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Hamrén confirms interest in Sweden job

Erik Hamrén, the Swedish coach of reigning Norwegian football league champions Rosenborg said on Tuesday he is in discussions about filling the national team coaching vacancy in his native Sweden.

Hamrén confirms interest in Sweden job

“I was asked if I was interested (in the position) now and in the long term and I answered yes to both questions,” said the 52-year-old, who is under contract with Rosenborg until 2010.

“I haven’t had an offer and I haven’t accepted an offer,” he added.

The Swedish Football Federation would however first have to reach agreement with Rosenborg to allow the coach to leave and the first reactions from the champions have been negative.

Hamrén arrived in June 2008 from Danish side Aalborg, and he transformed the Norwegian club, who blazed to the title with just one defeat.

Outgoing Swedish coach Lars Lagerbäck decided to step down after nine years as Sweden’s manager following his squad’s loss to Denmark in World Cup qualifying.

Since Lagerbäck’s last match as coach, a convincing albeit meaningless home win against Albania, officials with the Swedish Football Federation have been working vigorously to find his replacement.

Top candidates Sven-Göran Eriksson and Hans Backe have withdrawn from consideration for the job in favour of positions with English club Notts County.

Eriksson, currently director of football with Notts County said his obligations to the club prevented him from pursuing the Sweden job.

He then proceeded to take another leading candidate, his former assistant Backe, out of the running for the Sweden job by appointing him as the new manager for the English League Two club.

Backe previously worked with his fellow Swede when ex-England coach Eriksson was in charge of Manchester City and the Mexico national side, having also won four Danish titles in his own right as a manager with Copenhagen and Aalborg.

Another possible candidate, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, has said previously he hasn’t been approached about the job and that he expects his future to remain with the English Premier League club.

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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