Sven set for Turkey peace mission

Sven-Goran Eriksson will be asked to go on a peace-seeking mission to Istanbul ahead of next month's potentially-explosive Euro 2004 qualifier, Standard Sport can reveal.

Plans for the England coach to make a joint appeal for calm with his Turkish counterpart Senol Gunes after a security summit at UEFA's headquarters tomorrow have fallen through because both managers have been unable to agree on going to Switzerland.

But a proposal for the two coaches to find a date when they can hold a joint news conference in Istanbul is said to be on the agenda of the crucial meeting involving the European governing body, the two Football Associations, and police and government officials.

UEFA called tomorrow's summit because of increasing tensions between the two FAs in the run-up to the group decider on 11 October.

Last week, Eriksson went on a charm offensive with the Turkish media and appealed for calm, having previously warned that England fans could be risking their lives by going to the match.

UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner clearly has a challenging diplomatic role to play when the English and Turkish officials gather in Nyon.

The Turks are said to have been upset by England's decision not to take up their allocation of tickets.

But Turkish FA President Haluk Ulusoy, who did not come to a previous meeting on security, will attend.The FA will be represented by chairman Geoff Thompson.