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      in Motorsport

      Savage sackings that prove F1 is world’s most cut-throat sport – including star axed by email from PA… on his birthday

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      WITHIN days of smashing his car at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, Logan Sargeant’s career was up in flames too.The Williams driver crashed and burned during practice for the race at Zandvoort, and was swiftly removed from his seat in the team for the rest of the season.Logan Sargeant was axed after crashing out of the Dutch Grand Prix last weekendCredit: GettySargeant’s car was badly damaged at the Circuit Park ZandvoortCredit: GettyMagnussen, with his wife Louise Gjorup, was fired by emailCredit: AlamyMick Schumacher, pictured with girlfriend Laila Hasanovic, was reportedly told he was being released from Haas while standing in a hotel lobbyCredit: InstagramOf course, in the savage world of motor racing, Sargeant, 23, is just the latest in a long line of drivers to be brutally axed without warning.Here, we explore the scandalous sackings that prove Formula One is the world’s most cut-throat business – including the racer unfortunate enough to be let go by email on his birthday.Sacked by PA on his birthdayDanish driver Kevin Magnussen was a rising star of the McLaren team when he made his debut in 2014 alongside Jensen Button.But when he finished the season trailing in eleventh place, he was swiftly replaced by two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.Instead of breaking the bad news to him in a face-to-face meeting, boss Ron Dennis got his assistant to send Magnussen a short and impersonal email.Worst still, the curt message landed in Kevin’s inbox on his 23rd birthday.”It was a short paragraph explaining that there would be nothing for me in the future,” recalled Magnussen, now 31. “It arrived on my birthday actually.”A year earlier his predecessor Sergio Perez, 34, had been offered a contract, signed the documents and sent them back to McLaren – only to learn he was being dropped in favour of Magnussen.Most read in Motorsport’Crashgate’ scandalWhen Renault decided to axe Nelson Piquet Junior in 2009 it led to one of the biggest scandals to ever engulf the sport.After Piquet, the son a of a three-time F1 World Champion, failed to score any points at all in the first half of the season, team boss Flavio Briatore fired him.Formula One’s Highest EarnersBut Piquet shot back – alleging that Briatore and other members of the management team had ordered him to deliberately crash out of the Singapore Grand Prix to help teammate Fernando Alonso secure a victory.Renault and Briatore launched criminal proceedings, claiming that Piquet was blackmailing them so he could finish the season.Investigations eventually revealed that Piquet’s claims were true, in what became known as the ‘Crashgate’ scandal.Renault were slapped with a two-year suspended ban by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for conspiring to cause a crash.The aftermath of Nelson Piquet’s crash into a wall at the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008.Credit: Sutton ImagesNelson Piquet leaves FIA headquarters in Paris after hearing at the World Motor Sports Council as part of the “Crashgate” affair in 2009.Credit: AFPItalian Flavio Briatore in October 2008, shortly before firing Piquet from the Renault team.Credit: EPA”The conditions I had to deal with have been very strange to say the least,” said Piquet later. “There are incidents that I can hardly believe occurred myself.”A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities. “In my case it was the opposite – Flavio Briatore was my executioner.”‘Dumped by text’Red Bull picked up a reputation for being ruthless right from the start.They were said to be tough on all their drivers, even four-time ChampCar winner Sebastien Bourdais, who signed up to partner with Sebastian Vettel at their team Toro Rosso in 2008.Bourdais car flew as he crashed with team mate Sebastien Buemi, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Renault’s Nelson Piquet the start of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix in 2009.Credit: ReutersSebastien Bourdais and his wife Claire in the pits after the qualifying session of the French Grand Prix in June 2008.Credit: AFPWhen the Frenchman struggled to make progress, he was swiftly dropped in favour of young Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari.And he later revealed he had been dumped by a brisk TEXT from team boss Franz Tost.”The way they got rid of me was very disappointing,” said Bourdais. “He did not speak with me. He did not call me. “Everything was done by SMS, which to me has no style.”Tost denied the allegations, saying: “I told Monsieur Bourdais personally that he is not going drive anymore and did not write any SMS.”F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season so far:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio PerezFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and TBCAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and TBCHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban OconDitched for last race over rantAlthough he almost triumphed in the 1990 World Championship for Ferrari, the following year was a disaster for Alain Prost.He finished in fifth place but openly criticised his car at the Japanese Grand Prix.”After a few laps, the shock absorbers no longer worked and the steering was incredibly hard,” said Prost, now 69.”At the end of the race, I said it was like driving a horrible truck, no pleasure.”Prost with Ferrari’s Sporting Director Cesare Fiorio in Portugal back in 1990Credit: GettyProst retired from the 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix after his clutch seized and he spun off the trackCredit: GettyBoss Claudio Lombardi was furious and fired him ahead of the season closer in Australia.Lombardi said later: “The behaviour of Alain Prost during this season has not been at the level that Ferrari would like from a top driver.”His behaviour insider and outside the team meant that Ferrari had to stop the relationship.”Read of sacking on AutosportJolyon Palmer smashed into Romain Grosjean of Haas F1 Team at the Russian Grand Prix in 2017.Credit: EPAPalmer in the pit lane at Silverstone in July 2017.Credit: EPAWhen he was a member of the Renault team in 2017, British commentator Jolyon Palmer, now 33, was replaced by Carlos Sainz.The problem was that nobody had told him and Palmer only realised what was happening when he logged on and saw the news online. “I knew when I read it on Autosport,” he explained.”And then I knew it was true as well, I spoke to some people. “That was it.”Axed by faxHeinz-Harald was supported by wife TanjaCredit: GettyHeinz-Harald crashed into the guard rail during the Monaco time trials in May 1997.Credit: ReutersJordan driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen was axed by the Irish team midway through 2001 – by fax.His contract was unceremoniously torn up following an exchange of views at Silverstone, which resulted in Frentzen taking Jordan to court.The contract dispute was resolved ‘amicably’ at the end of 2002.Mick SchumacherLast year Mick Schumacher was reportedly told he was being released from Haas while standing in a hotel lobby with team boss Guenther Steiner.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe German driver, 25, had failed to secure his seat, and with Haas bringing in veteran Nico Hulkenberg for 2003, he was sacked ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.Steiner told Bild+: “He was certainly suspecting something, he doesn’t live under a rock.”Mick and his partner Laila Hasonovic during the Spanish Grand Prix in June.Credit: GettySchumacher with Haas F1 team’s Italian team principal Guenther SteinerCredit: AFP More

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      ‘I threw me f***ing dinner at him & said: ‘Want to say something now, big ears?’ Vinnie Jones on feud with Gary Lineker

