Former England coach Eriksson joins Shanghai

Swedish football coach Sven-Goran Eriksson shows his team uniform after being named as head coach of Shanghai East Asia Football Club at a press conference in Shanghai, China, 18 November 2014. [Photo/IC]

SHANGHAI - Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is taking over at Chinese club Shanghai East Asia.

The 66-year-old Swede said Tuesday he wants to make the club a force not only in China but throughout Asia, and appears willing to spend big to attract fresh talent.

The club reportedly has about $82 million to spend on players.

"For sure there will be some new faces, new players for next season," Eriksson said. "Exactly who or which kind of players it's too early to speak about that today. But there will be some new foreigners and some new Chinese players, yes."

Eriksson is moving to Shanghai on a two-year contract after more than a year as coach at southern China's Guangzhou R&F, which he led to a third-place finish last season.

The well-traveled Eriksson coached England from 2001-06 and later took charge of Manchester City. He has also coached the Mexican and Ivory Coast national teams, and English clubs Notts County and Leicester.

The Chinese Super League launched in 2005 as China's top division. Long associated with gambling and match-fixing, the league has emerged as a regional contender over recent years amid heavy spending on foreign talent and efforts to purge it of abuses.