CARACAS - Venezuela said on Tuesday it will not seek the extradition of former national soccer federation boss Rafael Esquivel, who is detained in Switzerland as part of a probe into corruption in world governing body FIFA.

Esquivel, 69, who was also a member of the executive committee of the South American Football Confederation, was arrested in May last year in Zurich with six other soccer executives on U.S. arrest warrants.

The comments about a possible Venezuelan extradition request followed press reports that Esquivel's lawyers wanted him to be tried in his own country rather than in the United States.

"It's not true that Venezuela has requested his extradition," chief state prosecutor Luisa Ortega told parliament. "Furthermore, we're not going to request it."

Swiss authorities have approved the extradition of Esquivel, who was born in Tenerife and has Spanish-Venezuelan dual citizenship, to the United States. His lawyers are appealing, on grounds of age and poor health.

Esquivel's bank accounts in Venezuela have been frozen, and Venezuela is carrying out its own investigation. (Reporting by Diego Ore; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Andrew Hay)

Koeman backs Forster for England after shutting Arsenal out 

Fraser Forster's display in Tuesday's 0-0 Premier League draw with Arsenal shows the Southampton goalkeeper is ready to challenge for the England gloves again, Saints manager Ronald Koeman said.

Forster made a string of saves at the Emirates Stadium to keeps Arsenal at bay and chalked up a fourth clean sheet in a row since his return from a long-term knee injury.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose team have slipped to fourth in the table behind Tottenham Hotspur, bemoaned his side's lack of conviction but Koeman had no doubt about which player had made the difference between the teams.

"It was a massive performance from Fraser today. He was the key to get one point because normally we are not a defending team that allows opponents to create those kind of opportunities," the Dutchman told the club's website (www.saintsfc.co.uk).

"He's back and it's a fourth clean sheet in a row.

"That's unbelievable after nine months out. You have other good goalkeepers, but for sure he will be back in the national team."

Forster lost his place in Roy Hodgson's England squad to Stoke's Jack Butland but his recent performances suggest he will be pushing for a place at Euro 2016.

The keeper was reluctant to take all the credit for his team's hard-earned point at Arsenal, however.

"It was a fantastic team performance. Coming away to the Emirates you know you have to work really hard and we put in a really big shift," he said.

"I'm just happy to contribute. I'm delighted to be back playing football and given the opportunity to do what I love."

The draw saw Southampton move above Liverpool into seventh place in the league. (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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