Before Swizz Beatz takes Alicia Keys' hand in marriage, the producer must pay a visit to the IRS first.
Public documents are showing that the music producer has been hit with a lien from the IRS on $652,727 worth of unpaid taxes from 2008. Swizz (born Kasseem Dean) was slapped with the lien on June 3.
Dean has had several other liens filed against him and his ex-wife, Mashonda in California, Georgia and New York. The former couple's debt currently stands around the $2.2 million mark.
Swizz's legal reps said of the lien, "We have been discussing the issue with the government for years and are currently negotiating an amicable resolution of the dispute."
The already incarerated multiplatinum rapper was sentenced to three years probation in Arizona for a drug possession charge.
Wayne (born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) dodged jail time in an Arizona prison after striking a plea deal in a gun case stemming from an arrest at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint back in January 2008.
Carter was in court via video conferencing from New York where he's currently serving an eight-month sentence after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
"We're quite glad that we were able to wrap everything up," James Tilson, Wayne's Arizona attorney, told Reuters. "It's a favorable plea agreement that will allow Mr. Carter to pursue his career."
Carter will start his Arizona probation when he concludes his sentence in Riker's.
That's a rap ... love and romance isn't just about looks as Jay-Z demonstrates with the aesthetically pleasing Beyonce
WE see it in the pub, we see it in magazines, we see it on TV. Two people, hand in hand, one ugly, one tremendously attractive.
If you're a hip-hop megastar or a singer in a successful band, when it comes to an attractive partner what your face looks like loses all importance. One look at Jay Z or Mick Jagger compounds the theory. But celebs aside how much bearing do looks have on a relationship?
Users on the MY Sun Woman forum have been discussing the correlation between physical beauty and finding a partner. CoupleinFinland had this touching statement regarding the matter: "For me physical looks don't mean anything, I would rather be with someone for their personality than for their looks. What is the point being with a super sexy woman if she has the personality of a donkey?"
Beauty and the beast
Having a relationship terminated as a result of your physical appearance was something that thankfully hadn't happened to Catdancer: "Can't say anyone's ever finished with me over the size of my breasts or buttocks. More for my forked tongue!"
"I've only ever finished with a girl once and it had absolutely nothing to do with how she looked. I can't think of anything more shallow, arrogant and hurtful than finishing with someone just because they don't meet a particular physical ideal," pondered a philosophical Villager.
He continues: "Why do we talk about physical ideals? Are we trying to find our place in the scheme of things, seeing if we measure up, as it were? Or do we do it to feel better about ourselves by pointing out the imperfections in other people?"
Might not want to talk Boabywan then Villager, physical ideals are exactly what he dumps women for. "I changed my car and the girl I was with couldn't get her bum into the sculpted seat so that was that, I still love the car though." How reasonable of you, Boabywan!
To perfectly summarise, Liselotte1 had this to say: "When you meet someone you start a relationship with, you find that person attractive. If that person's look changes, through time or for whatever reason and because of this, you finish with that person, I would say you are very shallow and not worthy for being in a relationship." Wait, there's more.
"All of us change, all of us get older, some go bald, some put on weight. If we were all this shallow, relationships wouldn't last more than a few years!"
Which could technically mean, no more families!
How much does appearance play a part when finding a prospective partner? Join the discussion by adding a comment below
MARIAH CAREY has named her new dog JACKIE LAMBCHOPS - after becoming inspired by The Sopranos.
The Jack Russell terrier is just three weeks old and is the puppy of ChaCha, Mariah's long-time pampered pooch. Husband Nick said: "The new dog is amazing. It is all cute right now."
He added: "We were watching The Sopranos and Mariah took a couple of words that she always uses and it came together - Jackie Lambchops."
Although the animal-loving couple are happy with their new pet, they are still keen to have a baby in the near future.
Nick told People: "Some day, absolutely. That's definitely something we've got in mind.
"But we've got to stop working so much. When you're parents, that's a full-time gig.
