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      in Boxing

      Inside Daniel Dubois’ strict upbringing from hours of press-ups, no internet to vid that made him want to be world champ

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      DANIEL DUBOIS’ fearsome fists that floored Anthony Joshua bear the scars of a childhood being relentlessly drilled for boxing stardom.The 27–year-old South Londoner stunned Wembley Stadium on Saturday night when he knocked out the crowd favourite in the fifth round to retain his IBF heavyweight title.Daniel Dubois’ fearsome fists bear the scars of a childhood being relentlessly drilled for boxing stardomCredit: GettyDubois stunned Wembley Stadium on Saturday night when he knocked out the crowd favourite in the fifth roundCredit: GettyDaniel floored Anthony Joshua and secured his world heavyweight titleCredit: AFPAfter defeating two-time world champion Joshua, 34, Daniel looked towards his dad Dave, who had moulded him to be a king of the ring with a punishing training schedule.From the tender age of five, Daniel, whose nickname is Dynamite, was being coached at home to be a boxer. And by the time he was in his teens, his regime would include three to five hours of gruelling press-ups every day without food or water.Spending so much time with his hands against the floor left them permanently marked.Read More on SportDaniel’s market trader dad Dave, 63, whose real name is Stan, revealed he pushed his son hard in the quest for boxing glory.He said: “I wouldn’t give him food or water until he’d finished. That’s why he’s so powerful.“I just wanted to strengthen his mind because boxing is a hard sport. Not anyone can do it.”The Sun’s boxing correspondent, Wally Downes Jr, who had a ringside view of Daniel’s knockout right hook during Saturday’s showdown, said of the fighter’s reaction to winning: “Dubois’ celebration seemed muted for a kid who’s torturous training regime has left permanent scarring on his shovel-like hands.Most read in Boxing’Very disciplined’“But behind the scenes, he got to hug his giant father and we saw in full flow this unconventional family affair that has just derailed the AJ gravy train.”Before to the Joshua fight, Don Charles, who is 6ft 5in and Daniel’s current trainer, told how the young champ invests everything in his sport.AJ vs Dubois: Round-by-roundHe said: “He’s very disciplined away from boxing. You never read about Daniel Dubois going to night clubs, causing havoc, drinking, smoking, none of that.“He eats well. His dad does all his meal preps. They’re all home cooked.“It comes from a very strict background. His father is very, very, very strict with him. Always has been with all his children, not just Daniel, and that’s the product of that. He’s a very, very disciplined individual.”Daniel, who still lives at home, does not booze or party, and reportedly has little time for girlfriends due to his determination to be a boxing icon. His mobile has no internet after he was warned off phones as a kid.But he is not the only Dubois that father-of-11 Dave has sculpted for boxing success.Sculpted for boxing successHis daughter Caroline, 23, is considered to be one of the world’s best female boxers, while two of his other sons, Prince, 20, and Solomon, 12, are also aiming for glory in the ring.Dave would make Caroline and Daniel run laps around their estate in Deptford, South London, every other day to keep fit. Once, cops intervened, fearing the youngsters were being forced to do it by their father.Both children were home-schooled by Dave, who briefly put Caroline into mainstream education after being warned that social services may pay him a visit.I didn’t see much of the street because, from about the age of eight, dad kept me in the boxing ring. The training he put me through became so toughDaniel DuboisBut none of Daniel’s siblings has yet matched what he did at the weekend.Most of the record 96,000 crowd at Wembley were there to cheer on Anthony Joshua.Few commentators gave Daniel much chance of beating his Olympic gold medal-winning rival.Dubois had previously lost to Britain’s Joe Joyce and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in controversial circumstances in major bouts.In 2020, he was cruelly branded a “coward” by fellow heavyweight Dillian Whyte for signalling he could no longer go on in his European title fight against Joyce.It was revealed later that Daniel’s eye socket had been broken and he was