Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swedish football manager who coached England from 2001 to 2006, has died Monday, August 26 after succumbing to pancreatic cancer. He was 76 years old.
Bo Gustavsson, Eriksson's agent, said: "He passed away peacefully this morning with his family around him at his home."
Eriksson managed a bunch of high-profile teams and even took England to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006. However, in February 2023 he announced that he decided to step back from public life because of "health issues which are under investigation".
In January 2024, he revealed to public broadcaster Sveriges Radio that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the doctor's assessment predicts he had "at best maybe a year (to live), at worst a little less".
"We knew it was going to end bad, it all went really fast in the last few weeks. We have known about this but it happened very quickly. We were not prepared for it to happen today," Gustavsson said.
‘Svennis'
Sven-Goran Eriksson was born on February 5, 1948 in Sunne, western Sweden. Endearingly called "Svennis" in his nation, he became a successful football manager after retiring from a modest career as a defender.
In 1977, he became the manager of Swedish club Degerfors IF. After leading the small club to success in the lower divisions, he gained the attention of bigger clubs.
He went on to manage Sweden's IFK Goteborg before finding success internationally, managing Benfica in Portugal as well as many Italian teams including Lazio and Roma.
The main highlight of his career was when he became the first foreigner to manage England's national squad.
During his stint, he brought England to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, where they were unfortunately knocked out by Brazil.
They also made the last eight four years later where Portugal came out on top in a penalty shoot-out in a game where Wayne Rooney was sent off after a clash with his then Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Eriksson led England to the last eight of the 2004 Euros where Portugal, again, knocked them out in another penalty shoot-out.
After five years in charge, he left the England job in 2006.
His time in the hotseat had seen an unforgettable 5-1 win over Germany in a World Cup qualifier but it also brought controversy over his personal life.
Eriksson then went on to manage Mexico, Ivory Coast and the Philippines, but never his native Sweden's national squad.
Last words
Lina and Johan Eriksson, his two children, thanked everyone who had supported their father, who said they had been deeply moved by the warm words he had received.
According to his children, Eriksson said: "I get to hear it while I'm alive and I'm incredibly grateful for that. The heart beats twice and the tears come. I have had the best job in the world and I was happy every day for long periods. It's been fantastic."
Source:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/08/former-england-manager-sven-goran-eriksson-dies-aged-76/
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/26/metro/sven-goran-eriksson-swedish-soccer-coach-who-was-first-foreigner-lead-england-team-dies-76/