"Each of us have several jobs, so we'd have to make some sacrifices when we're ready to do that."
Offensive ... Diesel poster showing woman taking intimate pic of herself has been banne
TRENDY fashion company Diesel has had two adverts BANNED for showing images likely to cause "serious offence" to adults.
One of the controversial ads — published in two magazines — showed a woman taking a photo of her own genitals. The second poster shows a woman baring her breasts to a security camera.
Both of the provocative posters used the slogan: "Smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls. Be stupid. Diesel."
The Advertising Standards Authority said 33 people complained that the ads were unsuitable for children, offensive and condoned or encouraged anti-social behaviour.
Defending the campaign, Diesel said the posters "portrayed a very strong and unexpected image of femininity", adding that the security camera image "tackled society's pre-occupation with 24/7 camera surveillance".
The ASA said the two banned ads contained sexual undertones and appeared in an untargeted medium likely to be seen by children, ruling that they breached rules covering responsible advertising and decency.
It added both images were "likely to cause serious offence to many adults".
The watchdog said: "We were further concerned that the images of young women photographing their genitalia and exposing their breasts to a camera in a public place were unsuitable to be displayed on posters, an untargeted medium that was likely to be seen by children, because of the overt sexualisation involved in the depicted acts."
It ruled that the ads should not appear again in poster form.
Flash ... poster of girl baring breasts to CCTV was also deemed overly rude
NICK JONAS may be famous for being a virgin - but it's not stopping him having a good time with the ladies.
The clean-cut singer, on a break from JONAS BROTHERS, is starring as Marius in the hit London musical Les Miserables. And Nick is busily working his way through the gorgeous girls in the cast.
He's been on dates with X Factor's LUCIE JONES and SAMANTHA BARKS, who came third in ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER's I'd Do Anything two years ago.
Lucie and Samantha, who play the roles of Cosette and Eponine in the show, aren't the only ones to fall for the American's charms - most of the rest of the women in the cast have too.
Nick's picks ... Samantha Barks, left, and Lucie Jones
A theatre luvvie told me: "Nick is getting a reputation as a heart-breaker.
"He's been out on dates with both Samantha and Lucie and they both seem quite smitten.
"Nick's just having fun - but he's causing some tension between the girls.
"There's been a lot of jokes backstage because art is imitating life. In the musical Eponine fancies Marius. But he ends up with Cosette." It's not what you'd expect from such an innocent soul.
Nick, who with his brothers JOE and KEVIN have released four albums and starred in their own reality show, has gone up massively in my estimation.
He's previously dated MILEY CYRUS but that was when he was still declaring his innocence.
Hopefully he'll get stuck in and get out partying while he's here.
He said: "I'm having an excellent time.
"It's definitely different to what I do with my brothers, the singing is a different style.
"It is tiring, especially when we have two shows to do a day, but it is all good fun." Sounds like his after-hours activities are even more exhausting.
Snack attack ... Jean-Christophe Novelli shows how to make treats a bit healthier
WORRYING research found more than HALF of us have no idea how much saturated fat we consume.
But most adults agreed knowing the condition of their heart would motivate them to look after themselves.
Tips ... Jean-Christophe Novelli
The survey, commissioned to promote Flora's new Heart Age Calculator, found time and money were the biggest factors that made families eat the wrong foods.
Celebrity chef JEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI, who is working with the firm, says: "Cooking foods from fresh is the best way to keep a healthy diet and it need not take long to prepare.
"The key is to remove all fat from meats, use a steamer for veg and fish and use low-fat spreads instead of butter or oil." Here, Jean-Christophe makes over some traditionally unhealthy treats to prove tasty does not have to be fatty.
HEALTHY BEEF BURGER (Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS: 350g (12oz) extra-lean beef mince; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 115g (4oz) finely grated carrot; 25g (1oz) fresh breadcrumbs; 25g (1oz) herbs; 1 egg, beaten; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 4 soft white rolls; lettuce, tomato and cucumber. INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat grill to high. Place mince, onion, carrot, breadcrumbs and herbs in a bowl and mix well together. Add enough egg, tomato puree and mustard to bind the mixture.