struggling to see.Young talent Daniel, aged 12, triumphs in the ringCredit: InstagramHard press-up routines marked young Daniel’s handsCredit: InstagramThen, in August 2023, Usyk dropped to the canvas in the fifth round of their world heavyweight bout. But the referee ruled Daniel had landed an illegal “low blow.” Usyk went on to win, with the British boxer dropping to his knee at one point, unable to take the blows any more.Since then, Daniel has come back stronger than ever.He became the interim International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight champion in June by beating Croatian Filip Hrgovic.Usyk’s decision to continue with a rematch against Tyson Fury rather than take on Daniel again meant that the belt was handed to Dubois.After that, Daniel revealed that his dad had said, “You’re going to be world champion,” adding: “It’s all come to pass now, hasn’t it?”The way Dave tells it, he had a heavenly vision that Daniel would take one of boxing’s biggest crowns.He said: “I used to have a lot of visions when I was young, and I always followed them.From left, Prince, Caroline, dad Dave, Daniel and SolomonCredit: GettyDubois poses with his father Dave after a training session at the Peacock Profighters GymCredit: GettyDaniel aged nine with ex-boxing champ James DeGaleCredit: Instagram“I got a vision saying I needed to have some children and put them into boxing, so that’s what I did.“It was like I had been blessed by God. Everything I touched turned to gold.”Dave, who is a single parent, sold posters on market stalls in London.His fascination with boxing rubbed off on Daniel, who is the eldest son from his former second wife.The boxer said: “My dad would tell me stories about the world heavyweight champions.“One day, he put on a video of Lennox Lewis against Frank Bruno. That fight was the moment I knew that I wanted to be a world champion.”Dave started taking his son to a boxing gym from the age of eight.It kept him out of trouble.Daniel said: “I didn’t see much of the street because, from about the age of eight, Dad kept me in the boxing ring. The training he put me through became so tough, incredibly hard.“But my dad knew what the reward could be. Not once did I think of walking away. I dedicated myself totally.” The young sportsman also had a go at sprinting and swimming, but it was clear his talents were most suited to throwing punches.He trained in the renowned Peacock and Repton boxing clubs in East London.But it seems that his single-minded father often fell out with the coaching staff there. Daniel once said: “We changed gyms so often because the coaches didn’t seem to get along with my dad.”My dad knew what the reward could be. Not once did I think of walking awayDaniel DuboisStarting out, the future world champion won a couple of schoolboy titles and joined the Team GB set-up in Sheffield, with the intention of representing his country at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. But his dad convinced him to turn professional rather than continuing as an amateur in the Olympic set-up.While sparring in Sheffield aged 17, it is rumoured he knocked out AJ, a story Daniel will not confirm.In 2017, Daniel signed with promoter Frank Warren and knocked out his first opponent in a professional bout, Marcus “Caveman” Kelly, in 35 seconds.From then on, he won fight after fight, using his quick punches to floor sparring rivals. Until this weekend, though, he was not a household name — and that is because he is far from your typically flamboyant boxer.He does not boast about his victories or dance around the ring. Even when he beat Joshua, he stood calmly on the canvas as chaos erupted.Before Charles, he was trained by Martin Bowers and Shane McGuigan. Shane, who is the son of Irish boxing legend Barry, was coaching Caroline, too. However, a family rift means that Caroline, a gold medallist for Team GB at the 2018 Youth Olympics, is no longer in the Dubois fold.Instead, she is being trained by Shane and has moved away form their Hertfordshire family home. What was behind the differences is unclear.READ MORE SUN STORIESMeanwhile, Daniel does not have any regrets about sticking with his dad’s disciplinarian approach — retreating from the world to train for his bout with Joshua.The title-holder, sometimes called Triple D for Daniel Dynamite Dubois, said: “It’s been like prison, I’ve just been grinding. Have all the pleasure later. There is plenty of time for that.” More

