Benfica appoint Flores as coach

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Benfica have ended their interest in Sven-Goran Eriksson and named Spaniard Quique Sanchez Flores as their coach for next season.

Flores, 43, was sacked by Valencia in October following the team's 3-0 defeat at Sevilla in the Primera Liga.

Flores takes over from compatriot Jose Antonio Camacho, who resigned in March following a run of poor results.

Earlier this month, Benfica officials met Manchester City's Swedish manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The Swede met with Benfica president Luis Felipe Vieira and their new director of football, Rui Costa, in Manchester.

Eriksson has coached Benfica twice, leading them to two championships and a domestic cup in the early 1980s.

He then went to Italy but returned in 1989, taking the club to the 1990 European Cup final, a game they lost to AC Milan, before winning the Portuguese title again in 1991.

Flores, a former Real Madrid and Valencia defender who was also capped for Spain, took charge of Valencia at the start of the 2005-06 season following a successful spell in charge of Getafe.

He steered Valencia to a third-place finish in the league in his first season in charge and fourth place the following term, despite a string of injuries to leading players.

"We will be aware, we want to achieve the important objectives," said Flores, who is the son of former Real Madrid player Isidro Sanchez who married into the Flores flamenco dynasty.

"Having a competitive team is more than enough reason to sign with Benfica."

The Lisbon club finished fourth in the Portuguese championship this season.