Photo: Bertil Ericson/TT, Andy Stuart/AP/TT
After “Svenni’s” affair with Faria Alam was revealed, the English FA wanted to “sacrifice” him – to save the then CEO instead.
When Sven-Göran Eriksson found out about the plans, he was furious with the association’s press manager.
“I told Colin Gibson that he was a piece of shit and that I had always thought so,” writes the Swede in his new book “A Wonderful Journey”.
The Swedish coaching icon Sven-Göran Eriksson passed away on August 26 of the complications of pancreatic cancer. During the years 2001 and 2006, “Svennis” was the national team captain for the English national team – those were some very intense years for the Swede. Not only because of the sporting results but also because stories about his love life were leaked to the press.
“Svenni’s” infidelity was exposed
During the years in England, “Svennis” was actually together with the Italian girlfriend Nancy Dell’Oliobut he had high-profile infidelities with both the Swedish-British TV host Ulrika Jonsson and Faria Alamsecretary at the English FA.
“The paparazzi photographers never got any pictures of me and Faria Alam. I was very careful, we never met at her house or mine. But the press started digging, friends of her contacted. Someone knew, someone gossiped. I suspected that it was Faria herself and I felt both betrayed and cursed”, writes the Swede in the new book “A wonderful journey”.
It turned out that FA CEO Mark Palios had also had an affair with Alam. It also risked being leaked to the media, which the union wanted to avoid at all costs. They instead pushed for “Svennis” to do an interview in the News of the World and admit his slip-up with Faria Alam. FA press director Colin Gibson said Eriksson was not allowed to mention Palio’s name.
“I would be sacrificed to save Mark Palio’s skin. I told Colin Gibson that he was a piece of shit, and that I had always thought so. He knew that, we never got along well. In the end, both Gibson and Palios had to leave their jobs, Gibson because he had tried to cover up Mark Palios’ role in this affair,” says “Svennis”.
“Been asked many times”
In 2004, the news of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s affair with Faria Alam reached the public. Nancy Dell’Olio was mad as a bee. “Svennis” and Faria broke up and the secretary moved to the United States to escape the headlines of the scandalous press.
Despite the media being constantly on him, and the league trying to get him to do things he didn’t want to do, “Svennis” kept his cool and maintained that he had done nothing wrong. In his book, he writes about how he reasoned about the morals of whether it was wrong to meet other women alongside Nancy.
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“I have been asked many times if I regret meeting Faria Alam and Ulrika Jonsson. Well, if I had known what would come of it, then I might have called it all off. But morally, I don’t understand. Shouldn’t I, just because I was the national team captain, get to meet and have a relationship with whoever I wanted?”, he writes.
Rest in peace, Sven-Göran Eriksson. Sweden’s greatest football coach of all time.
How do you remember “Svennis” best? Feel free to write a comment on Facebook.
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