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      FOOTBALL’S most notorious hardman Vinnie Jones is glad to have turned his back on his “lunatic” heavy-drinking past that featured brushes with the law in its wilder moments.Twelve years sober, the 59-year-old former Wimbledon midfielder who became a Hollywood star reveals all is now “quiet” in his life with new partner Emma Ford on his West Sussex farm.Vinnie Jones is glad to have turned his back on his ‘lunatic’ heavy-drinking pastCredit: Perou/WBD/discovery+.Vinnie is filming an advert for the British Heart FoundationCredit: SuppliedBut when I meet the actor at his former club’s stadium, where he is filming an advert for the British Heart Foundation charity, there is still a mischievous glint in his eye.Memories of a three-decade feud with Gary Lineker suggest that although he is no longer in Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang of wildman players, there may still be a bit of the Crazy Gang left in the man who was sent off 12 times in his career.Last week Gary told how the only player who had had a “pop” at him over critical comments he had made on Match Of The Day was Vinnie.And according to the man himself, it was far more than a “pop”.READ MORE ON VINNIE JONESVinnie — whose best-known roles include 1998 crime caper Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and this year’s hit Netflix series The Gentlemen — recalls how Gary “said he’d rather watch [now-defunct teletext service] Ceefax than watch Wimbledon”.Vinnie was not amused, and said: “If I’d got hold of him I’d have ripped him a f***ing new ahole.Christmas list“So when I saw him in a hotel in Dublin, I threw me f***ing dinner at him and said, ‘Well, you want to say something now, big ears?’”The 1995 set-to also involved Vinnie throwing slices of toast at Gary.Most read in FootballBut the Ceefax putdown was not Gary’s only snipe at the Crazy Gang, and a year later he said that Vinnie was “no benefit to the game”.The club then hit back at former England striker Gary, saying he had the “charisma of a jellyfish”.Vinnie Jones shares major update on beloved Discovery+ show In the Country after one series on air Three years later all appeared to be well when the pair appeared together in a Walkers crisps advert.But today Vinnie says with a grin: “He’s not on my Christmas card list. I’m sure I’m not on his.”The in-demand actor — who has a second series of The Gentlemen coming up as well as Paramount+ fly-on-the-wall documentary series Vinnie Jones In The Country — admits he was too aggressive in the old days.And he reveals it was Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones who turned his life around.Vinnie’s problems started when he was 12, with the divorce of his parents Peter and Glenda.He said: “It was my first kind of trauma in my life, because it wasn’t common then. It was looked down on.“I had a lot of aggression as a young man. And when I went to a psychologist, we pinpointed it back to the aggression, mental health and frustration.“Put that in a glass and put beer with it, and then you’ve got a fing lunatic on your hands.”Grabbing Gazza’s gooliesWhen Vinnie became a semi-pro player with non-league Wealdstone in 1984, aged 19, there was an ingrained drinking culture in football.Four years later, after signing for Wimbledon in 1986, he became a household name when he famously grabbed Paul Gascoigne’s private parts during a match against Newcastle United.After he retired from football a decade later aged 34 he made his movie debut in Lock, Stock and headed to Los Angeles.There he formed a celebrity football team called Hollywood United, whose players included Steve Jones and Robbie Williams.The hard-drinking party lifestyle continued, until ex-punk wildman Steve told him some home truths.Vinnie recalls: “We’d had a good drink one night and I phoned Steve. I said, ‘I haven’t got a problem’. He went, ‘Yeah, you have’. He knew.He said, ‘we’ve all got a dog.’ He said, ‘yours is a big bastard. You’ve got to control it. You’ve got to keep it in the kennelVinnie on advice he received from Guy Ritchie“Steve’s 30, 40 years sober now. And he was the one I turned to.”But on the rocky road to quitting alcohol he fell off the wagon, and it was Lock, Stock director Guy Ritchie who helped him, with an alcohol analogy about his “dog” being out of control.Vinnie recalls: “He said, ‘We’ve all got a dog. Yours is a big bd. You’ve got to control it. You’ve got to keep it in the kennel’.Jones had a long-running feud with Gary LinekerCredit: PA:Press Association“That helped me, what Guy said.”Now sober, Vinnie is glad to have put past dramas behind him, such as doing community service for a drunken air rage incident in 2003.He says: “When you’re getting a shower at nine o’clock at night and crash out and go to sleep, you know you’ve had a great day, you ain’t caused any bks.“There ain’t no copper coming round the next morning. You ain’t speed-dialling the florist on a Monday morning to send flowers to people you’ve upset.“And your morals are intact, aren’t they?”Vinnie’s level-headedness is even more remarkable given the heartache he has faced in the past decade.In July 2019 his wife Tanya died aged 53 after suffering cancer.It was her health problems that first got him involved with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in 2012.Tanya’s heart had stopped while giving birth to daughter Kaley and she had needed a heart transplant.Vinnie says: “We definitely had a connection with heart troubles. We’ve had our fair share.”Vinnie met Tanya when they were both 12, when they became next-door neighbours in Watford, Herts, and he says: “We dated at 16.”Wimbledon footballer Vinnie with the FA Cup in 1988Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdVinnie with partner TanyaCredit: RexBut they both found other partners.Tanya gave birth to Kaley in 1987 with her footballer husband Steve Terry, and Vinnie had a son, Aaron, with his then-girlfriend Mylene Elliston in 1991.However, the relationships did not last, and eventually he and Tanya got together and married in 1994.The first thing I do is make my bed in the morning. I’ve got that level, absolutely pristine it isVinnieIn his first advert for the BHF he urged people to perform life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, on anyone who had suffered a cardiac arrest by pushing down “hard and fast” on their chest in time to the Bee Gees song Stayin’ Alive.That campaign, he says, “saved a lot of lives” and now he hopes to encourage 270,000 people to learn the five steps of CPR through a new social media advert.Titled Every Minute Matters, it was made in conjunction with bookie Sky Bet, which is donating £10,000 to the charity for every stoppage-time winner scored this season.The quieter lifeAfter Tanya died, Vinnie said it would be an “impossibility” for him to wed again because their marriage had been “perfect”.However, he has grown close to personal assistant Emma, 47, who works on his TV show Vinnie Jones In The Country.Together they tackle all the problems that come with running a farm.Vinnie has not commented publicly on the relationship, but when asked if he is going to settle down with Emma he replies: “It’ll all be nice and quiet. Everything’s nice and quiet at the farm, put it that way.”At the moment it is harvest time, so they have their hands full getting the crops in.He continues: “It’s my favourite time of the year, the harvest. I love it when they cut all the corn.“I’ll jump on the tractor and help the lads bale in. It’s great.”He reveals that he has sold his Los Angeles home and only has a pad at a golf club in Palm Springs, where he spends three months of the year.In January the former wild man of football will turn 60, but there will be no big party with his old mates Guy, Steve and Brad Pitt.He says: “The old Vinnie would have had a big bash. I’m done with it all really.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I like being in Sussex, where I’m out of the bubble. I’m off the radar.”Vinnie Jones and Emma Ford In The CountryCredit: Discovery +Vinnie Jones and Frank Leboeuf with Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, who Vinnie says turned his life aroundCredit: FirsttouchonlineGrant Rollings with VinnieCredit: Supplied More

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      in Soccer

      How former teacher Sven-Goran Eriksson became ice cool England hero and unlikely playboy – before tragic cancer battle  

