Sven-Goran Eriksson dies as football pays tribute to former England manager
The popular Swede has passed away following a long and storied football management career which included stints with England, Manchester City and Leicester City
Sven-Goran Eriksson, the former England football manager who enjoyed a successful coaching career spanning eight different countries, has sadly died at the age of 76.
The Swede managed England for 67 matches between 2001 and 2006, taking the Three Lions to two World Cups and a European Championships and reaching the quarter-finals of each competition. His family said on Monday : "Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family."
He was most recently working as a sporting director at Swedish side Karlstad, but stepped aside in February 2023 shortly before he confirmed that he had terminal pancreatic cancer.
Well-wishes from around the football world followed the announcement, and Eriksson was even offered the chance to fulfil his dream of managing boyhood club Liverpool at Anfield in a charity match against Ajax.
The Reds tweeted on Monday: "Rest in peace, Sven-Goran Eriksson. The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Sven’s family and friends at this extremely sad time." Eriksson's former club Manchester City said: "We would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has passed away at the age of 76. Rest in peace, Sven."
European football's governing body UEFA said: "On behalf of the European football community, everybody at UEFA is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sven Goran Eriksson."
A documentary about Eriksson's life was broadcast by Amazon Prime shortly before he passed away, and the Swede delivered an emotional final message to his fans.
“I had a good life," he said. "I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully at the end people will say, yeah, he was a good man, but everyone will not say that.
“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do. Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it. Bye.”
Eriksson won 18 trophies during a distinguished career in club management, including the 1999-2000 Serie A title with Lazio and three Portuguese Primeira Liga titles with Benfica. Prior to those successes he had guided IFK Goteborg to the UEFA Cup in 1982, an historic and first ever continental success for a Swedish team.
The first manager to win league and cup doubles in three different countries, Eriksson's most successful period came at Lazio, where as well as the Italian league title he also picked up two Italian Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
It was from the Italian club that he joined the England national team in January 2001 in an historic move, as he became the Three Lions' first ever non-British coach when he succeed Kevin Keegan in the role.
Within a year he guided England to a famous 5-1 win over Germany in Munich during qualification for the 2002 World Cup, which was only secured through a stunning last gasp David Beckham free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford.
England would earn a group stage win over Argentina at the finals in Korea and Japan, before losing to Brazil in the last eight.
The Three Lions would then lose on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals of both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, after which Eriksson left his post after five years of being firmly in the public eye, during which time he regularly hit the headlines and was found to have had an affair with the TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson, with whom he cheated on his glamorous Italian wife Nancy Dell'Olio. He also had a fling with FA secretary Faria Alam in 2004.
A year after leaving the England job Eriksson took over at Manchester City, although he was to stay for just a season despite being popular with fans. He also had a year in charge of Leicester City between 2010 and 2011, following an ill-fated spell as director of football at Notts County.
As well as his spells in England and successes in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, Eriksson managed clubs and countries in Mexico, Ivory Coast, China and the Philippines.
He cut an emotional figure at Anfield in March when he was afforded the opportunity to sit in the dugout as Liverpool's manager for the 4-2 win over Ajax in a charity match.
“I was a little bit crying," he said. "That will be a huge memory in life. To sit on the bench for Liverpool has been my dream my whole life and now it happened. Thank you to Liverpool for giving me the opportunity."
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