Use wet hands to divide the mix into 4 and shape into burgers.
Cook under the grill for 5-6 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. Serve in the rolls with the salad.
INDIAN CHICKEN TAKEAWAY CURRY
(Serves 4)
Curry some favour ... with a healthy Indian meal
INGREDIENTS: 4 chicken breasts, cubed; juice of 1 lemon; 4 tspn clear honey; 2 tspn Madras curry powder; half a tspn ground coriander seed; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 red chillies, chopped; half a tspn cumin seed; 1 tbsp marge; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 75g ginger, grated; 2 x 400ml chopped tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 200ml chicken stock or water; a little sea salt and cracked black pepper; 1 small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped. INSTRUCTIONS: Place the chicken into a large bowl.
Add lemon juice, honey, curry powder and coriander, then add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the red chillies and combine.
Allow this to marinate. For the sauce, heat a heavy-based pan and dry fry the cumin seed for 1 minute.
Then add the marge and sauté the onion for 5 minutes.
To this mixture add the garlic and ginger, tomatoes, puree and stock. Season with pepper. Bring this to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Finish with the chopped coriander.
WALNUT AND MAPLE SYRUP STEAMED SPONGE PUDDING
(Makes 6-7 small puddings)
Sweet treat ... sponge pud
Tim Hill / Alamy
INGREDIENTS: 150g (5oz) spread/marge; 150g caster sugar; 3 egg yolks; 100g (3.5oz) self-raising flour; 3 egg whites; 30g (1oz) chopped walnuts; 6 tbsp maple syrup; half-fat crème fraiche. INSTRUCTIONS: Beat the margarine with 100g (3.5oz) of caster sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually incorporate egg yolks. Fold in the flour.
Whisk the egg whites with the remaining 50g (1.5oz) of caster sugar to a stiff peak. Fold into the pudding mix.
Divide the walnuts and syrup between two basins. Spoon sponge mix between pudding basins.
Cover with a lightly greased foil top and place in a steamer for about 40 minutes.
Serve with half-fat crème fraîche flavoured with a little maple syrup and dust with cocoa powder.
This can be made without nuts and with golden syrup instead of maple.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has apologised to the FA for Frank Lampard's disallowed 'goal'.
England were denied an obvious equaliser as they battled to stem the tide against Germany in the last 16 of the World Cup. With the Three Lions trailing 2-1, Lampard blasted in a long-range effort which crashed off the bar and over the line before bouncing back out.
TV replays later showed it was clearly a goal but play continued and Fabio Capello's men went on to suffer a humiliating 4-1 defeat.
The incident has led to renewed goals for goal-line technology and Blatter admits world football's governing body will look into the matter.
He said: "It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board (IFAB) in July.
"Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.
"The only thing I can do is yesterday I have spoken to the two federations — England and Mexico — directly concerned by referees mistakes.
"I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising.
DISALLOWED ... Lampard's effort crossed the line
"We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have first opportunity in July at the business meeting."
Sunday night's match between Argentina and Mexico was also marred by a controversial incident, with Carlos Tevez scoring the opening goal from an offside position.
FIFA had blocked any further experiments with technology at a meeting of the IFAB, the game's rule-making body, in March.
And Blatter added: "It happened in 1966 and then 44 years later — though it was not quite the same.
"I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said 'thank you' and accepted that you can win some and you lose some, while the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it."
Despite the ongoing debate about bringing the beautiful game in line with other sports using technology to rule on controversial decisions, Blatter insists the introduction of video replays is not an option.
He said: "The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology.
"Football is a game that never stops and the moment there was a discussion if the ball was in or out, or there was a goalscoring opportunity, do we give a possibility to a team to call for replays once or twice like in tennis?
"For situations like the Mexico game you don't need technology."
