Terry Venables was a great football player and coach. His family released a statement to British media announcing his passing.
After a protracted illness, he reportedly passed away on Saturday at the age of 80.
Among those paying tribute to Venables were the English Football Association and Tottenham, a team he coached. He was dubbed “the best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for” by former England captain Gary Lineker.
After winning titles with Barcelona and Tottenham at the club level, Terry Venables, an engaging and tactically creative English soccer coach, guided his country to the European Championship quarterfinals in 1996. Venables passed away. He was eighty.
Venables passed away on Saturday following a protracted illness, according to a statement his family sent to British media on Sunday.
Venables “captured the imagination of many and enhanced the global reputation of the English game,” according to the English Football Association, which described his legacy.
Former England captain Gary Lineker said Venables “the best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for.” Lineker was a striker for both Barcelona and Tottenham while playing for Venables.
Born not far from London, Venables was endearing, humorous, and well-liked. During his 16-year senior career, which included two games for England in the middle of the 1960s, he played for Chelsea, Tottenham, Queens Park Rangers, and Crystal Palace—all clubs in the city.