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      THE scoreline still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end: Germany 1, England 5.In the dugout, masterminding the demolition of the old sporting enemy that day, was a thoughtful Swede who stayed ice cool amid the pandemonium around him.Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died aged 76Credit: ReutersSven with Italian former girlfriend Nancy Dell’OlioCredit: Rex FeaturesEngland’s first foreign manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, seemed like nothing would ruffle him.Few would have guessed — from his owlish exterior at least — that away from the football pitch he led such a tumultuous personal life.That crazy night in Munich in 2001, now part of English footballing folklore, proved something of a high watermark for Sven and his Golden Generation of players.His three international tournaments with England all ended at the quarter-finals.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLBroken metatarsals, bodged penalties and a Ronaldinho free kick that looked to be a mis-hit denied him sporting immortality.And his time as Three Lions coach will be remembered as much for his shenanigans off the pitch as his successes on it.With receding grey hair, rimless specs and a demeanour seemingly as chilly as a Scandinavian fjord, he didn’t seem like a ladies’ man.Yet appearances were very deceptive.Most read in FootballHis glam Italian former girlfriend Nancy Dell’Olio wrote breathlessly of their first meeting: “The attraction was electric before we touched — but one touch was all it took.”And there were affairs with Britain’s other famous Swede Ulrika Jonsson and FA secretary Faria Alam — both while he was still dating Nancy.Elk huntingSven, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 76, landed the Three Lions job after Kevin Keegan quit the post after England lost 1-0 to Germany in October 2000. David Beckham shares heartbreaking tribute video after tragic death of former England manager Sven-Goran ErikssonTerry Venables — who had guided England to the Euro 96 semi-final — was overlooked. Instead, the FA chose Sven, who had won Italy’s Serie A with Lazio but was largely unknown in Britain.The elevation of a foreigner to the top job in the motherland of football was not welcomed by all.One leading sports writer complained that England had “sold our birthright” to a “nation of seven million skiers and hammer throwers who spend half their lives in darkness”.When Eriksson’s name was announced, I was dispatched by The Sun to his remote home village of Torsby, set in thick pine forest not far from Sweden’s border with Norway.Many of the 4,000-odd inhabitants of the village, where temperatures can drop to -30C, were as well versed in elk hunting as they were in football.Some said that, away from footie, Sven enjoyed Tibetan poetry and tennis — quite a departure from the usual lifestyle of the English game.Known as Svennis in Torsby, the truck driver’s son had worked as a sports teacher before a short-lived career as a pro footballer.A solid, right-footed defender for teams in Sweden’s lower leagues, Sven was forced to retire in 1975 after an injury, aged just 27.After the appointment of Tord Grip — one of his old managers and later his No2 at England — at part-timers Degerfors in Sweden’s third division, he asked Sven to be his assistant.The pair aped the English game, playing 4-4-2 formations.When Grip took over as boss of the Swedish national team, Sven was given the Degerfors top job.A boyhood Liverpool fan, he later said: “I was always drawn to the physical strength and commitment of the English game. It was my model in the early days in Sweden.”In March this year he achieved a life-long dream when he was invited to Liverpool’s Anfield ground to manage the club’s Legends veterans for a day, and led the side to a 4-2 win against Ajax Legends.At Degerfors he brought in a sports psychologist and the side won promotion.He was on his way.In 1979, when he was just 30, Swedish giants Gothenburg gave him the manager’s job, and three years later they won the Uefa Cup.In 1982 he left his homeland for successful stints at Benfica in Portugal — twice — plus Italian sides Roma, Fiorentina and Lazio, before securing the England job.In 1977 he had married Ann-Christine Pettersson, daughter of the principal of a teacher-training college where he had been a student.They had two children, Lina, now a charity worker, and Johan, a football agent.The couple divorced in 1994, then in 1998, while at Lazio, Sven was introduced to a raven-haired Italian with a taste in plunging necklines.The Swede was a boyhood Liverpool fanCredit: Sunday TimesA young Sven Goran Eriksson in uniformCredit: Nina PerssonMarried lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio later recalled her first impression when she met Sven at a Tuscan spa resort was that he appeared “quite distinguished but nothing special”.She added: “Later he told me that he was completely transfixed from the first moment he saw me.”Sven invited her to lunch and Nancy later said she had “hated” deceiving her husband Gianfranco, also a lawyer and a friend of Sven’s.Eventually Sven asked her to leave her husband, and they broke the news to Gianfranco together.At Christmas 1999 Sven produced “a beautiful diamond engagement ring” and they seemed set for a happy marriage.Yet Nancy later wrote in her life story My Beautiful Game: “Little did I know that even stormier waters were lying just ahead.”England had come calling for Sven in October 2000.He was one of world football’s sharpest and most decorated managers, with the BBC calling him “the man with the Midas touch”.Sven said of what has been called an impossible job: “All England managers have been declared idiots at some times in their career, even Sir Alf Ramsey.England’s ‘first lady’“I knew what to expect. I didn’t take the job for the money or the weather. I took it because it’s England.”He and Nancy moved into a luxury home overlooking London’s Regent’s Park and she later described herself as “the first lady of English football”.His first game in charge — a friendly against Spain at Villa Park in February 2001 — saw England win 3-0.Victories against Finland, Albania, Mexico and Greece followed, with Sven the first England manager to win his first five games.Then, on September 1, 2001, came a far greater challenge — the might of Germany in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich.The Germans had only ever lost one World Cup qualifier at home.Since losing to England in the 1966 final, they had beaten the Three Lions at tournaments in 1970, 1990 and 1996.Yet Sven’s England destroyed them, with the fifth goal scored by Liverpool’s Emile Heskey, who had a reputation for being goal shy.To this day England fans still chant to the tune of the Village People’s Go West: “5-1 — even Heskey scored.”Then automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup was secured ahead of Germany with a 2-2 draw with Greece at Old Trafford.Yet in April 2002, with the World Cup just weeks away, came news that left many flabbergasted.Sven had been having an affair behind Nancy’s back with Ulrika Jonsson, who was 19 years his junior.But the TV presenter later said: “This was no great passionate affair.“It was devoid of passion. He had all this power and money, yet he was the weakest man I have ever met.”The pair had met when she had asked for his autograph at a party thrown by Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell.It was devoid of passion. He had all this power and money, yet he was the weakest man I have ever metUlrika on SvenUlrika added: “When news of our affair broke he didn’t confirm what went on between us.“This meant I was left high and dry, even to the point that people believed I had made it up to get Press attention. That really angered me.”Yet Nancy stayed with Sven, despite the affair.Ulrika added: “I sensed he feared her. He admitted to me that she loved the attention she was getting from the media, so it’s little wonder if she didn’t want to give that up.”In the group stage of the 2002 World Cup England beat Argentina — in one of international football’s biggest grudge matches.In the quarter final against Brazil England scored first, then Brazil equalised in injury time.SGE played for Swedish division III team SK SifhallaCredit: Pressens BildWhen Sven was just 30, Swedish giants Gothenburg offered him the manager’s jobCredit: EmpicsGareth Southgate — then a player — allegedly said of Sven’s half-time talk: “We needed Winston Churchill but got Iain Duncan Smith [referring to the “quiet man” former Tory leader].As Sven stood on impassively in the second half, Brazil won it with a fluke free kick from Ronaldinho that wrong-footed goalie David Seaman.It was best summed up with what became a Sven catchphrase: “First half good, second half not so good.”Perhaps the most glorious missed chance for Sven and English football was Euro 2004 in Portugal, when teen sensation Wayne Rooney limped off with a cracked metatarsal in the quarter-final with the host nation.England went on to lose on penalties.That year Sven had a fling with another far younger woman — ex-model Faria Alam, an FA secretary.She later said: “After he’d filled the dishwasher, he led me upstairs to his bedroom. He didn’t have the mindset of a super-rich man.“He was saying how he did yoga and things like that. And I just fell in love with him, I guess.”Sven with ex wife Ann-Christine and son Johan in 1980Credit: Pressens BildMatters were complicated by the fact that Faria had also had a fling with FA chief executive Mark Palios.Yet again, Nancy stayed with Sven, who later admitted there were other lovers, including a singer, a Romanian ex-gymnast and a Swedish employee of Scandinavian Airlines.In January 2006 it was announced he would leave his £4.5million-a-year job after that summer’s World Cup.The tournament again ended in failure at the quarter-finals and will largely be remembered for Sven perhaps wisely allowing the Wags to grab centre stage.But his record of 40 wins and 17 draws in 67 fixtures was not matched by his successors until Gareth Southgate’s reign.Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything – coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live itSven’s farewellLater management roles included stints with Manchester City, Notts County and Leicester City, as well as the Mexican, Ivory Coast and Philippines national teams.His turbulent relationship with Nancy also ended.Sven saw out his days back in Sweden with long-term partner Yaniseth Bravo Mendoza, a Panamanian former nightclub dancer 21 years his junior who he met outside a bar in Mexico City.In January he revealed he had terminal cancer.In a poignant Amazon documentary, he said of his impen-ding death: “Don’t be sorry, smile.“Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”A maxim he certainly abided by.Sven posing at the front of a motorbikeCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdThe coach had an affair with fellow Swede Ulrika JonssonCredit: PA:Press AssociationThe Swedish football manager with partner Yaniseth Alcides during the Sports Gala 2024Credit: RexThe footie icon had an affair with FA secretary Faria Alam while he was still dating NancyCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdSven led England to a 5-1 win against Germany in 2001Credit: Getty Images – GettyMichael Owen scored a hattrick during Sven’s demolition of Germany in MunichShrewd Swede’s greatest gamesBy Thomas GodfreySVEN’S Three Lions teams left fans with some spine-tingling memories.5-1 vs Germany, 2001Boss recalled out-of-form Michael Owen who scored a hat-trick. Skipper Steven Gerrard and Liverpool’s Emile Heskey also netted to stun 60,000 home fans in Munich.Becks free kick, 2001Sven kept David Beckham on against Greece and was rewarded when he lashed home a 93rd-minute free kick for a 2-2 draw and 2002 World Cup qualification.Argentina KO’d, 2002Four years on from being sent off against our bitter rivals, Beckham’s penalty secured a 1-0 win and eliminated them.Argies encore, 2005Michael Owen scored two late goals in 3-2 friendly win in GenevaRooney rescue, 2004Wayne Rooney, then 18, scored twice in a comeback 4-2 Euros group stage win over Croatia. More

