KARLSTAD, Sweden: England soccer great David Beckham arrived in Sweden on Thursday ahead of the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson, his former national-team coach.
Eriksson died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Beckham was England’s captain under Eriksson, who was in charge of the team from 2001-06, and visited his former coach in Sweden in June.
Swedish news agency TT reported that Beckham landed in the early evening on Thursday at Karlstad airport, which is a short drive from Torsby — a town, located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm, where the funeral will take place Friday in the 600-seat Fryksande church. Beckham was pictured in Swedish media checking into a hotel in Karlstad.
Torsby is in the region of Varmland, where Eriksson grew up and died.
After the church ceremony on Friday, a musical procession will accompany the coffin that will be transported the 700 meters (766 yards) to a museum in Torsby with a large number of original wooden houses with traditional furnishings. Speeches and eulogies will be given there.
“It is an honor to be able to come to his funeral, although it is a sad day,” Roy Hodgson, another former England coach who also arrived in Torsby on Thursday, was quoted as saying by the local Warmlands Folkblad outlet.
David Beckham arrives in Sweden for funeral of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
https://arab.news/chhuc
David Beckham arrives in Sweden for funeral of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
- Beckham was England’s captain under Eriksson, who was in charge of the team from 2001-06
- Beckham was pictured in Swedish media checking into a hotel in Karlstad
Police raid Argentine soccer clubs and AFA as part of investigation into alleged money laundering
- The raids were part of a judicial investigation into alleged ties to financial services company Sur Finanzas
- The official said the raided clubs included leading teams Independiente, Racing and San Lorenzo, as well as Barracas Central
BUENOS AIRES: Federal police in Argentina carried out multiple raids Tuesday on the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and at least 17 soccer clubs.
The raids were part of a judicial investigation into alleged ties to financial services company Sur Finanzas, which is under investigation for alleged money laundering and tax evasion. Ordered by federal judge Luis Armella, the more than 30 raids were conducted simultaneously on first and second division clubs and the AFA headquarters in the Argentine capital.
Sur Finanzas, owned by Ariel Vallejo, sponsors AFA tournaments and several first and second division clubs.
A judicial official with access to the case told The Associated Press that police officers are searching for contracts signed by the clubs with the financial firm and other documentation stored on electronic devices. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
The official said the raided clubs included leading teams Independiente, Racing and San Lorenzo, as well as Barracas Central, which were founded by Matias Tapia, a son of AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
The courts are investigating a complaint filed by the Customs Revenue and Control Agency (ARCA) against Sur Finanzas.
According to the complaint obtained by the AP, the alleged illicit transactions total 818 billion pesos, approximately $560 million.
Police also raided the facilities that the AFA owns in Ezeiza — about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Buenos Aires — where the national team trains.
Television channels broadcast images of police inside the offices of the sports organization’s headquarters.
Excursionistas, a club in the third division, distanced themself from Sur Finanzas.
“The club do not maintain any type of corporate, financial, or administrative relationship with the company under investigation,” stated a message signed by the board of directors and posted on social media.
