Eriksson denied affair with secretary, says FA boss

ENGLAND manager Sven-Goran Eriksson told the English Football Association he never had an affair with secretary Faria Alam, his boss said yesterday.

The claim came from FA executive director David Davies, 57, as he was questioned at a London employment tribunal about his recollection of how the England coach denied having an affair with Ms Alam.

Mr Davies, 57, said Mr Eriksson had left him with the “clear” understanding there had been no fling.

Mr Eriksson kept his high-profile job following the sex saga only after an internal FA inquiry ruled he had not lied and had “no case to answer”.

He had insisted his only comments had been to neither deny nor confirm any affair - but the tribunal heard that he had branded the claims “nonsense” and had been “categorical” in his stance.

Mr Davies had earlier detailed how the Swede was “taken aback” by his questions in the wake of newspaper stories about his private life.

Describing a phone call with Mr Eriksson on July 17, he said: “I can say that I believed quite clearly at the end of that conversation that he was not having an affair with my personal assistant. He seemed quite taken aback by my direct question.”

The hearing was later told that in a press statement on July 29, Mr Eriksson said he had never denied or confirmed an affair.

“That is not my recollection of my conversation with him on that Saturday afternoon (July 17),” Mr Davies admitted.

The hearing was told Ms Alam had admitted lying to bosses about the affair and claimed it had been to protect Mr Eriksson.

Mr Cheetham asked Mr Davies if “in leading you to believe there was no affair, Mr Eriksson was also lying?”.

“The question of whether or not he was lying has to be put to Mr Eriksson, not to me,” Mr Davies said.

Mr Davies also attacked allegations from Ms Alam that he had sexually harassed her and made a string of “unwanted advances”.

He said he had been “flabbergasted” at the betrayal by a “trusted friend”.

“Faria’s allegations are deeply hurtful and upsetting, I have read them with sadness and incredulity,” Mr Davies told the hearing.

“They are a mixture of half-truths and fantasy.”

Ms Alam is claiming sexual discrimination, constructive dismissal, breach of contract and unequal pay.

She resigned from her job at the FA on August 5, as she sat in the office of PR consultant Max Clifford. The ex-model, who made more than £300,000 from media deals, denies she quit the post in order to sell her story. The hearing was later adjourned and is due to resume on Tuesday.