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      How Sven Goran Eriksson’s tragic cancer battle helped him heal relationship with kids…as he admits he’s ‘scared to die’

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      WITH a legendary career as a football manager and famously colourful love life behind him, Sven Goran Eriksson was looking forward to a long and settled retirement.But England’s first foreign coach was left reeling when he was been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer – after waking up and feeling dizzy.In a new documentary, Sven gave football players, coaches and fans one final goodbyeCredit: PAThroughout his illustrious career, he has won the admiration of his peers and football criticsCredit: GettyIn the film, he talks about how he had a good life and where his final resting place could beCredit: Amazon PrimeHe made history when he became England’s first-ever foreign managerCredit: PA:Press AssociationAs he was rushed to intensive care, his daughter Lina called her brother Johan to tell him: “Dad is in the emergency room. And he’s not in a good way.”The family went into “panic mode” when they discovered that Sven had suffered five strokes. His situation was so dire that it left doctors in tears when delivering the news. In January, he stunned the world by revealing that he had “about a year to live”.And in a new heart-wrenching Amazon Prime documentary, set to premiere today, Sven opens up about his incredible life and career and coming to terms with having months to live.READ MORE FEATURES Reflecting on receiving the agonising diagnosis from his home in Sunne, Sweden, Sven says: “It was a shock. It’s one of those which will not go away. “But you can slow them down hopefully. I have no pain but I know it’s there. One day it will take you. Before that day, live instead of sitting down thinking about what and when it will happen.”Now, Sven is determined to take life one day at a time and tries not to think too much about what lies ahead. “I always feel bad to plan the future”, he says.”Most read in Football”I take it as it comes. I know what I have and I know life will not last forever. Far away from that but I’m okay.”Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, 75, reveals he has cancer and has ‘at best a year to live’In the film, Sven bravely opens up about his cancer battles and reveals his fearsCredit: Amazon PrimeHe talks about how scared he is but also reveals how he has come to terms with cancerCredit: Amazon PrimeIn the film, Sven revealed that he was still undergoing treatment that will help slow down the progress of the cancer. He solemnly says: “The medicine… we don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m sort of scared. It takes a little bit of time before we can accept it. I’m still here.”According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 9,600 pancreatic cancer deaths every year, which comes to 26 deaths a day.Researchers also say only five per cent of people diagnosed with the disease survive for ten years or more. Confronted with the horrific reality that the disease will eventually take his life, Sven explains how he has been able to process the harrowing situation. He says: “I had a good life, yes. I think we are all scared of the day it will finish – when you die. But life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it for what it is.”The manager, who has won 18 cups also says: “I had a good life, maybe too good, you have to pay for it.”His positive outlook has been evident ever since he was diagnosed with the disease.In an emotional interview with Channel 4 in March, he said: “You appreciate waking up in the morning and feeling well and normally you don’t do that. “You take it for granted. In the beginning, when you get the diagnosis coming from nowhere, it’s like a shock, but after a while, you learn to live with it.”I had a good life, yes. I think we are all scared of the day it will finish – when you die. But life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it for what it is.”Sven Goran ErikssonOne of the documentary’s most gut-wrenching moments is when Sven offers his last goodbye and thanks players, coaches, and fans.He says: “Today I have a normal life and I am not thinking about what’s going to happen tomorrow or the day after. Otherwise, you sit, do not, and think pity of yourself. No. Leave it. “I don’t talk about it very much. It is what it is. I can’t beat it, probably. Anyhow, life is beautiful.”Hopefully at the end people will say he was a good man but everyone will not say that. I hope you will remember me as [a] positive, getting to do everything he could.”Don’t be sorry. Smile. Thank you for everything. Coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life and live it. Bye.”Sven has even identified Fryken Lake, near his Swedish home, as a possible final resting place.Explaining his decision, he says: “I always thought it’s a great place to sleep,” he said. “The ashes could be thrown into the water here. It feels like home.”Reconnection with childrenLina with her dad and his partner YanisethCredit: RexLina and Johan Eriksson appear in the documentary to speak about their dad’s devastating diagnosisCredit: Andrew TimmsSven and his kids have now reconnected after his cancer diagnosisCredit: YouTube / Amazon Prime Video SportSven with his ex-wife and son Johan in 1988Credit: AlamyBefore Sven’s highly publicised relationship with Nancy Dell’Olio and his affairs with Ulrika Jonsson and Farria Alam, he was married to Ann-Christine Pettersson. The pair were married between 1977 and 1994. According to him, the relationship ended because he cheated on her with Graziella Mancinelli. They had two children together – son Johan, 45, who now works as a football agent and Lina, 37. They have both rallied behind him during his difficult times and appear in the documentary. But it wasn’t always a smooth ride for the family. In the film, Sven opens up about questioning his parenting during the breakdown of his marriage. He says: “When you get divorced, you feel bad – and I did. At that time I don’t think I was a great dad. But before that and after that I guess I was okay. “It’s good to see that the children found the right way and have a good life. I am proud of them. Extremely proud.”Lina also talks about reconnecting with her father and how difficult it has been to see him go through cancer. She says: “He’s a very black-and-white person when it comes to how he’s feeling. Everything’s good, or it’s s**t. “Every time coming back to the house, I see the clear difference in deteriorating. That’s really, really hard to see.””I think it has taken time to process and I think he has come a long way now than initially”, Lina adds. “It’s only very recently that I’ve been able to reconnect with dad and to have a very different relationship with him than I had had as a teenager. “You realise the value of life and that what you thought was important is really not that important.”He’s a very black-and-white person when it comes to how he’s