Eriksson and Dell'Olio want to replace bombs with balls

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and his partner Nancy Dell'Olio called for the world to mark International Peace Day by replacing conflict with soccer matches.

The couple's Truce International campaign is hoping the "kick a ball for peace" initiative will end up marking the United Nations annual peace day (September 21) with soccer instead of war.

"Football is something very, very special," Eriksson told a media conference. "Everyone around the world knows who David Beckham and Zidane are. It's the biggest sport in the world. So to do something for peace is really important.

"It's a big, big aim but it's a beautiful aim," he added.

The Swede was speaking after an advance showing of a new film "Merry Christmas", which tells the story of a temporary truce in World War One when British, French and German troops fraternised and played soccer in no man's land on Christmas Day.

It was this story which inspired Dell'Olio and Eriksson to set up Truce International with the aim of furthering peace through soccer by various means.

"Football is my life, like it or lump it," said Dell'Olio, a lawyer.

"Since I've been involved I've seen the power of football and I don't think this power is used enough."

The couple also made a donation to the Peres Center for Peace to help fund attempts to improve relations between Israelis and Palestinians through soccer.

The donation will help build floodlights on a "Peace Pitch" in East Jerusalem and pay for a joint Palestinian and Israeli schools soccer programme.