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      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

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      I can’t forgive my sister Lauryn for second affair with Kyle… I have no sympathy, says Chloe Goodman

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      REALITY TV star Chloe Goodman fell out with her sister Lauryn when she “covered up” her second affair with footballer Kyle Walker — and they are still not speaking.In an exclusive interview with The Sun, glamour model Chloe tells how the feud saw her disinvite Lauryn from her dream wedding, claiming she had been “kept in the dark”.Sisters Chloe and Lauryn Goodman are not currently on speaking terms, and she has revealed whyCredit: AlamyChloe disapproves of Lauryn’s decision to take her children to Euro 2024, and was shocked she had a second child with Kyle WalkerCredit: SplashWalker with wife Annie and three of their four childrenCredit: AFPShe says she had no idea the England and Manchester City defender had been secretly romping with Lauryn until she called and told her she was pregnant.Chloe said: “I don’t think it’s a case of forgiveness, it’s a case of timing. I’m not ready to sit down and discuss things with her yet.“I feel I would get emotional and angry and I could say things I might regret.”Chloe had previously been assured that influencer Lauryn had resumed contact with Walker, 34, only so he could see their first son Kairo without his wife Annie Kilner finding out.READ MORE LAURYN GOODMANBut Chloe said: “I was shocked when I found out Lauryn was pregnant a second time because I didn’t know they had rekindled things.“I knew Kyle had been seeing Kairo privately and I was happy because all children should have a father in their lives.“I hadn’t asked him if he was back seeing my sister, because I’d assumed nothing was happening.“Lauryn hadn’t told me either. I told her, ‘I have no sympathy for you and Kyle now.’Most read in Football“That was the start of our relationship becoming strained.”Chloe, 31, has since tried to ensure her children Isla, four, and two-year-old Hudson maintain a relationship with their cousins at the same time as trying to protect her own family.Kyle Walker tried to meet Lauryn Goodman in a hotel room DAYS before saying their relationship was a mistakeBut today she reveals that she expressed concern for both Lauryn and her son’s safety when she saw they had flown to the Euros in Germany in June, with four-year-old Kairo wearing his dad’s favoured number two shirt.She also argued with Lauryn about how she informed 32-year-old Annie on Boxing Day last year that Walker was the father of her daughter Kinara.Lauryn’s text message to Annie sparked such a bitter war of words that former Celebrity Big Brother star Chloe has been deluged with vile abuse on social media along with Lauryn.In June, she made the decision to disinvite her sister from her wedding in Portugal to Swindon Town footballer Grant Hall, 32.Lauryn was due to be her bridesmaid while her children would have been page boy and flower girl — but the sisters have not discussed the situation since.Celebrity Big Brother star Chloe Goodman told sister Lauryn she had no sympathy for her after having a second child with WalkerCredit: Ben O’Connor/The SunWedding banChloe is giving this interview to set the record straight on their falling out — and to call on £160,000-a-week Walker, who also has four children with Annie, to take more responsibility.Mum-of-two Chloe said: “Kyle has stayed quiet and let the two women go at each other — and people always want to blame the woman. But bringing a child into the world is a shared responsibility.“Kyle and Lauryn are two adults. They both made choices and they should both take accountability for them. And the fact is that Annie, Kyle and Lauryn have all chosen to be in this situation. “My sister lives down the road from me and we see each other when my mum suggests I pop over with the kids.“But we haven’t properly spoken since she told Annie about Kinara on Boxing Day as I didn’t condone that. “Our relationship became strained over all the tit-for-tat and how she has acted.”I stand by my decision because I don’t think the wedding was the best place for Kairo and Kinara and I will explain that to them when they are olderChloe GoodmanChloe’s friendship with Walker dates back to when she was an 18-year-old model clubbing in London. She had become part of the footballer’s friendship circle and introduced him to Lauryn. In 2019 Walker was thrown out of his £3.5million Cheshire mansion after being accused of romping with Ex on the Beach star Laura Brown.Chloe said: “I knew that Lauryn was there for Kyle as a friend when Annie kicked him out and that led to them becoming closer.