Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swedish soccer manager who spent five years as England’s first ever foreign-born coach after making his name winning trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Monday. He was 76.
Eriksson died at home surrounded by his family, his agent Bo Gustavsson said.
His death came eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Photo: AFP
That news led to Eriksson receiving a surge of affection and tributes from his former players and clubs, a biographical documentary being made, and a visit to his favorite club Liverpool, which invited him to be manager for the day at a charity game.
“As a coach, Sven-Goran was both a great innovator and a true ambassador of our beautiful game,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino, one of many leading figures in the sport to pay tribute to Eriksson.
Fondly known as “Svennis” in his native Sweden, Eriksson had a modest, nine-year playing career before retiring at age 27 and embarking on what proved to be a nomadic coaching career that reached its peak when he was hired by England in 2001.
Within months, he led an underachieving team to a stunning signature win — 5-1 against Germany in Munich in a World Cup qualifying game.
Eriksson led what was regarded as a “golden generation” of players, including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, at the World Cups in 2002 and 2006, and got the team to the quarter-finals at both tournaments before they were eliminated by Brazil and Portugal respectively.
In the only other major tournament under Eriksson — the 2004 UEFA Euro — England was also ousted at the quarter-final stage, by Portugal and in a penalty shoot-out like at the World Cup in 2006.
“We laughed, we cried and we knew we were saying goodbye,” Beckham wrote in a post on Instagram alongside footage of a recent meeting with Eriksson, who made him captain of the national team. “Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been — passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman. I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family... Thank you Sven and in your last words to me, ‘It will be ok.’”
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