Cool Sven comes out fighting

Sven Goran Eriksson at last broke his silence over the FA sex scandal last night in a last-ditch attempt to keep his job.

The England coach, accused of lying over his affair with secretary Faria Alam, insisted he had never 'either categorically confirmed or denied any relationship' to Football Association executives.

And he defiantly laid the blame for the humiliating farce - when the FA was forced to admit Miss Alam had slept with Eriksson days after publicly denying it - on those at the game's Soho Square headquarters.

Showing a line in belligerence seldom seen in a footballing context, the ice-cool Swede even announced that he was looking forward to leading his side into qualification for the next World Cup.

But referring to his statement, one senior FA source said: 'Categorically is a very strange word.'

The latest developments in the astonishing saga came on the day that it was reported Miss Alam might be preparing to sell her story and PR consultant Max Clifford said she could expect to make a million.

Eriksson's fate might hinge on the interpretation of three words he apparently uttered during a telephone conversation with FA executive director David Davies

when the scandal surrounding 38-year-old Miss Alam broke.

Davies, Miss Alam's immediate boss, is believed to have rung 56-year-old Eriksson at his holiday home in Sweden and asked him about the affair. The England coach is said to have retorted: 'This is nonsense.'

The question is whether Eriksson's reply related to his anger at being questioned about his private life - or specifically about the allegation of sleeping with Miss Alam.

An inquiry into the scandal will be discussed next Thursday by the FA board, which must decide what action to take against the ?4million-a-year coach.

It will try to establish whether Eriksson conducted his affair with Miss Alam using company time and resources.

It will seek to discover whether the couple met at hotels booked by the England coach for FA work, and whether she ever accompanied him in his chauffeur- driven car provided as part of his employment package.

The inquiry will also examine the Swede's expenses to discover whether he claimed back the cost of meals with her. The pair are known to have frequented Kettners pizza restaurant near the FA offices during the affair.

Eriksson always maintains his private life should remain private, said one source, adding: 'That's all well and good but he hasn't chosen to conduct his private life in private. At the FA Christmas party last December Sven blatantly flirted with Faria in full view of the entire staff.

'There were another four women from the company who were all over Sven on the same night, and he was thoroughly enjoying the attention. As England manager, he should be above such behaviour.'

In his precisely-worded statement yesterday, the embattled Swede pointedly failed to explain why he did nothing to clarify the situation before the FA was forced to confirm Miss Alam's affairs with him and FA chief executive Mark Palios.

He said he never commented on his private life, a policy 'fully understood and accepted by my employers'. But he had been forced to speak out because 'I have been so distressed by recent inaccurate comment and speculation about my professional integrity'.

He added: 'I wish to state unequivocally that in keeping with the above policy I have at no time either categorically confirmed or denied any relationship with Ms Faria Alam.' And he said neither he nor his advisers were consulted about the first FA statement denying the affair, or the second one admitting it. Eriksson, aware that he has ?14million outstanding on his contract, ended his statement in confident mood.

He welcomed 'the opportunity to discuss these matters with the Football Association next week'. And he added: 'I look forward thereafter to our qualification campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.'

Yesterday the Swede won public support from an unexpected source - David Beckham. 'He's been a great man to me, a great man to the rest of the players,' said the England captain during a pre- season tour in Japan with Real Madrid.

'I've enjoyed working with him and I hope I'll carry on working with him.' Quite how valuable Beckham's support will be, in view of his own recent sex scandal, remains to be seen. Asked whether Eriksson should be judged on his record, not his personal life, Beckham added: 'Obviously, that's for other people to decide.'

Meanwhile, back in Soho Square, the FA's headquarters was abuzz with rumours that Miss Alam had affairs with two other senior soccer executives - aside from Eriksson and Palios.

Last autumn, she allegedly told a newspaper reporter that she was 'crazy' about another FA man. She proudly displayed intimate text messages, ending with an 'X', purportedly from him.

Sipping champagne, she was quoted as saying: 'He does like me a lot and I think things could happen between us.

'He is falling for me and I am crazy about him too. He is such a nice guy, so sweet and has a lovely smile.'

The man insisted yesterday that there was nothing between him and Miss Alam.

It was also suggested to the Daily Mail by an FA source that a fourth high-flier had been named as another of her conquests although this was denied yesterday.