feeling. Everything’s good, or it’s s**t. Every time coming back to the house, I see the clear difference in deteriorating. That’s really, really hard to see.”Lina ErikssonLina also spoke about her father’s fears of his treatment being stopped if he shows signs of the side effects he’s suffering. “He really wants to continue with the treatment to try and stop the growth of the cancer as much as possible”, she says. “So for him, any kind of side effect or challenge or anything like that, he just tries to fight it because he’s so scared that they will stop the treatment for him.”In a touching and emotional moment, she adds: “It’s hard to imagine life without him.”Partner’s ‘hope’Sven has been with his partner Yaniseth for the past 16 yearsCredit: RexIn his autobiography, Sven revealed how they met on a night out in Mexico CityCredit: AlamyThe happy couple with friends and family, including Yaniseth’s sonCredit: AlamyFollowing his divorce Sven has a nine-year relationship with lawyer and Strictly star Nancy Dell-Olio and well documented affairs with Ulrika Jonsson and FA secretary Faria Allam, who appears in the documentary.Talking candidly in the documentary, he says “sex is one of the good things in life for all of us” and Nancy, 62, reveals how much she loved being “the first lady of football.”But for the last 15 years, Sven has been in a relationship with Yaniseth del Carmen Bravo Mendoza, a former exotic dancer he met in a nightclub in Mexico City.Yaniseth mainly speaks Spanish. Thankfully, Sven is bilingual and had no problem communicating with her when they first met.In his autobiography he revealed that she approached him and “said her name was Yaniseth and that she worked as a dancer a a restaurant and nightclub not far away.”She invited me to come and watch her when she danced.”Sven’s ex Nancy appears in the documentaryCredit: Amazon PrimeThe pair had a stormy nine year romanceCredit: GettySymptoms of pancreatic cancerPANCREATIC cancer doesn’t always cause symptoms in its early stages.As the cancer grows and you do begin to show signs, these may come and go and be unspecific, making it hard to diagnose, according to Pancreatic Cancer UK.Common symptoms include:Indigestion – a painful, burning feeling in your chest with an unpleasant taste in your mouthTummy or back pain – it may start as general discomfort or tenderness in the tummy area and spread to the back, which get worse lying down and feel better is you sit forwardDiarrhoea and constipation – see a GP if you have runny poos for more than seven days, especially if you’ve lost weight as wellSteatorrhoea – pale, oily poo that’s bulky, smells horrible and floats, making it hard to flushLosing a lot of weight without meaning toJaundice – yellow skin and eyes, as well as dark pee, pale poo and itchy skin After chatting and swapping numbers, he invited her to dinner in his apartment the next day.The following year, Yaniseth, who had a five-year-old son then, visited Sweden for the first time and spent Christmas with him and his children.Friends describe his devotion to the 54-year-old as “second to none” and say his two children are “fond of her”.In the film, she tearfully speaks about how hopeful she is that Sven can still beat the disease. “I’m trying to be calm for his sake because he’s making such a huge effort”, she says. “We’ve been together fifteen years and I’m hoping that we’ll be together for many years to come. I’ll never lose this hope. I can’t.”Yaniseth has been a source of support for Sven and continues to stand by his side in his last days. We’ve been together fifteen years and I’m hoping that we’ll be together for many years to come. I’ll never lose this hope. I can’t.Yaniseth del Carmen Bravo MendozaEarlier this year, she was pictured next to him at a Swedish sports awards ceremony as he received a standing ovation from the audience.Afterwards, she gave a brief interview to Swedish media and gushed about her man. She said: “It feels good to be by Sven’s side. There are so many people who come forward and say nice things. Now I understand how big he is.”Sven appears to share Yaniseth’s hope. In January, he spoke about his determination to “fight as long as I can”. Wooed by yoga talkFARIA Alam has revealed that she fell for Sven-Goran Eriksson because he had charmed her by talking about art, poetry and yoga.She had a fling with the Swede after joining the FA as a secretary in 2003.Speaking about it in the Amazon Prime documentary Sven, Faria, now 58, said: “He didn’t have the mindset of a super-rich man. He talked to me about poetry, he talked to me about art.“He was saying how he did yoga and things like that.“And I just fell in love with him, I guess. And that lit the fuse for all this to explode.” But the lovers were found out. At first, the FA denied it but emails not only proved it but confirmed that she also had a relationship with the FA chief Mark Palios.Sven, 76, says: “I felt very sorry for her. She lost the job and two members of the FA lost the job.”Faria signed two deals to sell her story for £300,000 after she had resigned — on the advice of Sven.But she was hurt by being portrayed as a “disgusting gold digger person”. She says on the show: “I’m the person that’s the bad person, and I was the scapegoat for them to be relieved of any responsibility.”Incredible careerSven has had the life and career most football coaches can only dream ofCredit: GettySven has had a successful career as a manager with 18 trophies to his nameCredit: RexSven is one of the most respected coaches in all of the sport and has won the admiration of players such as David Beckham and Wayne Rooney. His management career began in Sweden, but his rise to prominence came when he found success with Benfica in Portugal.He then moved to Italy, where he managed multiple clubs. But his biggest success there came when he led Lazio to win several trophies. In 2001, he made history by becoming England’s first-ever foreign coach. He took the team to three major tournaments – the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, and the World Cup in 2006. He reached the quarterfinals in all three competitions. The penalties defeat at the hands of Portugal in the 2006 World Cup was his last game with England. Since then, he has managed other teams, including Premier League side Manchester City and the Mexican and Ivory Coast national teams. In his documentary, David Beckham said: “I loved him from day one. He made me captain. The confidence he had in me was so important.READ MORE SUN STORIES”The way he protected the players, the way he treated the players, it was a breath of fresh air.” SVEN is on Prime Video in the UK, Ireland and Nordics on August 23.Players such as David Beckham have sang the praises of Sven-Goran ErikssonCredit: ReutersHe has won 18 trophies in an incredible career that has spanned decadesCredit: Reuters More

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      Mafia handed me £100k in Sainsbury’s bag to fix football matches…I’m haunted by chilling warning to players who refused