“But I didn’t know they had become more than friends until Lauryn rang me and told me she was pregnant with Kairo.“I asked, ‘Who is the dad?’ She told me it was Kyle and I was in shock. However, once the news sunk in, I was delighted. “All children deserve to be celebrated and Kairo was such a beautiful baby.“Lauryn hadn’t done anything wrong at this point. He was single and she had helped him through a hard time and a baby came of it.“Kyle eventually went back to Annie, which was expected as they had been together for so long, and things calmed down for a while.“Grant proposed to me in 2019 and we started planning the wedding in 2022.“We’re a close knit family and I asked Lauryn to be my bridesmaid. But in the build-up to the wedding we just weren’t getting on.“It’s like having a friend that will never take your advice and you have to suffer the consequences.“I eventually realised I had to be selfish to protect my own family.“I stand by my decision because I don’t think the wedding was the best place for Kairo and Kinara and I will explain that to them when they are older.“Lauryn and I were constantly arguing about multiple things. I didn’t agree with the decision to take the kids to the Euros because it was not safe for them given everything that was going on.“I do feel awful and I wish I could have had them all there, but I know I made the right decision.”Chloe says she has tried to ensure her own children have a good relationship with their cousinsCredit: Instagram @lauryngoodman91Court battleLast month, Chloe was left shocked again after a judge accused Lauryn of “insatiable greed” and of using Walker as an “open-ended cheque book”.A court heard that as well as £150,000 in annual maintenance, Lauryn had demanded a £31,000 astroturf pitch for one-year-old Kinara, as well as £33,000 for air conditioning at her seven-bedroom mansion in Hove, Sussex.At the end of the day the most important thing is that six innocent children are at the heart of thisChloe GoodmanChloe said: “To me the demands showed she was angry and hurt and was going for the jugular.“She’s been seen as the bad person and that’s justified with some of her actions so she probably thinks she has nothing to lose.“And people are looking at this from the view of an ordinary household income and saying, ‘That’s a disgraceful amount of money.’ “I’m not excusing her behaviour and there’s a lot that she’s done that I struggle with and that upsets me.“I often want to speak out — and if I bite my tongue people criticise me for remaining silent.“I’m damned if I speak and damned if I stay quiet because everyone has an opinion on this.READ MORE SUN STORIES“At the end of the day the most important thing is that six innocent children are at the heart of this.“I fear people have lost sight of that fact.”Lauryn explosively revealed Kyle was the father of her second child late last yearCredit: Tim StewartTimeline of 5yrs of tots, rows and texts2019: Lauryn comforts Kyle Walker following his split from Annie Kilner. After a brief relationship their first child is conceived.April 2020: Kairo is born and Kyle moves back in with Annie two months later — having proposed.November 2021: Kyle and Annie get married.2022: Kyle agrees to see Kairo in secret and his second child with Lauryn is conceived.March 2023: Lauryn announces she is pregnant but refuses to name the dad.August 2023: Kinara is born with Lauryn describing the father as being “another footballer”.December 26, 2023: Lauryn sends Annie a text telling her Kyle is the father of her second child.January 2024: Annie, pregnant with her fourth child with Kyle, dumps him again.April 2024: Annie takes Kyle back.June 2024: Chloe disinvites Lauryn from her wedding as they argue about her taking Kairo to the Euros.July 2024: A judge criticises Lauryn for treating Kyle like an “open-ended cheque book”. More

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      For a desperate nobody, Lauryn Goodman is high maintenance – she wants Kyle Walker to give lifestyle she doesn’t deserve

