Soccer: Sven the target of rematch claims

Sven Goran Eriksson. Picture / Reuters

Senior officials at the Football Association claim England coach Sven Goran Eriksson has become the target of a "dirty tricks campaign" to undermine his position, after fresh speculation about his love life.

Eriksson's alleged liaisons were thrust centre stage once more as front-page headlines screamed that the £4 million-a-year ($10.36 million) coach had rekindled his affair with former FA secretary Faria Alam. The pair were said to have spent hours having intimate phone calls while he was in the United States in May for his team's friendly matches.

His bosses have firmly endorsed his future as England manager, even though they expect Alam to reveal more about the relationship in coming weeks.

Eriksson's flings have already heaped embarrassment on the FA, and the latest revelations come as England put a brave face on a 4-1 drubbing by Denmark last week in a friendly. Even the super-cool Swede called it the team's worst performance of his four-year reign as manager.

In two weeks Alam, who is reckoned to have earned around £750,000 in media deals last year, will find out if her tribunal claim for unfair dismissal against the FA has been successful. The 39-year-old left her position as secretary last summer after it emerged she had also had an affair with the FA's chief executive, Mark Palios.

Eriksson's long-term partner, Nancy Dell'Olio, who is trying to carve out a media career, will also be furious about further prying into their relationship.

She has already had to put up with her partner's affair with the television presenter Ulrika Jonsson, who once revealed that the England manager wore stack-heeled shoes which he left outside the bedroom.

Now Dell'Olio is said to be planning her revenge by publishing her diaries.

Eriksson's camp tried to counter the latest claims at the weekend by saying - via friends - that he was "miffed" at the suggestions that the affair had been revived. The version he has told his associates is that he spoke to Alam just once while in New York, but she made the call.

And contrary to tabloid reports - "Sven's rat it again with Faria", said one headline - he made it clear he was not interested.

The tribunal hearings this year became a media circus as the inner workings of the FA were exposed. Alam claimed a third senior FA executive, David Davies, had made a series of "unwanted physical overtures", which Davies has vigorously denied.

A friend of Alam was keen to point out that she is motivated by a sense of justice rather than any financial reward.

"Had she sold her story about David Davies she would have made £150,000. She wanted justice. She is a very honest person. Sven is still very fond of her. They talk every so often. He is a ladies' man, through and through. After the tribunal she has got a bit more to say," said the friend.

Sources within the FA believe the new allegations are part of a wider campaign to bring down Eriksson. England are well positioned to qualify from their group for next year's World Cup in Germany, but last week's defeat, England's worst since 1980, led some former England internationals to call for Eriksson's scalp.

Brian Barwick, the FA's chief executive, gave the coach his continued backing. "I expect him to be with us until the European Championship of 2008. He enjoys the job and we enjoy having him. There is a bigger picture; we are not naive, but we are dealing with having Sven on board for some time to come."

Reports of Eriksson's relationship with Alam first emerged in July last year and were initially denied. But emails between the two were leaked, proving the affair, and the relationship with Palios then emerged.

Alam sold her story to the News of the World and the Mail on Sunday, as well as sobbing her way through an interview with Trevor McDonald for ITV1's Tonight programme.

She has claimed damages of £30,000 for constructive dismissal and sexual discrimination from the FA.

- INDEPENDENT