FA officials are considering whether to bring forward the domestic final, normally staged the weekend after the end of the Premier League season, in order to give England a month off before the World Cup in Germany [Images] which starts on June 9, 2006.

While Eriksson had some sympathy for fans and the Saturday tradition of the world's oldest club competition, the Swede made his England priorities absolutely clear at a news conference on Tuesday.

"What I hope to achieve is a four-week break before the World Cup," Eriksson said. "How they will resolve that is absolutely not my problem.

"I understand the FA Cup final is very important. Everything is important. But if we think about it, what's the most important thing in football? It must be the World Cup, no doubt about it.

"I know the final is a big tradition and I hope they can resolve it by playing it at a weekend. I can understand for the fans going to Wembley, if it's ready, or Cardiff (that) it's not the best way, doing it on a Wednesday.

"But, once again, four weeks are very important, because all the other countries in the world will have four weeks.

"So if we want to give ourselves a chance of having a good World Cup we have to have four weeks.

"We are the only country in all Europe without a winter break and that's a big handicap for the players at the end of the season.

"If you then give England only three weeks off and all the other countries four, then we start with a really big handicap."

PLAYER SUPPORT

Eriksson, whose team have yet to qualify for the finals but are top of Group Six, indicated he would have the support of his players as they prepare for Wednesday's friendly against the Netherlands.

"The biggest thing in the career of a footballer is the World Cup, you can't do anything bigger than that -- with all respect to the FA Cup final, the Premier League and the Champions League," he said.

Eriksson also said that England's World Cup chances were the main reason why he still wanted to do a job he started in earnest almost exactly four years ago, with a friendly win over Spain at Villa Park in February 2001.

"I'm proud, honoured to have the job, but the main reason why I'm in it is that I think we can win," he said. "We can reach the final. We have the possibility to do it.

"You have to be lucky, no injuries and we have to have four weeks (off) that's very, very important."

The FA said in a statement last week that its board had agreed in principle for the season to end on May 14, thereby giving England a four-week break.

But it added no decision had been taken over the date of the FA Cup final, due to be played at the re-built Wembley Stadium. The 2005 FA Cup final will be played on Saturday, May 21.

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