Turkey v England Coming to the end of a week in which football has been upstaged by intense diplomatic activity, Sven-Goran Eriksson was given a simple opportunity yesterday to reaffirm his commitment to England with an invitation to set the record straight by denying the latest rumour he has signed some sort of agreement with Roman Abramovich.

"No," he said.

Those attending had already been warned questions would not be accepted on any topic other than the footballing aspects of this evening's final Group Seven qualifying fixture against Turkey. But here was the chance for Eriksson to clear the air. A simple declaration would have done it.

So someone persisted. Would he confirm his intention to see out his contract, which began in February 2001 and is due to expire after the 2006 World Cup?

'"Well," he said, "if you take the position I had one week ago, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed."

His decision to hide behind the English Football Association's embargo on discussion of the key issues of the week suggested the rumour is well founded. At worst, in other words after losing to Turkey and failing to make it through next month's play-offs, he will be on his way to Stamford Bridge as soon as a decent exit can be contrived. At best, he will stay in the England job until after next summer's finals in Portugal.

A few minutes later, in the same Istanbul hotel room, David Beckham was asked if, as England's captain, he would blame Eriksson for walking out in the light of the recent turmoil.

"I can't answer that because I'm not Sven-Goran Eriksson," he said. "I'm not sure about the future of Mr Eriksson, and it's nothing to do with me."

Beckham was more forthcoming when he was asked how Eriksson had coped with the events of the week. "He's stayed strong through all this and he agreed with what the players thought," he said. "He agreed with what we believed in. If we believed in what we were saying, he was with us. But also he was with the FA as well."

To his credit, Beckham joined in the laughter that greeted his slightly maladroit but very revealing description of Eriksson's ability to stand apart from a conflict in which to take sides would be to risk personal damage.

Everyone directly involved - the players, the coach and the FA - has a vested interest in getting the point that will ensure England's qualification.

"I think the crisis is over now," Beckham said, referring to the dispute between the squad and the FA over Rio Ferdinand's missed drug test. Not everyone was convinced that we have heard the last of the affair.

Beckham and Eriksson have been through this before, notably against Greece in the World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford, when the captain's last-minute free-kick saved England from the uncertainty of the play-offs. Yesterday he seemed in little doubt the combination can work again, and that the Swede remains the man to get the best out of the squad, only four days after they threatened to withdraw from the match.

"I think he's handled it very well," Beckham said, "because every time he goes in front of you lot and the cameras he's got a smile on his face and he plays everything down."

Eriksson reiterated his claim that the mutiny may have brought the players closer together and they were mentally better prepared for tonight's challenge as a result. He admitted the week's events had created a danger.

"Of course it's normal in sport that if you're not concentrated, your opponent is happy. What happened has happened. It's certainly been a different week. But the team are very much together, and maybe even stronger. Even if a lot of things have happened, the practice sessions have been extremely good. The players have worked very hard."

They have also worked hard on their negotiating and public-relations skills. Yesterday Beckham found himself having to deliver a second prepared statement, this one intended to reassure an allegedly scandalised nation that the players have got their priorities right, while offering an olive branch to the FA.

"Obviously this has been a very difficult week for the players and the FA," he said. "There have been many discussions, centred around Rio Ferdinand and our concerns at the way his case was handled. While we fully recognise that Rio shouldn't have missed the first drugs test, we've gone on record to say that what happened afterwards was what we as a squad were unhappy with.

"The issue is now a matter for the FA and they have promised to look at their procedures in future cases like this."

The players, he said, were now "totally focused on the biggest game of the year".

"Now I don't want to see any more statements, to be honest," Beckham said afterwards, earning his second laugh of the day. But he was adamant the rift had strengthened the squad.

"I've seen the players come through certain situations and show a lot of character," he said, "but this week has surprised me quite a bit, to be honest, because of the way the players have stuck together. It wasn't just half the squad. Every one of the players was together on this, and to show that sort of unity was amazing.

"There are a lot of young players in the squad, and they've probably not come up against anything like this before. I haven't come up against it myself. But those distractions are behind us and I'm more than convinced that the players are in the right frame of mind. If people think we've let the country down, that can be put right by the passion we'll show and hopefully by winning the game. Once we step on the pitch, they'll see in the boys' faces that we want to do well."

Finally, the week's diplomatic efforts ended when the coach and captain were invited to talk about Istanbul, so demonised in the minds of English football fans.

"I never had a team play in Turkey," Eriksson said, "but I can imagine that the atmosphere will be very good. Even if we don't have any fans in the ground, we will appreciate the atmosphere and that will bring us up just as much as it brings Turkey up."

Beckham was a model of correctness. "I love it," he said. "It's a beautiful country."

Reminded that he had been booked after 10 minutes of the first match against Turkey in Sunderland, he defended his own level of commitment. 111"I always go into a game wanting to win, and if it means getting a yellow card then so be it. But I won't be getting a red card. I know that for a fact. There - I've put myself under even more pressure."

That gave him a third laugh. From Eriksson yesterday there were no laughs and no declaration of passion. Sometimes by staying calm in a crisis the Swede has served England best. But now, whatever tonight's result, he and his captain may finally be heading in different directions.