Eriksson speaks of an affair with Bangladeshi origin FA sectary!

[rassel]

(Reuters): England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Thursday he had never confirmed or denied to the Football Association that he had had an affair with an FA secretary.
Eriksson said he had broken his policy of not commenting on his private life and his silence over the relationship, which threatens to end his 3-1/2-year spell as manager, because he was "so distressed by recent inaccurate comment".

"With regard to the Football Association's forthcoming enquiry announced on July 27th into 'the circumstances which led to the FA issuing legal statements based on misleading information', I wish to state unequivocally that ... I have at no time either categorically confirmed or denied any relationship with Ms. Faria Alam," Eriksson said in a statement released by his agent.

The FA are holding an urgent inquiry into whether they were misled after being forced to confirm an affair by Eriksson after initially denying it.

The FA also admitted that chief executive Mark Palios had had a relationship with Alam who is of Bangladeshi origin.


Eriksson, 56 and unmarried, said neither he nor his advisers had any "prior knowledge" of the two FA statements about Alam.

The Swede said he looked forward to discussing the matter with the FA on August 5 when the ruling body has called an emergency meeting.

Meanwhile, the 'Svengate' saw a new twist on Thursday when Alam revealed she had a fling with a third FA executive.


Alam claims she was "crazy" about a third man at the Football Association.


And as the embarrassment piles up for the FA, it is believed that Alam is poised to sell her side of the story for up to one million pounds.


The "Third Man" has not yet been named but he is believed to be unmarried and a key member of the team at the FA's headquarters in Soho Square.


Public Relations guru Max Clifford says he is not representing Ms Alam but believes she could make about a million pounds from the tangled story.


"She knows what Sven thinks about the Beckhams, his views on what players are worth and on Nancy Dell'Olio.


"I'm not handling her PR so I don't know what she knows...but everyone's phoned me to say they'll outbid everyone else for the story."




[Edited on 31-7-2004 by rassel]