The mother of TV star Ulrika Jonsson has said she believes her daughter and Sven Goran Eriksson "have a future together".

Speaking to a Swedish newspaper Gun Brodie said: "They have been very happy together, they have enjoyed each other's company very much."

On Saturday Eriksson's girlfriend of three years, Nancy Dell'Olio, dismissed reports of a blossoming romance between the England football coach and Jonsson as "rubbish".

Both Eriksson and Jonsson refused to talk to reporters before travelling to Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea vs Manchester United - from separate parts of the ground.

Publicist Max Clifford said the story had "all the ingredients" of a great story.

He added: "It will create even more interest in the World Cup because now, whenever England are playing, the public will be looking to see if Ulrika is in the crowd anywhere close to Sven."

'The boy is over 50'

In an interview with the newspaper Expressen Ms Brodie said: "I know that they have met. Ulrika has talked a bit about Sven Goran, I haven't met him myself."

Ulrika chats to a friend at the Chelsea vs Manchester United game

Speaking from Mallorca, Spain, she added: "I would be happy if they made it work."

Eriksson's mother, Ulla Eriksson, was considerably less forthcoming about the friendship.

She said: "The boy is over 50 years. You can teach children to walk but you can't tell them what road to take."

'I'm with my man'

Speaking from the central London home she shares with Eriksson, Nancy Dell'Olio said they were still very much together and concentrating on "the facts" of their relationship.

After Eriksson returned home from the Premiership match, Ms Dell'Olio told reporters she had no interest in Jonsson's presence at Stamford Bridge, adding: "I'm with my man, leave us alone."

Through an intercom Ms Dell'Olio, 37, said: "We're still together and we're talking together.

"What the papers are saying is rubbish. It's the facts we're talking about."

'Rumours'

Speculation about the nature of the Swedish duo's friendship intensified when Jonsson's agent, Melanie Cantor, refused to deny reports linking them.

Paul Newman, head of communications for the Football Association, also failed to quell the rumours when he said: "This is entirely a private matter."

On Saturday morning the 53-year-old England coach said nothing as he was picked up by a chauffeur-driven Mercedes for the trip to the Chelsea ground.

I said to her, 'Here's another Swede for you to talk to' Alastair Campbell

Leaving her home in Cookham Dean, Berkshire, for the game Jonsson, 34, took a similar line with gathered reporters.

She said: "I'm going out for the day. I would appreciate it if you would leave my family alone."

Jonsson, wearing sunglasses, sat next to TV personality Angus Deayton for the football match.

She has previously been linked to James Crossley - alias Hunter from the TV show Gladiator - and footballer Stan Collymore, but has been single since breaking up with public relations boss Simon Astaire, 40, last year.

'Being polite'

Former Mirror journalist Alastair Campbell told The Times he introduced Eriksson and Jonsson at a party late last year.

He said: "I was in a group of people including Ulrika Jonsson when Sven-Goran Eriksson walked by.

"I said to her, 'Here's another Swede for you to talk to'."

And he told the paper: "I thought as they were both Swedish and living in the UK they might have something in common. I was only being polite."