Former England manager Terry Venables dies aged 80
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Former England and Tottenham manager Terry Venables has died aged 80.
Venables made over 500 appearances as a midfielder for Chelsea, Spurs, QPR and Crystal Palace during his playing career.
He later moved into management, enjoying spells in charge of Palace, QPR, Barcelona and Tottenham before becoming England manager in 1994.
Venables was in charge of the national side for just two years but was at the helm for England's memorable run to the semi-finals of Euro 1996, where they beaten on penalties by Germany following a 1-1 draw.
After stepping down as England manager following that tournament, Venables would later take charge of the Australian national side before returning to manage Crystal Palace for a second time.
Spells at Middlesbrough and Leeds United would follow before he returned to the England set-up as assistant manager to Steve McClaren in 2006.
On Sunday, Venables' family announced that he had sadly passed away following a "long illness".
A statement from the family read: "We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness.
"We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives."
Tottenham have since issued a club statement thanking Venables, who won the FA Cup as both a player and manager at the club, while confirming their players would wear black armbands in his honour during Sunday's Premier League match against Aston Villa.
"The Club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player and manager Terry Venables," read the statement.
The Club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player and manager Terry Venables.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 26, 2023
Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s friends and family at this incredibly difficult time. In tribute, we shall hold a minute’s applause prior to kick-off and our players will… pic.twitter.com/ot67eolKJl
"Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s friends and family at this incredibly difficult time. In tribute, we shall hold a minute's applause prior to kick-off and our players will wear black armbands during this afternoon's fixture against Aston Villa.
"Rest in peace, Terry."
England later issued their own statement on social media, which read: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Terry Venables at the age of 80.
"Having won two senior caps as a player, Terry went onto manage the #ThreeLions between 1994 and 1996 - proudly leading us to the semi-finals of Euro 96.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with Terry’s family, friends and former clubs."
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: England, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Football