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      ON top of missing out on winning the Euros and dealing with a furious wife, there is a fresh new hell that has been bubbling away in the ­background for Kyle Walker – The Greed Of Ms Lauryn Goodman.What has been laid bare this week — from court documents in a dispute about child maintenance paid by Walker to ­Goodman — not only angered but ­infuriated me beyond belief.’Model’ Lauryn Goodman poses in swimwearLauryn Goodman is certainly not a model woman or motherCredit: GettyI’m all for fathers (or any absent parent) paying their dues. But it tends to be a father paying the mother. And in many cases they are pitiful amounts that allow the mum to merely scrape by.Alternatively, she has to dedicate much of her time to the CSA or Child Maintenance Service, who end up chasing rogue fathers down on her behalf, in pursuit of a small ­percentage of their income.I have several friends for whom this kind of battle has been ongoing for years; for whom asking for what is reasonably their child’s right becomes a ball and chain — a painful reminder of an antagonistic break-up and enduring bitterness.£2.4million houseNot so for Lauryn ­Goodman.READ MORE ON LAURYN GOODMANOh, no. She’s a “model” and ­“influencer”.A model what? Certainly not a model woman or mother.And if she’s an influencer, I’d say there isn’t much hope for womankind.Walker is the father of her children, three-year-old Kairo and one-year-old Kinara, both conceived while he was married.Most read in FootballNot only has he bought Goodman a £2.4million house but he has also paid her £8K A MONTH maintenance and more than £180,000 in several lump sums.Lauryn Goodman’s gloating text to Kyle Walker’s pregnant wife Annie Kilner revealing England star is father of her babyShe’s demanded cars, a hydro-pool (whatever that is, but I doubt it will make her a better mother), Astro Turf so her year-old daughter might one day become a Lioness, gardeners, cleaners and refurbishments .I’ve never seen anything like it.For a desperate “nobody”, this girl ­certainly is high maintenance. She’s insisting on a lifestyle that she in no way deserves or has even earned.Even the judge said her demands are “disproportionate”.For which read “outrageous”.I’m embarrassed for her.Who on earth does she think she is?She claims she is merely wanting to “secure her ­children’s futures” — which would be funny if it wasn’t so wrong; so ­insulting; so brash and so greedy.New cars are just one of the things on Lauryn’s listCredit: BackGridKyle Walker with wife Annie, mother of four of his childrenCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeShe says she is bringing up her children “single-handedly” while at the same time making a claim for a nanny earning £67,000 a year. The mind boggles.Here we are in the middle of a difficult cost-of-living crisis, with many parents forced to choose between heating or eating; who queue at the local food bank and forgo meals themselves so their children do not go without.And then there’s Lauryn Goodman who insisted on an £8,000 holiday to Mexico and a new £70,000 Mercedes GLE every three years.Plus a £30,000 motor for her nanny, who apparently cannot yet drive.The whole Astro Turf demand is as laughable as me having an extra- marital child with Tim Peake and demanding a spacecraft.The woman has ideas above her station.It’s not just her laughable, outlandish and ridiculous demands that grind my gears — it’s that she gives other women and single mothers a bad name.I wasn’t the only one who was appalled by his gall and disrespectful behaviour towards his wife.Ulrika JonssonWe’ve fought for generations for the right to work — for the choice NOT to be forced to stay at home with the children should we not want to.We’ve worked hard for autonomy over our finances, life choices and the right to make sacrifices to work whether we have children or not.Let’s make no bones about it: the sole person responsible for the public debacle, the disastrous and shameful love triangle that is Lauryn Goodman, Annie Kilner and England player Kyle Walker, is Walker himself.A married man and father to four young sons by his wife, he made the selfish and foolish decision to play away — not once but twice — and it resulted in him having Kairo and Kinara by Goodman.I wasn’t the only one who was appalled by his gall and disrespectful behaviour towards his wife.While many wanted it to become a spat between the two women in his life, I really felt for Annie and laid the responsibility at his door.Granted, none of us are perfect and to err is human.Annie and their sons support Kyle at the Euros in Germany from the standsCredit: GettyLauryn’s kids watch Kyle in the Euros, wearing