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      SPEEDING through London with £100,000 in cash in the footwell of his car, footballer Moses Swaibu knew he had just crossed over into the dark side of the beautiful game.Moses had been paid by a foreign organised crime group to fix the match between his Conference side Bromley and Eastbourne.Moses Swaibu, a talented footballer, got engaged in match-fixing after getting paid thousands of poundsCredit: RexHe previously played for teams such as Crystal Palace, Lincoln City, and BromleyCredit: GettyHis Lincoln City teammate Delroy Facey was also involved in the schemeCredit: Newsteam – SWNSBusinessmen Chann Sankaran and Krishna Ganeshan were also convicted for match fixingAnd instead of feeling guilty, Moses was hungry for more. He was no longer a professional footballer, he was a professional match fixer.He had the power to control score lines and make millions for overseas betting cartels.Somehow he had gone from being named Crystal Palace’s Young Player of the year, to trusted lieutenant in an organised crime group rigging football matches and making vast sums of money by betting on the results.But his actions were going to send shockwaves through the English football league – and land Moses and other players in prison.READ MORE FEATURESSwaibu was jailed for 16 months in 2015 following an undercover newspaper investigation into match fixing.He and another player, Delroy Facey were convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery following a trial in Birmingham.Two businessmen – Chann Sankaran and Krisna Ganeshan – along with footballer Michael Boateng, were also convicted of attempting to fix football games at an earlier trial.Moses, 35, now works to help prevent young players getting involved in illegal betting and has shared his story for a new BBC Sounds podcast, Confessions of a Match Fixer.Most read in Football“I drove across London with piles of cash in my car and learned how to identify which footballers could be made to throw a match,” he says. “I betrayed the game I loved.”Experts say match-fixing is not a victimless crime. The organised crime gangs behind the scams are often involved in drugs, prostitution and other criminal activities which the money feeds into.Ex footballer Delroy Facey arrives in court on match-fixing chargesMoses Swaibu had a promising career as a footballer but got involved with dangerous people, he saysCredit: GettyMoses says he only realised the scale of what he had done when he went to prisonCredit: EyevineMoses adds: “I went from promising youth player to working with some pretty dangerous people. I got in deep not realising how dangerous this world could be.“The thing is. It was only when I was in prison when I realised what I had done.”Moses grew up in Croydon after his Ugandan refugee parents split and he moved in with his dad.But his super-strict dad would lock the door of the house if Moses wasn’t back from school at a certain time each day, which meant Moses would spend his nights riding night buses or sleeping on a neighbour’s sofa.€60,000 in duffel bagDelroy Facey was Moses’ teammate and best friend at Lincoln CityCredit: EmpicsMoses says he was shown €60,000 in Delroy’s room when he was first given an opportunity to fix a matchCredit: AlamyFootball saved him when he joined a local youth team and was scouted by Crystal Palace and offered a two year contract.But instead of fulfilling his early potential, changes of management and his slight physique meant Moses slipped down the leagues and ended up at Lincoln City.Delroy Facey was his teammate at Lincoln and best friend. But strange things started to happen. Moses explains: “People were turning up to the training ground wanting to know where he was. And there was another thing too. Delroy would go around asking players for loans.”The players were staying in a hotel for an away match against Northampton when Delroy called Moses and a couple of others down to his room.“There was a white guy standing up, tall well-built,” says Moses. Delroy was sitting on the bed. Then Del opened the duffle bag and there was 60k in Euros. I was thinking in that moment, what the hell is going on? €60,000 if we lose tomorrow we can split it.“In my eye line I was looking at this guy. He looked like something stereotypical you see in a film. He is like a scary Russian bad guy from a film. “He was like, don’t worry, no pressure. If you guys get the score right tomorrow everybody is happy and you can go away. Does anyone want to take it? Sleep with it and let me know how you feel.“I am looking at this guy and he is like who wants to sleep with the money? I’ve never seen that type of money in my life let alone in that moment.”But Moses and the others decided not to get involved and the money was returned to the Russian.However that was not going to be Moses’ last experience of match-fixing.’Any means necessary’ Moses says he became keen on match-fixing and was willing to take the money by ‘any means necessary’Credit: AlamyAt one point, Moses was driving around London with £100,000 in his possessionCredit: RexHe made another move to conference side Bromley. After an initial great start, the team started to struggle, Moses had disagreements with the manager and his girlfriend was pregnant. Money suddenly mattered much, much more to him.In August 2012, he was approached by a team-mate inviting him to a meeting with match fixers. Moses knew there could be £60k in it for him and he needed five players – and he knew he had to approach the vulnerable ones.He says: “I knew going into that meeting there could be £60k that I would be willing to take by any means necessary.”They met at the Mayfair Hotel – Moses, his team-mates, a recently retired player from another team and the foreign match fixer with a translator.“The translator was very specific with what he wanted,” he recalls. “We need you guys to lose 2-0 in the first half only. So whenever those goals come, just make sure it is 2-0 in the first half. After that, go and play normal. Whilst we were given instructions, he gave us the bag. “I remember at that time we were already getting brown paper bags from Bromley with our wages. I felt the weight and I was like ‘sh**.’ The translator said keep the money, if you don’t want to fix the game, keep the money. Thank you for coming to the meeting. We all took the bag and he was like tomorrow let us know whether you guys want to do it.”The guys had been given £5k each. And they were set to make much more – the players were set to pocket £100k between the five of them if they got the result.“For the fix to be successful we had to be 2-0 down by half time. I remember that game like it was yesterday. You know when you play some away games there is something in the air, floodlights are lit, pitch is flat, but all I can think about was that if this is actually true, there is still an element of this is too good to be true.”The team got the result the match fixers wanted and, after the match, Moses got a call from the syndicate’s middleman to go and get their money.“He looked like a student, and the money came in Sainsbury’s bags,” he says. “I remember as he handed it over the car windows, he just put it in the footwell. I’m driving through London with £100,000 in the footwell.“When I am driving back, obviously I have never had that amount of money in my possession ever. It wasn’t until I got back to the hotel and I saw the glint in everyone’s eyes. Remember they are thinking they are getting £20k, and I am like nah, I am taking a third of it.“I quickly realised these lot ain’t really my friends. So why am I treating them like an equal. So I gave them some money and they were pissed off, like nah man you are ripping us off. “I was like this is the way it is man. I asked them one question, I said if you want in, you have got to be 100, if not, this is going to happen with or without you.”Soon Moses and the syndicate had cut out the middleman and he was dealing directly with the bosses.They wanted to avoid the big higher league matches and concentrate on the lower leagues to avoid scrutiny, with high stakes bets being placed across Asia on matches between little-known English clubs.I remember as he handed it over the car windows, he just put it in the footwell. I’m driving through London with £100,000 in the footwell.Moses SwaibuThe syndicate recruited Moses to identify which players to approach to fix matches across the conference, and then to make payments to those players after they had done what they said they were going to do.And Moses was good at it. He estimates he was helping his criminal bosses earn up to £1m a match – and Moses was loving it, not just the money, but the power too.“It wasn’t a thrill, it was an addiction,” he says. “I was getting money fast and quick.”DownfallWhile Moses was riding high, he had no idea that cops were closing in on himCredit: AlamyFootballer Michael Boateng contacted Moses about a discussion about match-fixingCredit: PABut if Moses was in denial about the criminality of his actions, he was soon to get a stark reminder.In a chilling warning, some players who didn’t fix a game they were meant to were each given a bullet to take home.“It didn’t cross my mind once whether someone’s livelihood or life is going to be jeopardised because this is what I am doing, this is how I am going to execute, why am I going to care about anybody else? I just didn’t care,” he says.Moses was so focused on himself that he wasn’t paying attention to the fact that the authorities were closing in and scrutinising suspicious betting activity in his league.Changes to the Premier League for 2024/25NOTHING stays the same forever.And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25.And it is hardly surprising, seeing as one lowly Conference South match, played in front of a handful of supporters, between Welling and Billericay, attracted more bets than Barcelona.He moved to Whitehawk before retiring from football in 2013. It was around this time he was caught up in the undercover investigation which led to his downfall. He got a phone call from Delroy Facey who said some “Singaporean guys” were new investors and were offering £60,000.He was also contacted by a player he knew from his days at Crystal Palace, Michael Boateng, whom Swaibu put in touch with Facey.Swaibu was suspicious when Boateng told him a “white guy” wanted to meet them to discuss the fix. They went to an Indian restaurant and the men handed over cash to Swaibu. He left the restaurant  only to be arrested by waiting police.On leaving prison Swaibu contacted the FA to provide information about the fixing syndicate and has visited clubs to talk about the dangers.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe now works with players to ensure that they can speak up if they are approached, saying: “The last thing you want to do is end up in the position I was in.”Confessions of a Match Fixer is available on BBC Sounds.Moses has now turned his life around and speaks about the impact of match-fixingCredit: APMoses, who refused to show his face while arriving at court, was sentenced to 16 months behind barsCredit: AlamyDelroy Facey was jailed for two and a half years for his role in match-fixingCredit: AlamyIn 2015, Michael was given a lifetime ban from football after admitting chargesCredit: PA More

