Thaksin plays fair over pay-off for sacked Manchester City manager Eriksson

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City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has overruled a recommendation by his senior aides to contest the payment.

Their qualification for the UEFA Cup after a ninth-placed finish in the Barclays Premier League triggered the bonus for Eriksson, whose one-year spell at City was formally ended on Monday.

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Reasons to be cheerful: Sven has half a million of them

Eriksson's contract was paid up to the tune of around £1.25million, but his legal team reminded the club of his 'right' to the bonus, achieved by unconventional means.

City finished sixth in the Fair Play League but the clubs above them - Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton - had already qualified for European competition next season.

Eriksson, whose appointment as Mexico coach was confirmed yesterday, will watch their friendly against Argentina in San Diego today before again running the rule over his new charges in Sunday's friendly against Peru in Chicago.

Thaksin said: "The deal with Sven is amicable, it is friendly. We've agreed to the bonus because he deserves it. He did take us into Europe.

"We must respect him for that. Now he has a new job and I wish him well. 'Portsmouth go into the UEFA Cup because they won the FA Cup, AC Milan go in for finishing high in Serie A - we will go into the UEFA Cup as the winners of Fair Play!

"I feel OK about this. It offers a new and exciting challenge for the new season."

Some City senior powerbrokers wanted to challenge the pay-off in the courts.

"We have got into Europe because the players tackled fairly," said one.

But Thaksin wants to be seen to be fair with sacked Eriksson and says they "remain friends".