Erickson exposes corruption: North Korea asked me to "arrange" the draw for the World Cup

The Swedish coach told the details of his delusional trip to North Korea and the bizarre request for bribery: "They did not believe I could not, but thought I did not want to"

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24/02/2022

Thursday, 24 February 2022, 07:46

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In the video: Launched missile in North Korea (Photo: Reuters)

Sven-Goran Erickson has revealed that North Korean officials have tried to persuade him to "arrange" their team's draw for the 2010 World Cup.

Erickson talked about King and his journey to North Korea as part of a BBC series titled "Sports Strangest Crimes: The Trillion Dollar Conman".

During the interview with him, 74-year-old Erickson spoke about the moment when he was asked to help the North Koreans and arrange for them an easy draw for a tournament in South Africa.

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Was part of a big affair.

Erickson in his days in Nuts County (Photo: Reuters)

According to Erickson, "they (representatives of North Korea) knew that I was a member of the FIFA Football Committee.

They said, 'Can you please help us?'

'Of course I can help, if I can,' I said.

I thought they wanted balls or shoes or something.

"They said, 'We want to do a simple lottery.' Criminal, even try '.

"But they did not accept it.

The amazing thing was that it seemed like they did not believe I could not do it - they believed I just did not want to do it.

very weird.

That was, I guess, the main reason I was invited there, and why it was so important that I went there. "

North Korea eventually won a tough draw in the tournament, when it was placed in the same house with Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast.

After a respectable 2-1 loss to Brazil, they lost 7-0 to Portugal and 3-0 to Ivory Coast.

On his trip to Pyongyang with King, Erickson said: "One day they came to me and said, 'You must please come with us to North Korea. It's important.' I said, 'No, I do not want to go to North Korea.' I knew someone who works for the government in England. I asked this person, 'Should I go to North Korea?'. She said, 'Absolutely not, Sven, you should not go there.

' 'Russell came back to me and said,' Sven, you must come. It's very important to the football club. "

So I felt ... should I really go?

"I did not want to go, but it was important for the football club," they said.

Seems natural to them.

North Korea (Photo: Reuters)

The BBC podcast focuses on Munto Finance's controversial takeover of Notes County in 2009, during which King took over the club.

King scattered promises of big money with a plan to take the team from the Fourth Division to the Premier League in five years.

The biggest headlines were following the signing of Sol Campbell and Caspar Schmeichel.

Campbell made only one appearance at the club, while Michael never received a salary from the club and left at the end of the season.

Reports of the club's large debts, including an unpaid tax bill, appeared towards the end of 2009. Erickson subsequently resigned.

The Swede waived debts of millions of pounds to help the group and the new owners.

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• North Korea

• Sven Goran Erickson