Blatter also revealed that FIFA would launch a new drive to improve refereeing standards at the top level later this year.
He said: "We will come out with a new model in November on how to improve high-level referees.
"We will start with a new concept of how to improve match control.
"I cannot disclose more of what we are doing but something has to be changed."
The multi-million dollar company has hit hip-hop's golden child and his record labels Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group with a lawsuit for an unauthorized sample in his "Best I Ever Had" recording.
Playboy Enterprises is claiming Drake's "Best I Ever Had" samples Hamilton, Joe Frank and Dennison/Reynolds' "Fallin In Love" song during the intro to "Best I Ever Had." The song is property of Playboy Music, Inc and Playboy Enterprises.
Drake, Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group have yet to respond to the lawsuit.
Beyonce, Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs are back on the Forbes list. Having raked in $87 million in the past year, Ms. Knowles ranks no.2 on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 right behind Oprah Winfrey.
The Queen of all Media ranked no.1 with $315 million. In addition to earnings from her recordings, Beyonce’s deals with L’Oreal, her House of Dereon clothing line and her highly successful world tour helped boost her ranking.
Beyonce’s hubby, Jay-Z, comes in at no.15 with $63 million. Hov’s money mostly came from his chain of 40/40 sports bars, the successful Broadway musical “Fela!” and his Blueprint 3 tour. Deals with Honda, Bacardi, Apple and Target helped Black Eyed Peas rank at no.16 with $48 million. Sean Diddy Combs generated $30 million at no.68, Lil Wayne made $20 million at no.74 and Akon $21 million at no.80.
All smiles ... Shakira looks chuffed as pal Rafa secures a place in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon
WELL, you'd feel inspired having this beauty watching you in action wouldn't you?
After struggling in the opening week of Wimbledon, RAFAEL NADAL powered through his fourth round clash against PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU yesterday as Latino beauty SHAKIRA watched on from the stands. The pair appeared together in Shakira's steamy video for her single Gypsy earlier this year. No doubt he built up more of a sweat that day.
ENGLAND'S humiliated footballers flew back to Britain at dawn today then dodged angry football fans by leaving Heathrow airport by a back gate.
Under-pressure boss Fabio Capello headed home in shame — but only long enough to repack his bags and head off on holiday.
The failed coach, guranteed £12million more from the FA despite his flop under his two year contract, arrived home at 9am but by 11am re-emerged with a set of suitcases and left with his wife.
Capello and his wife Laura checked in at London City Airport, then flew to Switzerland.
Meanwhile Frank Lampard spent the day with his TV presenter girlfriend Christine Bleakley.
Frequent flyer ... David Beckham flew on to Nice airport in France to meet wife Victoria and children
www.splashnews.com
Steven Gerrard took his wife, Alex, out for lunch. Earlier the team acted like cowards by refusing to go through a public terminal and instead were whisked through a VIP suite normally used by ROYALS.
Looking downcast and dejected the team trudged off a Virgin Atlantic jet at 6.20am before getting into chauffeur driven cars, barely saying a word of goodbye to each other.
The Football Association had shamelessly launched a massive security operation to shield them from the public's gaze when they touched down at Heathrow.
But they needn't have bothered as the only fans waiting to see the team were furious ones who had spent thousands following the team to South Africa — and who were at the airport to demand refunds.
Tim O'Leary, 33, from Maida Vale, North London, who shelled out £8,000 to watch England in the World Cup, stormed: "I would have booed them if they'd had the guts to face us.
"It's typical that they've taken the cowards way out and gone through a back gate. There has not been a word of apology from any of them to us fans about how badly they let us down."
Flops ... England players during 4-1 defeat to Germans
Fellow fan David Thompson, 25, from Croydon, Surrey, added: "What cowards, it doesn't surprise us, they're probably ashamed of themselves as they should be. If I'd seen any of the team I would have asked for the money back that I wasted going to South Africa to see them."
England crashed out of the tournament after a 4-1 thrashing by the Germans on Sunday.
