Post by Taxigirl on Mar 16, 2004 10:36:54 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/3514462.stm
England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted that he hopes Rio Ferdinand will have his drugs ban reduced at an appeal starting on Thursday.
The Manchester United defender was given an eight-month suspension in December for missing a drugs test.
"If he could have a lesser punishment, I should be happy," said Eriksson, who wants Ferdinand available to play for England at Euro 2004.
"If that's fair or not, I will leave for the other people to decide."
Meanwhile, Eriksson is optimistic his wish for a Premiership winter break will be fulfilled following a meeting with the FA Council on Monday.
"I've been to many meetings about this," he said.
"Today, it was the FA Council and they were very supportive.
"I hope it will come through and I'm pretty sure it will because it's agreed on by the players - all the managers and chairmen in the Premier League support it.
"So I can't see any reason why we won't have it."
England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted that he hopes Rio Ferdinand will have his drugs ban reduced at an appeal starting on Thursday.
The Manchester United defender was given an eight-month suspension in December for missing a drugs test.
"If he could have a lesser punishment, I should be happy," said Eriksson, who wants Ferdinand available to play for England at Euro 2004.
"If that's fair or not, I will leave for the other people to decide."
Meanwhile, Eriksson is optimistic his wish for a Premiership winter break will be fulfilled following a meeting with the FA Council on Monday.
"I've been to many meetings about this," he said.
"Today, it was the FA Council and they were very supportive.
"I hope it will come through and I'm pretty sure it will because it's agreed on by the players - all the managers and chairmen in the Premier League support it.
"So I can't see any reason why we won't have it."