I Won't Manage Swansea - Coleman

Last updated : 21 August 2009 By Covsupport News Service
Coventry City manager Chris Coleman has said that he would not manage Swansea City for family reasons.

Swansea born and bred Coleman was wanted by a number of Jacks as their new boss when Roberto Martinez went to Wigan Athletic but said to BBC Wales that he was not interested in the job.

"I wasn't interested in managing Swansea City because my family's more important to me than football and they come first, said Coleman in an interview to be shown on BBC 2 Wales at 8.30pm tonight."

Coleman said: "Of course, Swansea City is my heart. It's my home town club. I had five years there and it was fantastic playing for your home town and I very proud of Swansea City and I'm very proud of being from Swansea.

"But my mum and dad still live in Swansea. My sisters, both married with children, still live in Swansea.

"And I've seen, when it goes wrong when you're a manager it's your home town club and that's where your family's from; it's not nice and I wouldn't put my family underneath that pressure.

"I'm all right, I can handle it. I've not lived in Swansea for the best part of 20 years. My mum and dad will never leave Swansea, neither would my sisters and neither would my nephews.

"I don't want to put them under that pressure because it went wrong it's not nice and I've seen it happen.

"So I wasn't interested in managing Swansea City because my family's more important to me than football and they come first.

"It's different - my wife and I've got four children in London and it's a different place, it's a big place - whether I manage Crystal Palace or when I managed Fulham I can get lost in London. "You can't do that in Swansea.

"I love Swansea, love Swansea City and I was a big admirer of them and the way they played football under Roberto and they'll play good football under Paulo Sousa also. "But I can't say I was ever interested in the job because I wasn't."

Cardiff City are Swansea's big local rivals and Coleman added that he would not manage them either.

"Two clubs I wouldn't manage - Swansea and Cardiff. I couldn't manage Cardiff - I couldn't go back to Swansea [if I did that] and I wouldn't manage Swansea for those reasons.

"I think Bill Shankly said: 'football's far more important than life or death'.

"I can't say I agree with that - I'm sure he said that tongue-in-cheek - but my family's the most important thing to me so those would be the reasons why I wouldn't do those jobs."

City face Swansea City at the Ricoh Arena tomorrow at 3pm. Tickets are available but with prices going up to £27 and £32 depending on where you sit, you are advised to get a ticket in advance.