Mary Carmichael
England football manager Sven Goran Eriksson is to show his true colours in a £2.5m TV campaign for Cirio pasta sauces telling viewers what he misses about Italy!
In a 30-second commercial sure to make England fans cringe, Britain's favourite Swede will list his favourite Italian things.
Hitting screens from May, the ad means Eriksson is being reunited with his former paymasters at Rome-based club Lazio where he was boss until taking the England job.
It is understood Eriksson was persuaded to do the ad by club owner Sergio Cragnotti, who also owns Cirio Del Monte.
Cirio, which became Cirio Del Monte when it acquired the Del Monte brand in February 2001, has been rolling out a six-strong range of pasta sauces since the beginning of this year.
The company insisted that football was not the main reason behind the ad deal, although Eriksson's increased profile around the World Cup in June is bound to be a bonus.
"We wouldn't have chosen any other England manager," said Stephen Thorpe, managing director, Northern Europe. "Sven Goran is urbane, sophisticated and intelligent. He symbolises an exponent of taste whose powers of selection are exemplary."
The Arrabiata, Olive, Pomodoro, Basilio, Melanzane and Puttanesca flavours are being repackaged and will be joined by Cirio's other products, as the company plans to introduce more of its product range which includes ready meals and canned goods gradually to the UK.
It has a 20% share of the canned tomato market in Italy.
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