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      in Soccer

      From a ‘Wetherspoons plate’ to something you’d throw up after a night out, the worst footie kits ever revealed

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      MANCHESTER City fans are looking back in anger at their side’s 0-0 draw on Wednesday against Inter Milan in the new “Oasis-inspired” fourth kit.After the match, City defender Manuel Akanji admitted he’d accidentally passed to the assistant ref because the official’s top looked like his side’s special-edition shirt.Erling Haaland in Wednesday’s disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw with InterCredit: AlamyThe Definitely City strip was part-designed by Noel Gallagher to mark the 30th anniversary of debut album Definitely MaybeCredit: PUMA / BEEMOne supporter fumed that the Definitely City strip – part-designed by the band’s Noel Gallagher to mark the 30th anniversary of debut album Definitely Maybe – was “the worst footie kit I’ve ever seen.”But in the league of garish football garb, the peach and blue shirt is nowhere near top of the table. Garish classic replica football shirts are trendy with Gen Z, who are as likely to flaunt an obscure top as they are a team’s main colours.True collectors will want all three – home, away and third kits, which can cost £80 to £110 each. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIf the strips have been “match-worn” by a star player in a memorable game they can fetch thousands of pounds.That has led to clubs battling to put out even more eye-catching kit.Premier League champs City went further, by introducing the Definitely City strip – inspired by the front room shown on the album’s cover – to be worn during home matches in the Champions League this season.The “authentic” shirt will set fans back £125. But it does come in a “collector’s box” featuring Noel on the front.Most read in FootballSo which club kits are winners and which deserve to be relegated to the nearest charity shop?Fashion Editor Clemmie Fieldsend is our referee.How much every Premier League club earns in shirt sponsorsMANCHESTER CITYBOSS Pep Guardiola strummed the guitar in a photoshoot recreation of Oasis’s Definitely Maybe album for the fourth kit’s launch.And while the shirt’s colours, seen above on Erling Haaland, are inspired by the famous album cover, they don’t appear to be in tune with fans who prefer the famous sky-blue hues.Clemmie says: “Some might say this Oasis themed shirt is Wonderwall, but Man alive, it’s reminding me of a dinner lady’s tabard.”NORWICH CITYThere is no excuse for this Norwich City multi-coloured goalie kitCredit: Norwich CityTHE Canaries can’t do much about the fact their yellow and green colours resemble what might be regurgitated after a heavy night out.But there is no excuse for this multi-coloured goalie kit, which is even more offensive to the eyes than their much sought-after early Nineties home shirt.Clemmie says: “The print looks like it’s come straight off a bus seat, and that’s not a fashion goal or a keeper.”TOTTENHAMTottenham’s army-green kitsCredit: tottenhamhotspur.comIT’S perhaps understandable that Tottenham fans might want to go out in camouflage after the Premier League side’s poor start to the season.But surely their army-green third shirt blends in too much with the turf and will make it difficult for team-mates to pick each other out.Clemmie says: “It may be ‘first the worst’ in the children’s rhyme, but third has outdone it when it comes to Tottenham’s reserve shirt.”IPSWICH TOWNIpswich Town’s pink and white third kit is sponsored by Ed Sheeran’s world tourED SHEERAN has worn his beloved Ipswich Town’s third kit, which is sponsored by his world tour.While the ­pop collaboration makes sense, the pink colour with white musical frequencies on it is nothing but a bad equation.Clemmie