November 7, 2013

News of the World and Mail on Sunday paid Sven’s lover £300,000 for kiss and tell, court heard

The former lover of Sven Goran Eriksson received £300,000 for her kiss and tell story to the Mail on Sunday and the News of the World, the phone-hacking trial has heard.

Faria Alam, 47, began an affair with the Swede shortly after she joined the Football Association in April 2003.

The Old Bailey heard that Ericsson started wooing Alam almost immediately in a written statement read out to the court.

Part of the seduction involved long lunches in private dining rooms as well as dinner dates.

The court heard that details of the affair became known after the News of the World hacked the couple’s mobile phones.

According to the statement: “I was impressed – I would say in the office I was going for longer lunches. I'm not sure if they knew I was going with Sven," she said.

The court heard that Ms Alam's phone was hacked by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire on behalf of the NoW in June 2004.

After returning that month from Euro 2004 with the England team, Eriksson told his lover that there were reporters who knew about the relationship and Alam "freaked out".

In an attempt to avoid publicity, the pair flew out to Eriksson's native Sweden, but when they arrived at his home there were reporters waiting, forcing them to stay indoors all weekend.

The story of their relationship appeared in the NoW on 18 July 2004, but Alam was not named and a picture of her outside her flat in south east London did not show her face.

When the news broke, Eriksson asked her "How do you want to deal with the situation?" and she said: "I will deny it."

Despite her denials, she was fired from her job as PA to then-chief executive of the FA David Davies in September 2004 but remained in contact with Eriksson for months afterwards.

The court also heard that Mulcaire recorded a message left by Italian ex-footballer Luciano Marangon in June 2006 asking Eriksson if he wanted to appear in an Italian version of Big Brother.

The manager, who had worked in Italy before managing England between 2001 and 2006, at first said he was interested but eventually turned the offer down.

Mulcaire has already admitted phone hacking.

All of the defendants deny all of the charges.

The trial continues.