Abramovich 's flat) in all the papers. I told him - I rang him up and spoke to him when it happened - that the timing was bad and he accepted my point.
"There's no resentment, no reproach and he does what he likes to do and lives his life the way he wants to.
"But I was a bit upset that two days after his meeting the Gerrard stories were all over the newspapers."