Sven attacks focus on private life

Eriksson said he could not accept being judged over his behaviour, which included affairs with TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson and FA secretary Faria Alam, as it did not affect his job managing the national football team.

And he told the Sunday Times Magazine he could not understand the overwhelming interest in his private life, which he said was nobody else's business.

"You have to live with it, but it is an extremely strange situation that I should be talked about or judged for what I did in my private life," he said.

"As long as I am not doing anything criminal - and I was not doing anything criminal - it is not anybody else's business. I couldn't understand it. I still don't understand it and I will never accept it."

Eriksson - who managed the team from January 2001 until last year - made headlines for all the wrong reasons in the run up to the 2002 World Cup, when it was revealed he had cheated on partner Nancy Dell'Olio with TV star Jonsson.

And in 2004 he was at the centre of a sex scandal at the FA when it emerged he and chief executive Mark Palios both had affairs with secretary Faria Alam - revelations which cost Palios his job.

But Eriksson told the Sunday Times Magazine his private life had absolutely nothing to do with his football.

"If you find me in the bar at 7am on the day of a game, you can write about that, because it affects my job. But nothing affected my job. It was always the most important thing."

And he refused to answer any questions on his high-profile relationship with Ms Dell'Olio.