The England's team low-key homecoming was in total contrast to nearly a month ago when they flew out to South Africa for the start of the tournament.
Then they had proudly posed for photos on the steps of the airplane with two Virgin Atlantic stewardesses, beaming huge smiles and confidently predicting they would be coming home champions.
Today a stony-faced David Beckham led the team, who were all wearing their official England grey suits, off the jet, followed by an equally miserable looking Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard.
Losers ... captain Steven Gerrard followed by Wayne Rooney
Becks then jetted off to Nice in France to be reunited with wife Victoria and their kids. Boss Capello looked like a dead man walking as he trudged forlornly across the tarmac with his head bowed.
Even the WAGS had decided that this occasion was one for avoiding attention, Bleakley, Toni Terry and Carly Cole had swapped their normal glamour togs for dowdy jeans, sweatpants and t-shirts.
A witness who saw the team disembark the plane at the VIP suite, which at Hatton Cross is nearly a mile away from Heathrow Terminals, said: "They looked really miserable especially Capello. They all had their heads down, but his was practically on his knees.
"Lampard looked really peed off, they all did. Joe Cole was the only one who looked a bit happier but that was probably cos he was holding his baby.
Failed ... England boss Fabio Capello
"As they walked to their cars I didn't see any of them shake hands, or say goodbye. They just looked like they couldn't wait to get away from each other." After leaving the jet the players were driven away by a fleet of flash chauffeur-driven motors which whisked them back to their multi-million pound mansions in Surrey and Cheshire.
The Northern based players were taken to an airport in Farnborough, Hants, to catch a private chartered jet - apparently another ploy by the FA to keep the team away from public gaze.
If the players had had the guts to go through the public terminal they would have come face to face with some England fans who had just arrived back from South Africa.
Giles Sudderick, 45, a civil servant from Staines, Middlesex, spent £3,000 on his trip to the World Cup.
Bungling ... calamity keeper Rob Green with Gareth Barry and Emile Heskey
He was furious to hear about the England team's royal treatment, saying: "They should have come back like the French did in economy! "The Football Association should have cancelled their first-class tickets and sent them back that way. They didn't even go through the main terminal at Johannesburg. It's obvious they are trying to avoid us fans.
"I haven't missed a game in years, and this is the worst England team for a while.
"They talk a good game, but they're over-paid prima donnas.
"There won't be an apology, there won't be a sorry to the England fans. They even struggled to come and clap us, which sums them up for me."
Yesterday, Capello claimed he wanted to stay at England's helm despite the team's shameful World Cup performance.
WAGs ... Toni Terry, Carly Cole and Christine Bleakley
But the Italian must wait two weeks to learn his fate. Capello told reporters at a press conference in South Africa: "I spoke this morning with (Club England chairman) Sir Dave Richards and he told me that he needs two weeks to decide."
Asked whether he would like to stay in his role, he said: "Absolutely. I said I can be the manager of England for the next season, but it is for him (Richards) to decide.
"We spoke also about the players that can play for the next qualification and I know what I have to do."
Asked about the performance of his players, Capello said they were tired after their hectic Premier League season.
And he pointed to Frank Lampard's disallowed second goal, suggesting the outcome of Sunday's game might have been different if the referee had got the decision right.
The Uruguayan referee blamed for the "goal that never was" smiled but offered no comment when a plucky Fifa volunteer asked if he knew Lampard's shot crossed the line.
Jorge Larrionda and his assistant Mauricio Espinosa failed to spot that the midfielder's shot crossed the line after crashing off the underside of the crossbar.
Unnoticed by England fans, the match officials passed through the airport in Bloemfontein yesterday where a young Fifa volunteer, who normally welcomes fans to the airport, asked if he knew the goal should have been allowed.
Charlotte Molakeng, 22, from Kroonstad, said: "I just asked if he knew there was a goal.
"But I got no comment, just a smile."