says: “Featuring sound waves from fans at Portman Road, plus the local coastline, Framlingham Castle and Wolsey’s Gate – local tourism chiefs must be thrilled.”CHELSEAIt looks like Chelsea have stuck a white top in a washing machine with blue dye to create this kitHAVING splashed out more than £300million on players this summer, it seems the West London club didn’t have much cash left over to hire a kit designer.Instead they seem to have stuck a white top in a washing machine with blue dye and left it to see what would happen.Clemmie says: “It’s not very likely that this child-like design is going to ignite any fires in fashion.”STOKE CITYStoke City’s third kit reminds Clemmie of ‘Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress’Credit: Southampton FCTHE Championship side have just sacked their manager Steven Schumacher – but the designers who did their third kit deserve the push as well. For a part of the world that is famous for its potteries, you might think they could do better.Clemmie says: “Stoke City’s third kit reminds me of Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress with its patchy pink design – and not in a good way.”ARSENALArsenal supporters blasted the decision to have kits with similar colours to those of Man CityTHE Gunners have gone for a sky-blue third kit, with very similar colours to those of their biggest league rivals, Man City.But that decision has been blasted by supporters of the North London side.Clemmie says: “The light blue and lilac colours have a look of the Premier League title holders’ shirt about them. “But despite the critics, it is the most versatile and fashionable of the lot.”SUNDERLANDSunderland’s shirt looks like a Wetherspoons plate, say fansSTARE too long at The Black Cats’ third kit and you are liable to be hypnotised by its Seventies-style pattern.Look closer at the blue shirt and you will see a colliery wheel, which celebrates the city and wider North East’s proud coal mining history.Clemmie says: “Some fans have taken a stand against it saying it looks like a Wetherspoons plate.”LEICESTER CITYLeicester City’s black Adidas shirt, with gold and pink splashes, looks fadedTHERE is nothing foxy about the away kit Jamie Vardy is wearing for The Foxes this season.The black Adidas shirt, with gold and pink splashes, looks faded – a bit like Leicester City’s ­survival hopes.Clemmie says: “There’s the vintage look and then there’s ‘mouldy’. Bit of an own-goal.”BRIGHTONBrighton’s striped yellow and blue away kit ‘has a retro feel’, says ClemmieCredit: NikeBRIGHTON’S striped yellow and blue away kit has drawn comparisons with those pesky cartoon Minions.But the Seagulls have had a strong start to the season, so maybe those bright colours are helping to put off the opposition.Clemmie says: “Brighton’s new kit has a retro feel that bumps it right up the fashion league table.”SOUTHAMPTONSouthampton’s pink kit has been described as ‘up there with the worst kits ever’Credit: Southampton FCFANS of newly promoted Saints described their new third kit as “needing sunglasses to see it” and “up there with the worst kits ever”.Pondering the South coast side’s dodgy history of questionable shirts, Clemmie says: “While they say their strip ‘follows the dazzle concept’, the Pepto Bismol pink colour makes me feel a little queasy and should be quickly relegated.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHOW THEY PEPPED UP  OASIS  LP  COVERMan City stars recreate Oasis’ legendary album coverCredit: PUMA / BEEMThe original Definitely Maybe cover by OasisTHE Definitely City kit is inspired by the Definitely Maybe cover, and the publicity material for it was shot in a living room based on the cover, with City’s Kyle Walker, Jess Park, Ederson and Mateo Kovacic joining manager Pep Guardiola. It also features images of City legends Colin Bell and Sergio Aguero. More