England shirts with his number on the backCredit: Instagram @lauryngoodman91But having been forgiven after the birth of the first extra-marital child, no one could have anticipated Walker would break his wife’s trust AGAIN and go on to father a second.To father one child in this way may be considered as a misfortune. To father two looks like carelessness.If truth be told, you couldn’t make it up. It’s been like a long, drawn-out episode of The Jeremy Kyle show.In an interview with this newspaper, Kyle apologised to Annie, his childhood sweetheart, and said his relationship with Goodman was a “mistake” and he’d made “stupid choices”.This just added fuel to Goodman’s fire, who hit back saying it was “unimaginably cruel” on her kids.Greedy GutsJust as we were digesting the apparent resolve and fortitude of Annie, taking her husband back a second time — presumably for the sake of her children — I felt the utmost empathy and respect for her and the public nightmare she has been forced to endure.Then along comes Greedy Guts Goodman — a user by any other definition. An abuser of a situation that was brought about by her own making.And she sets us — and our collective reputation as independent women — back decades.She’s the living incarnation of a woman who men think is only after one thing: money.Lauren’s greed is so boundless she had even set up a big-money reality show deal with ITV, which was set to include her children. But it was then called off due to her court battle with Kyle.She is certainly no stranger to the limelight, which makes it all the more ironic that she felt the need to hide underneath her lawyer’s coat.Ulrika JonssonFor her it’s also about the fame and lifestyle. She fancies that because she has mothered children by an England player, she deserves the life of a Wag.She is certainly no stranger to the limelight, which makes it all the more ironic that she felt the need to hide underneath her lawyer’s coat on the way into court.For someone who loves the press attention and posing up a storm on social media, she doesn’t seem too keen for us to see her for what she really is. . . and all that while wearing Kyle Walker’s initials on a necklace and putting her kids in “Daddy” England strips during the Euros.Or supposedly asking people to spy on him for her.She just needs to get a jobNot to mention being heartless and callous enough to message Walker’s pregnant wife to tell her that he had fathered another child with her.And embarrassing herself by travelling out to Germany for the Euros — to court the media.You’d be forgiven for thinking we’re in bunny boiler territory here.The bottom line is that Walker should absolutely pay maintenance for his children.But extravagances and a millionaire’s lifestyle are something Goodman can work for for herself — she just needs to get a job like the rest of us.Walker says she’s treated him like an “open cheque book” and even the judge says he has behaved with “dignity” and “generosity”.READ MORE SUN STORIESGenerosity, yes.The jury is still out on dignity. More

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      Majestic ‘psychic’ eagle who is NEVER wrong predicts Euro 2024 winner and leaves handler in ‘no doubt’ of result

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      THE  psychic eagle has landed again — predicting a WIN for England in the final tonight.Honey, an African Tawny eagle, has already correctly predicted that England would win every game in the Euros.Honey the eagle has predicted a win for England in the Euros finalCredit: JOHN McLELLANEngland players in their final training session before taking on SpainCredit: PAShe picked the England over Spain yesterday when she flew right to a handler holding the flag.Eagle Heights Wildlife foundation, in Eynsford, Kent, where Honey lives, said:  “Honey has predicted football is coming home and England is going to win the Euros.“Sadly, she can’t tell us if it’s going to be a nail biter again!”Honey was rescued in 2001 in Cameroon where she was going to be a victim of the illegal bushmeat trade.READ MORE ON EUROS FINALSanctuary co-director Alex Leonard added: “Honey predicts several things – even the weather. “She won’t come out if it’s going to rain heavily.  She’s pretty amazing with her ability.  “And of course she’s uncanny at predicting the football results. “She’s one in a million”.Most read in Euro 2024Spain out to avenge controversial England defeat from 28 years ago when THREE game-changing decisions went against them More