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — On his first trip to Africa, basketball star Kobe Bryant looked very much at home Sunday — bantering with teen athletes in Soweto, using his trilingual skills with the World Cup press corps, and displaying a keen knowledge of international football.
Bryant, fresh off an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, grew up playing football as a boy in Italy and has never lost his affection for the game. His favorite player? Didier Drobga, the powerful forward of now-eliminated Ivory Coast. The team he admires? Brazil, which he hopes to watch against Chile on Monday. "They have so much individual talent, but they play as a unit," he said. "That's beautiful to watch." And his choice to win the World Cup? So far, so good. Bryant said he'd picked Germany — a 4-1 victor over England on Sunday — before the tournament. Bryant arrived in South Africa on Saturday, and attended the second-round match that evening in which Ghana eliminated the United States, 2-1. "I'm proud of our guys," Bryant said. "We had opportunities last night. We didn't capitalize on them. Ghana did." He said the U.S. team, with its gritty performances in the first round, had kindled an unprecedented degree of public interest in football among Americans. "I want to see the sport take off in America," he said. "It's a beautiful game and I think this is the first time it has really captured the imagination of the U.S. from a men's perspective." Bryant came to Soweto, the vast black township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, to visit a state-of-the-art football training center recently opened by sports footwear and apparel maker Nike Inc., one of the companies he endorses. The Q-and-A sessions with the young players and the large media contingent gave Bryant a chance to show his love for football — dating back to his Italian days, when his father played pro basketball. "As a kid, I had dreams of being a soccer player," said Bryant. "One day I was Van Basten, another day Maradona, another day I was Baggio." Bryant was a longtime AC Milan supporter, but said he backs Barcelona. He speculates that, with his long arms, "I'd do OK" as a goalkeeper. He's an admirer and friend of several top football players, and evoked a budding rivalry by comparing Brazil's overall World Cup titles with his own career NBA championships. "If they win the World Cup, they will have six," he said. "If we win next year, we'll have six. We'll have something in common." Bryant's language skills were impressive — he needed no translator to field questions in Italian and Spanish. One reporter asked who Bryant favored in Tuesday's Spain-Portugal match. "Spain — because of Pau," Bryant quickly answered, citing his friendship with his Spanish teammate on the Lakers, Pau Gasol. In between the questions, Bryant joined many of the young football players at the training center for a session of stretching exercises and then huddled with one group of about a dozen, learning some of their cheers and chants. The Nike complex includes two full-size fields with artificial turf, two grass fields for training, a gym, a physiotherapy facility, and a players lounge with audiovisual equipment. Nike hopes the center will serve about 20,000 young people a year. "Growing up, if I had a place like this, I'd go crazy," Bryant told the young players. "I'd be here all day, every day." In addition to football training, the center offers HIV-AIDS education, counseling and testing — part of an effort to combat that disease in the country with the world's largest HIV-positive population. Several of the young athletes were able to ask Bryant questions. His answers were basic, along the lines of "Follow your heart, follow your dreams." Yet his competitive nature showed through. "You have to win," he told one teen. "If you don't incorporate what you do to help your team win, it means nothing." Who's the best player in the NBA, he was asked. Answer: "You're looking at one of them." One girl asked if Bryant would tie a red ribbon around her wrist. With a grin, he obliged. Nike is not an official World Cup sponsor, but has nonetheless engaged in a spirited marketing campaign linked to the tournament — challenging its archrival Adidas, which is an official sponsor.
SandraBullock and Jesse James are no longer legally married.
The couple's divorce was finalized in Travis County, Texas, TMZ reports. Bullock filed papers on April 23, describing the marriage as "insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities."
Just days after taking home her first Academy Award, Bullock learned her husband had been having several affairs, when the first of the women -- Michelle "Bombshell" McGee -- came forward with her story.
Jesse was then implicated in seven extramarital affairs.
Although James and Bullock worked together to adopt Louis Bardot back in January, custody was not an issue in the split, as James dropped his name from the adoption papers. James has three children from previous relationships.