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      in Soccer

      ‘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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      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

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      Sex is one of the good things in life… I was stupid but did nothing criminal, says Sven Goran Eriksson on his affairs

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      TERMINALLY ill former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed all about his astonishing sex life in a documentary.The 76-year-old Swede tells Amazon Prime show Sven how he cheated on his long-time partner Nancy Dell’Ollio with Ulrika Jonsson and FA secretary Faria Alam.Ex-England football boss Sven-Goran Eriksson with his ex-lover Italian lawyer Nancy Dell’OllioCredit: Rex FeaturesSven had a fling with Swede Ulrika Jonsson while he was with NancyCredit: GettySven also cheated on long-time partner Nancy with FA secretary Faria Alam, aboveCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdBut he tells the programme that he did not commit any crimes and that “sex is one of the good things in life for all of us”. In the 107-minute documentary, Faria, now 58, reveals how the then-England manager told her to cash in on their 2004 affair.She says: “The Noughties were just that, they were naughty.“You could do so many things. I’ll be honest, I was a beautiful girl and I attracted a lot of attention.READ MORE ON SVEN“He said, ‘Tell your story, go and tell them everything. Make some money, why not?’.”Last year Amazon Prime cameras had access to Sven and his family as he battled pancreatic cancer at his home in Sweden.But at the start of this year Sven revealed that he had “probably less than a year to live”.As well as discussing how he feels facing death, England’s first foreign manager also talks candidly about the women in his life.Most read in FootballShe loved it. The tension. It was not peace in my house always.Sven on NancyItalian lawyer Nancy, 62, who spent nine years with Sven, admits that she nearly left him after his fling with fellow Swede Ulrika.But her lawyer advised her to give him another chance.Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson reveals that he is dying of pancreatic cancer and ‘has at best a year to live’In the documentary, Sven also admits that life could be interesting with fiery Nancy.He said: “She loved it. The tension. She was a lady from the upper classes in Rome. She liked to go out with important people.“In the beginning I didn’t react very much. But you don’t change people at a certain age. It was not peace in my house always.”’First lady of English football’ Nancy adds: “The first impression that I had about Sven, people in power always have extra, extra sex appeal. I felt in love.“It wasn’t something that I was looking for. I was married and I left my husband to start my journey with Sven.“We were Sven and Nancy since the first date.“I was the first lady of English football and there was never going to be another one after me.”But when news broke in April 2002 of Sven’s affair with Ulrika, Nancy was humiliated.Sven, who was England manager from 2001 to 2006, tells how he received a phone call from football agent Athole Still advising him not to let Nancy read the newspapers.He recalls telling Still: “It’s too late, there are 100 photographers outside already.”Sven adds: “Sex is one of the good things in life for all of us. She was not married. I was not married.“Probably I was stupid but I think I didn’t do anything criminal. I didn’t really disturb anyone.”She was not married, I was not married. I didn’t really disturb anyone.Sven on UlrikaBut he admits being fearful that Nancy would leave him.He says: “I could see in front of me, if I break up, it would be ‘pouf’. I was a little bit afraid but anyhow it became what it became.”Nancy confesses: “The stupidity of Sven. After Sven’s first scandal, I wanted to leave him.“I couldn’t want to admit to myself that there was a possibility that I made a mistake. That I left everything for him. My lawyers said give him another chance but think what you can get from this.”Sven also reveals that after he was appointed England coach he took tea at No 10 with Tony Blair who said: “Shall we take a bet? Who keeps the job longest, you or me? We have two impossible jobs.”’Don’t be sorry. Smile’Sven quit after the 2006 World Cup Blair resigned as PM in 2007.In the documentary, which streams next week, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney also pay tribute to their former boss. Becks says: “I loved him from day one. He made me captain. The confidence he had in me was so important.“The way he protected the players, the way he treated the players, it was a breath of fresh air.”I felt very sorry for her. She lost the job and two members of FA lost jobSven on FariaToday Sven lives with his partner Yaniseth Alcides, a former dancer, he met while coaching in Mexico.She tells the documentary: “I try to be calm for him because he is making a great effort. This year we turned 15 together. And I have hope that we will be together for many more years. I will not lose that hope.”They live in Sven’s rambling house overlooking Fryken lake near Sunne, in Värmland, where the bus driver’s son grew up and where he began his football career for local club Torsby.Sven says: “It’s a beautiful place. It makes me calm, below the mountain where my father grew up.Sven pictured in the Prime documentary Prime Video which airs in the UK, Ireland and Nordics on August 23Credit: Amazon PrimeDavid Beckham pays tribute to Sven in the documentary, saying: ‘I loved him from day one. He made me captain. The confidence he had in me was so important’Credit: Action Images“The ashes could be thrown into the water here.”Sven’s cancer was spotted after he collapsed at his home and, despite treatment it is terminal. He says: “Whoever it was said ‘life is too short’ is right.“I had a good life, maybe too good. You have to pay for it. I think we all are scared of the day when it’s finished, when you die.“You have to learn to accept it for what it is.“Hopefully, at the end people will say, ‘Yeah, he was a good man’. But everyone will not say that. I hope you will remember me as a positive guy and trying to do everything he could do. Don’t be sorry. Smile.”READ MORE SUN STORIES SVEN is on Prime Video in the UK, Ireland and Nordics on August 23.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.” More