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      Meet the new Wags of the Premier League season, from former beauty queen to skin care expert

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      THE Premier League season has kicked off with new additions to the beautiful game on – and off – the field.Once again, club bosses have spent large pots of cash to lure top players to their teams.As the new Premier League season kicks off, we reveal the new faces on the Wag sceneAnd new signings mean a whole set of new Wags – and they are as glamorous as ever.Emma Pietras reveals the latest wives and girlfriends . . . AnneKee MolenaarAnnekee Molenaar is a Dutch modelCredit: instagram/annekeemolenaarMatthijs de Ligt signed for Manchester United this monthCredit: GettyIT’S a case of AnneKee in the UK as the Dutch model relocates to Britain with her husband Matthijs de Ligt, who is Manchester United’s new centre-back signing.The 23-year-old’s dad is former Netherlands international Keje Molenaar.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnneKee and Matthijs met in 2018 and married this year.Celina KerrInfluencer Celina Kerr likes to keep her relationship with Joshua Zirkzee privateCredit: SplashMan United have paid Bologna a whopping £34million for ZirkzeeCredit: GettyDUTCH-born Nigerian striker Joshua Zirkzee, 23, and his influencer girlfriend Celina like to keep their relationship private – but they allowed themselves to be photographed in matching his and hers tracksuits for a JD Sports ad.Man United have paid Bologna a whopping £34million for Zirkzee, who is 6ft 4in.Noemie RomeeNoemie Romee loves travelling the world and is No1 fan of her partner Filip JorgensenCredit: TikTok / @noemieromeeJorgensen has been signed by Chelsea from Villarreal for £21millionCredit: GettyDANISH goalie Filip Jorgensen, 22, has been signed by Chelsea from Villarreal for £21million.Most read in FootballNoemie, who works as a sales tax employee at the Dutch Ministry of Finance, posts TikTok videos of her watching Filip play.The pair have a Pomeranian dog and revealed they were dating last year.I’m a WAG but I hate the stereotypes – I don’t get an allowance, and my husband does all the cookingLisa FullkrugLisa Fullkrug met her husband at schoolCredit: AlamyNiclas Füllkrug moved from Borussia Dortmund to West Ham on a four-year deal worth £27millionCredit: GettyTHE wife of German striker Niclas Fullkrug fell for him when they were at school together thanks to the gap in his front teeth, which was caused by an on-pitch injury.Their daughter Emilia was born in 2019.Niclas, 31, moved from Borussia Dortmund to West Ham on a four-year deal worth £27million.Lola RozenbergLola Rozenberg is a former beauty queenCredit: Instagram @lolarozenbergLola is the girlfriend of Dutch international Mats Wieffer, who has joined Brighton from FeyenoordCredit: GettyFORMER beauty queen Lola is the girlfriend of Dutch international Mats Wieffer, who has joined Brighton from Feyenoord for £25million.They have been together since 2022.Lola has recently shared snaps on Instagram of her taking in the sights in Brighton with 24-year-old Mats.Ellie CouplandEllie Coupland is a skin care expertCredit: INSTAGRAM @elliecouplanddIpswich snapped up Hull City centre back Jacob Greaves, 23, for an estimated £15millionCredit: AlamyIpswich snapped up Hull City centre back Jacob Greaves, 23, for an estimated £15million, meaning girlfriend Ellie may be on her way to Suffolk.Ellie is a skincare expert and worked at a salon in Hull.Her Instagram was filled with photos of their luxury life, including trips to Marbella and Mykonos.Lisa Smellers UnalLisa Smellers Unal is an interior designerCredit: InstagramTurkish forward Enes Unal, 27, signed for BournemouthCredit: GettySHE moved to the UK earlier this year when her husband, Turkish forward Enes Unal, 27, signed for Bournemouth.Lisa, 29, is thought to have played for Belgian football club Genk Ladies, but now works as an interior designer.The couple married in December 2019 and had daughter, Lila Ela, in 2020.Benedetta BoemeBenedetta BoemeCredit: InstagramRiccardo Calafiori, 22, recently made the switch to Arsenal from BolognaCredit: GettyITALIAN Riccardo Calafiori, 22, recently joined Arsenal from Bologna.His girlfriend Benedetta, 27, went viral in May after she gatecrashed a live interview with a female reporter to kiss him.The couple have matching hand tattoos, reading “Koi no Yokan” – Japanese for “premonition of love”.Clara Motta GuedesAt just 19, Clara Motta Guedes is signed to top agency Elite ModelsCredit: Instagram @ claramottaguedesClara’s boyfriend Rodrigo Gomes, 21, has been signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers from Braga in a five-year dealCredit: GettyAGED just 19, Clara is signed to top agency Elite Models.READ MORE SUN STORIESHer boyfriend Rodrigo Gomes, 21, has been signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers from Braga in a five-year deal worth £12.7million.Clara announced her move to her Instagram 61,000 followers: “From Portugal living in Wolverhampton.” More

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      Shock surge in price of replica Premier League shirts revealed including club whose top now costs £27 more than in 2019

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      PREMIER League sides have hiked the cost of new season shirts – with some rocketing 56 per cent in five years, we can reveal.Half the 20 top-flight clubs charge £80 or more for a standard adult replica jersey.Premier League replica shirts are soaring in priceCredit: RexMany fans are being expected to fork out £70-£80 for a jerseyCredit: GettyForest shirts have gone up a whopping 56%West Ham shirts have gone up 36%Another four want at least £70.The worst are Nottingham Forest who, in 2019, put a £48 price tag on an adult top.It now costs £75.Dr Peter Rohlmann, who is a German sports marketing expert, told The Sun on Sunday: “Ten years ago the price of Premier League replica shirts was the lowest in Europe, but demand from football fans has grown extraordinarily.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“Clubs’ expectations on kit suppliers have also increased, so the battle between manufacturers is becoming stronger and more expansive. Replica shirts are now the most popular merchandise for each football club.”Consumer expert Jane Hawkes insisted the prices are “not remotely justifiable”.She said: “This is another own goal by mega-rich football clubs.“Shirt prices seem to have been soaring since the pandemic and, with no big rise in production costs, it is hard to see any justification.Most read in Football“Pricing merchandise out of reach for loyal fans in a cost-of-living crisis is unfair and could, in the long term, backfire on clubs.”Ahead of the Euros, the England shirt was being sold for £125.Meet the new Wags of the Premier League season, from a Belgian interior designer to a Portuguese modelSome clubs, including Brentford, have tried to help fans by only bringing out a new top every two years.Their 2023/25 home shirt remains one of the cheapest at £60.Tottenham charges £85.Every club was contacted for comment.Tottenham put price increases down to a rise in general manufacturing, materials and shipping costs, and vowed to give fans “the most innovative and high-quality product possible”.A Brentford spokesman said: “We believe in football being affordable for our fans. The two-year cycle not only ensures affordability, but aligns with our commitment to reducing waste and promoting a greener future.”Palace shirts have increased by 20%I spent £338 on gearNEWCASTLE fan Michael Bramley forked out £338 on kit.That included home and away adult shirts, a child’s top, shorts, socks and a kid’s jacket.He says all clubs should have two-year shirt cycles, like Brentford, to help families.Michael, 37, who makes hospital equipment, said: “Last year, we managed to buy our son, Jake, seven, a full kit for £55. But now that’s the price of the shirt.“I’ve seen the prices increasing over the years. Two-year kit cycles should be mandatory to help the fans.“There’s a pressure to buy new shirts every year and Jake wouldn’t go without the new kit.“I hope that working-class families don’t get priced out of going to games and getting the shirts if prices continue to go up.”Model and social media manager Michele Ortiz-McGhee, 36, had to get her nine-year-old son Tom to buy his own Fulham kit.The mum of two said: “He used pocket money because we can’t afford it. We are about to fork out for new school uniform.“My husband and I can’t afford new tops ourselves. The clubs are laughing all the way to the bank. It is so unfair.“There should be a limit put on the price of these tops.” More

