Eriksson, former players refute racism charge
Print Edition
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has denied Sol Campbell’s claim he would have been captain of the national side “for more than 10 years” had he been white.
Campbell, who is black, made the allegations in a new biography, extracts of which were serialized in Britain’s Sunday Times last weekend.
The 39-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal defender said: “I believe if I was white, I would have been England captain for more than 10 years — it’s as simple as that.
“I think the FA wished I was white. I had the credibility, performance-wise to be captain,” said Campbell, who led his country on three occasions.
“Not a chance — during my years, not a chance,” Eriksson told Britain’s Daily Telegraph yesterday. “As you know, from my first to my last game, I had David Beckham (as captain) and there were never, ever any discussions at all in the team or in the FA about the captain.”
Former England striker Ian Wright, like Campbell a prominent black English footballer, also contested his former teammate’s assertion.
“I think he’s got the credentials to be captain, but to be captain for 10 years? I’m not sure when you see some of the players that were around then,” Arsenal great Wright said.
“I want a captain that goes in and gets you going. Sol has never had the demeanor where he is aggressive on the pitch and put people in their place.
“People say David Beckham wasn’t like that, but he only had to raise his eyebrows to put someone in their place. Maybe Sol could have grown into it but it’s down to the manager who he wants. Sol was more than good enough to be a captain but I personally believe there were better candidates at the time.”
John Barnes, the former England winger who had bananas thrown at him by fans, also thought Campbell was wide of the mark. “I don’t think Sol would have been captain for 10 years because if you look at who the captains were — Tony Adams and then after that Alan Shearer,” he said.
“Then David Beckham became captain and that was a PR exercise for the FA. I don’t think necessarily it was because of the color of Sol’s skin.”
Campbell said the appointment of former Liverpool striker Michael Owen as England captain ahead of him was “embarrassing.”
“I think the FA didn’t want me to have a voice. Owen was a fantastic forward but nowhere near being a captain.
“I’ve asked myself many times why I wasn’t. I keep coming up with the same answer. It was the color of my skin.”
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