What happened to Terry Venables? The legendary Euro 96 football coach confirmed dead aged 80. How he died, his career, fortune, and untold facts explored.
Football fans are in mourning state upon hearing about the passing of legendary Terry Venables (real name: Terence Frederick Venables).
Often referred to as El Tel, he had an impressive football career, as a player and manager.
He played for clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Queens Park Rangers and won two caps for England. As a manager, Venables won the Second Division championship with Crystal Palace in 1979.
Here’s what we know about the life of “El Tel”, his cause of death, net worth, and his glittering career — on and off the football pitch.
Who was Terry Venables?
Terence “Terry” Venables, a professional footballer, manager, and author, has sadly died at the age of 80.
Synonymous with English football, Terry — also known as El Tel — is best known for taking the Three Lions team to the Euro 1996 semi-final against Germany.
Born in Dagenham, East London, on January 6, 1943, to parents Fred and Myrtle, Terry was an only child.
His father was a petty officer in the Navy, and from Barking, while his mother was Welsh.
In 1956, his parents moved to Essex to open a pub, Terry went to live with his grandparents Ossie and Milly, who encouraged his interest in football.
After earning a cap for the England Schoolboys team, Terry went on to play professionally for various English clubs, and the English national team, before moving on to football management.
Terry married his first wife, Christine McCann, in 1966, while he was playing for Chelsea.
The pair, who had met when they were just 16, had two daughters together, Tracey and Nancy, before an amicable divorce in 1984.
He met his second wife, Yvette Bazire, in 1984, around the time he moved to Barcelona as a manager, before the pair tied the knot in 1991.
What was Terry Venables’ net worth?
For his long years of football career, he had accumulated a more than impressive fortune.
El Tel died a millionaire.
At the time of his death, Terry Venables had an estimated net worth of between $1 million and $5 million.
Terry held a series of high-profile managerial positions in football, including a move to Crystal Palace in 1998, where he earned a £750,000 a year salary.
The manager also had a stint at the helm of the Australian national team, for which he was paid £200,000 a year.
What was Terry Venables’ cause of death?
Terry Venables died on November 25, 2023.
At the time of his death, he was aged 80.
Venables’ family paid tribute to him in a statement released this lunchtime.
It said: “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.”
The League Managers Association has also confirmed that Terry has died, although the cause of death has not yet been confirmed at the time of writing.
There has been some speculation that Terry had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Tributes poured in on Twitter — Gary Lineker, who played under Terry’s management at Spurs, Barcelona, and England, said:
“Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for. He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend.”
Terry’s former club, Tottenham Hotspur, released a statement on Twitter, announcing plans to mark the former boss’s passing at the start of their match on Sunday, November 26:
“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.”
Gareth Southgate led tributes to Venables, who famously consoled him after he missed a penalty as England crashed out of Euro 96.
Southgate said: “Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager.
“He was open minded, forward thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history.
“A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.”
Former England captain David Beckham paid a touching tribute to Venables, and posted a picture on social media of when he met him when he was an aspiring nine-year-old player.
Beckham said: “So sad to hear the news that Terry Venables has passed away. I met Terry in Barcelona and whilst training at Tottenham at the age of 9… He was one of our greatest England managers and loved by players and fans, Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Who did Terry Venables play for?
After playing for the England youth team, Terry, a midfielder, started his professional career in 1959.
He started off at Chelsea, where he made 237 appearances and scored 31 goals, before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 1965, where he made 142 appearances.
He went on to play for Queens Park Rangers between 1969–1974, and for a short time for Crystal Palace, before his retirement from playing professional football in 1975.
Terry also gained two caps for England, both in 1964, but missed out on playing for the legendary England team that went on to win the 1966 World Cup — he was on the reserve list but ultimately wasn’t called up.
Who did Terry Venables manage?
After retiring as a football player, Terry made the move to managing teams.
Most famously, he took the Three Lions team to the semi-finals of the 1996 European Championship, hosted by England
The team was eventually knocked out by Germany in the semi-final that took place at Wembley Stadium after Gareth Southgate had his penalty saved.
The team included legends like David Seaman, Gareth Southgate, Gary Neville, Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, and Sol Campbell, and was the year England truly believed football was coming home.
But El Tel started his managing career at Crystal Palace, in 1976, before moving to QPR in 1980.
Terry, who became fluent in Spanish, then moved to Barcelona as manager in 1984, where he stayed until 1987.
Then came four years at Spurs, before he took up his post at the English national team.
He went on to manage Australia, and then Palace again, Middlesbrough, and Leeds United before retiring from management in 2003.
What did Terry Venables win?
Despite hopes of a victory at the 1996 Euros, the Three Lions were knocked out by Germany in their Wembley semi-final.
Previously at Barça, Terry won La Liga in 1985, the Copa de la Liga in 1986, and also reached the 1986 Euro finals.
With Tottenham Hotspur, Terry won the FA Cup in 1991 and shared the FA Charity Shield in 1991 with London rivals Arsenal.
As a player, Terry won the Football League Cup in 1965, and with Spurs, the FA Cup in 1967.
He was given the Don Balón Award for best trainer at Barcelona in 1985 and went on to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 1997.