The 'Monster Garage' host and the actress wed in 2005.
SUITS YOU, SIR ... David Beckham shows his frustration on the touchline in Bloemfontein
HE was sat on the England bench, jacket off, chin resting on his up-turned hand, brow furrowed, locked in concentration.
What needed changing? Where were the opposition weaknesses? How could the midfield close down the spaces? Endless questions were running through his mind. And how come Frank Lampard's goal was disallowed?
So incensed was he by that he confronted the referee on the subject as he left the field at half-time.
As the camera panned in it was easy to forget that this was actually NOT the England manager.
No, it was in fact David Beckham, 35, injured midfielder and ex-skipper who had been brought along for the ride by Fabio Capello and given a chance to see what it was all about from the other side of the fence.
Beckham has been learning fast and though he has always said he wasn't interested in management, looks to have got the taste for it at this World Cup.
So what about it, Becks for England boss?
Last night you could get a lengthy 25-1 on Goldenballs succeeding Capello. But is there not a case for the FA taking the plunge?
There is already a facebook campaign running to make Beckham manager and you wonder if it would really be so stupid.
English football is at a low ebb. Things can hardly get much worse.
We've tried everything to get a performance out of multi-million pound players who regularly produce the goods in the Premier League but can barely put one foot in front of the other while wearing an England shirt.
Fabio Capello, with a proven track-record in club football, was given a £6m-a-year contract as manager to transform England's fortunes after the disaster of the Steve McClaren era and the Italian has palpably failed.
Becks has no coaching badges, no managerial experience and has never courted the job. So on the surface he would seem a high-risk successor.
But he could be just the magic ingredient to lift our national team out of the doldrums in the wake of Sunday's shocking World Cup humiliation.
When the decision was made to appoint one of the world's greatest ever players, Diego Maradona, as Argentina boss it was met with howls of derision back in his homeland and around the world.
The move was dismissed as insanity and, as the Argies struggled through their World Cup qualifying campaign, his critics grew ever more vociferous.
Maradona bounced around in his technical area pointing in all manner of directions, yelling and shouting at anyone within earshot, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing.
But in the finals in South Africa, Argentina are playing with freedom, enjoying their football and Maradona has fostered a bond between himself and his players which appears unbreakable.
He's been there and done it all. There is nothing his players will come up against which Maradona has not experienced himself.
Maradona said: "I may have an advantage or two over other people because I can transmit every moment in the World Cup.
"I played in Spain in 1982, then we won in 1986 and they said we were dead and buried in 1990 and we came back. I even won in 1979 if you remember that... the World Youth Cup.
"So all my life, I have picked up lots of experiences. And this is what I am giving back with my heart and my soul.
"When I talk to the players in their rooms, I can say 'this happened to me in the past'. I can tell them the real facts."
Becks cannot, of course, point to any World Cup wins. But he has experienced great highs and lows in his football career, has won the Champions League and league titles and his celebrity status rivals that of Maradona's.
He could take every ounce of pressure off these fragile England players who are apparently crippled by fear - and would happily take on the responsibility.
His very presence commands instant respect. He knows what makes English footballers tick and what works for them.
Yes, he may have had too much power as captain under Sven Goran Eriksson. But he has matured and will have learned what was good and bad about his relationship with the Swede.
Whenever the FA's bid to stage the 2018 World Cup looks to be floundering the answer to saving it and keeping the country in the hunt is always to turn to Beckham.
They pussy-footed around with numerous ambassadors and different initiatives. But eventually the bid team discovered that without Beckham they had no chance of winning the vote.
Now the England football team are in a hole and the FA are waiting to see how the wind blows before deciding what to do with Capello.
Like with our World Cup bid, the answer may be right under their noses again.
Public documents are showing that the music producer has been hit with a lien from the IRS on $652,727 worth of unpaid taxes from 2008. Swizz (born Kasseem Dean) was slapped with the lien on June 3. 
