Former England manager Terry Venables passes away at 80

LONDON: Former England manager Terry Venables passed away at the age of 80 on Sunday. Terry was the manager who helped England reach the semifinals of Euro 1996 and also had a successful career as a manager with Crystal Palace, QPR, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspurs.

He also made a combined 500 appearances for Chelsea, Tottenham, QPR and Crystal Palace as a player in the decades of 1960s and 1970s.

A statement from the family of Venables said as quoted by Sky Sports: "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, with whom Terry won the FA Cup both as a player and manager, paid their tributes to their legend with a minute of applause ahead of the Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Sunday. The club issued a statement saying, "The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player and manager Terry Venables.

"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," concluded the statement.