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      Sven-Göran Eriksson gave me blank cheque after romp but I never cashed it even when he left me high & dry, says Ulrika

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      WHEN I look at Sven-Goran Eriksson now, I see a much diminished man. A man reduced by terminal illness, but also a man who, by his own admission, has had a good life.As The Sun told yesterday, he talks about his private life on his Amazon Prime film Sven, including his affair with me.Ulrika Jonsson opens up on her time with Sven-Göran ErikssonCredit: Scope FeaturesUlrika says: ‘I was single at the time and he confided that he wanted to end his relationship with Nancy Dell’Olio because it was sapping him of energy’Credit: Rex FeaturesAfter a night together, Sven popped a blank check in Ulrika’s pocket when she was not lookingWe first met in 2002, when I asked him for his autograph at a party held by Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s spin doctor.He replied to me in our native language, Swedish, asking for my telephone number so he could call me. I was single at the time and 34. He was 54 and confided that he wanted to end his relationship with Nancy Dell’Olio because it was sapping him of energy.He then proceeded to call me every day when he went on holiday with Nancy, telling me I was beautiful and how much he wanted to see me.READ MORE ON SVENWhen he returned, the day after his 54th birthday, he visited me and we slept together.This was no great passionate affair. It was devoid of passion. He had all this power and money, yet he was the weakest man I have ever met.During our dalliance he was heading to his place in Portugal for the night between England games and asked me to join him.He said I should book myself on his flight and he would reimburse me. I said no way, I pay my own way — I’ve never taken money from a man.Most read in Football‘Pawns in a game’It was a point of principle.We met in the Club Lounge at Heathrow, pretending we had just met, and sat next to each other on the flight, almost giggling all the way.Legendary ex-England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson kept terminal pancreas cancer secret for a year to enjoy time with familyThen we spent the night at his place, where his housekeepers cooked us a meal.The following morning we left for the airport together and, in the car, he put a blank cheque from Coutts in my pocket when I wasn’t looking.He presented me with a blank cheque which he put in my pocket when I wasn’t lookingI keep it for posterity. But it might have been nice to fill it out at some point for all the hassle he brought me!When news of our affair broke, he didn’t confirm what went on between us. This meant I was left high and dry, even to the point that people believed I had made it up to get Press attention.That really angered me.I was an independent, working woman who did not voluntarily need to create a drama around my life for attention.He says in his documentary that he didn’t commit a crime, and he’s right about that.But he did do wrong.And he simply didn’t really care about much of life.As far as I could tell, he cared only about three things: His two children, who he adored. And football.Even when we were in Portugal, I asked him about his ex, the mother of his children.He said he had moved the wedding day in fav- our of a football match and she wasn’t happy.And I wondered if he was romantic and asked him how he proposed.I was surprised when he confided that she had proposed to him, which confirmed to me that I don’t think he had a romantic bone in his body. I know people didn’t understand why we were seeing each other, as it was an odd connection.Initially it was the Swedish thing that united us — and football.We talked about football a lot. But he was chivalrous and, in his heart, he was a kind man.He brought a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne — without fail — every time he came to my house.No ‘words of affection’For me, he showed me kindness and I’d just been going through the most horrendous time with being abandoned by my sick daughter’s biological father and worrying if she was going to get through her operations.When someone shows you kindness, it grabs your attention. In the film, he says he does have feelings, but he doesn’t show them. I think that’s honest and true. We never exchanged words of affection — it wasn’t that kind of set-up.I just saw him when he could get away from Nancy or was on the way to football games.She should be grateful for me raising her profile, she made a career out of ‘refusing to accept that she had been cheated on’Ulrika on Nancy Dell’OlioNancy admits in the film that she only stuck with him because she could get something out of it, which strongly suggests that she only really was with him because of the fame and the glory.She should be grateful for me raising her profile. She seemingly made a career out of “refusing to accept that she had been cheated on”.Before news of the affair between me and Sven broke, she was just the Italian girlfriend of the England manager. When it hit the headlines Nancy was suddenly famous. And she used that to her advantage. She’d have never been on Strictly Come Dancing if it wasn’t for me.Sven told me she was very fiery — it was a volatile relationship and I felt it was clear that he didn’t really, truly care about her.But he never promised me he would leave her, because I never asked him to.I sensed he feared her. And he confirms that in the film.He says he was afraid (of leaving her). He admitted to me that she “loved” the attention she was getting from the media, so it’s little wonder if she didn’t want to give that up.And obviously, apart from women attacking each other, there is the problem that misogyny is still verymuch alive and kicking in the world of football. Women continue to be viewed as pawns in a game of utmost importance, ruled over by men who show little but disdain for the opposite sex.I’ve never in my life fought over a man. I know Nancy was clinging to Sven, but she really needn’t have worried.She threw insults at me because she didn’t believe the brief affair was true. Surely her beef should have been with him?In the film, Sven’s son says how his dad doesn’t stress about things, and that was my experience, too.He never got concerned about things and said to me, “Why worry about something which might not happen?”.’Thinker perhaps more than a doer’He’s bright and studied philosophy, which is probably what brought a new and different approach to being England boss.Many didn’t like that he wasn’t demonstrably expressive, but that was just the way he was.Nancy says in the film that Sven is a narcissist, but I think that might be unfair. I just think he’s a very simple-minded person. And by that I mean he only puts energy into the things that are important to him. He’s pragmatic. Not a practical man, however.He proudly showed me his hands and said “these have never done a day’s hard work”.Sven is right, of course, about his outlook on life now. Life is short and I believe he has certainly made the most of itSven is certainly a thinker, perhaps more than a doer.I extracted myself from the situation when he clearly wasn’t going to ’fess up and carried on going out publicly with Nancy.I certainly didn’t become a Princess Di character, where there were “three of us” in that relationship.For a while he kept phoning me to speak to me or ask me to see him. He even got his agent to phone my agent to ask if I would wait for him after the World Cup. I declined.Sven is right, of course, about his outlook on life now.Life is short and I believe he has certainly made the most of it.He has led a life according to his own wills and desires.I’m sure he has regrets over some of his actions, but what good are regrets when the clock is ticking?We can but do our best.I bear him no ill will.READ MORE SUN STORIESI hope he squeezes the best out of whatever life he has left and that, on reflection, he realises that to err is to be human.He didn’t get it all right. But then, who does?Ulrika also says of Sven: ‘He had all this power and money yet he was the weakest man I have ever met’Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdThe ex-England boss has been diagnosed with terminal cancerCredit: Getty More