The former England manager has passed away at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer
Sven-Goran Eriksson was left in tears after fulfilling his dream before he died aged 76.
The national team’s first ever foreign coach passed away from terminal pancreatic cancer on Monday morning (26 August).
He managed the England men’s team from 2001 to 2006 and got to three consecutive quarter-finals at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro 2004.
“Sven-Göran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family,” Swedish agent Bo Gustavsson said in a statement.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s has passed away at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer. (PA)
“The closest mourners are daughter Lina; son Johan with wife Amana and granddaughter Sky; father Sven; girlfriend Yanisette with son Alcides; brother Lars-Erik with wife Jumnong.
“The family asks for respect for their wish to mourn in private and not be contacted.
“Condolences and greetings can be left on the website www.svengoraneriksson.com.”
As well as winning the Serie A title with Lazio in 2000, Eriksson also managed many clubs, including the likes of Benfica, AS Roma, Manchester City, Leicester City, and the Ivory Coast national team.
However, his dream was always to manage Liverpool Football Club – and this became a reality in March of this year.
Eriksson said he made ‘a memory for life’ after managing Liverpool for the legends game, featuring a plethora of iconic players who have retired.
Eriksson’s lifelong wish was granted before he died. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres played for their old club as they came out with a 4-2 win over Ajax legends.
As Liverpool’s pre-match anthem of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ played throughout the stadium, the ex-manager, visibly emotional, said: “I was crying. “[It is] a memory for life.”
In January, Eriksson opened up about his terminal cancer diagnosis in an interview on Swedish radio station P1, saying: “Everyone understands that I have an illness that is not good. Everyone guessed it’s cancer and it is. But I have to fight as long as I can.”
On how long he had left, he said: “I know that in the best case it’s about a year, in the worst case even less.
“Or in the best case I suppose even longer. I don’t think the doctors I have can be totally sure, they can’t put a day on it. It’s better not to think about it.”
A special Anfield ovation for Sven-Göran Eriksson ❤️ pic.twitter.com/632Y9uiJQY
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 23, 2024
Before he died, the football legend issued an emotional public sign-off in his Amazon Prime documentary, Sven.
“I had a good life, yes. I think we all are scared of the day when it’s finished, when we die,” he said.
“But the life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it, of 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 crowd.
“It’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself, and take care of your life, and live it. Bye.”
Featured Image Credit: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images/Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
