Turkey tie could kill you, Eriksson tells supporters

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson on Sunday warned fans intending to travel to the crunch Euro 2004 clash against Turkey in Istanbul that they could be putting their lives at risk.

The Football Association (FA) has refused to take up their ticket allocation for the match on Oct. 11 because of the bloody history of games between the two countries.

Three years ago, two Leeds fans were stabbed to death in Istanbul.

However, about 250 England fans bought black market tickets for Saturday's game in Macedonia, when their unofficial presence was applauded by the England players, led by captain David Beckham.

The FA also want clarification from the Turkish football federation after weekend reports claimed that they are prepared to sell tickets direct to England fans.

"Of course, I should like to see fans at games but, if it's a security problem, then it's better not to [travel] because you can risk to be injured and can even risk your life, which happened when Leeds were in Turkey," Eriksson said. "If the security men say it's a problem, then you should listen to them."