Former England and Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has sadly passed away at the age of 76. His family confirmed the news on Monday morning following a courageous battle with cancer.
Eriksson, who held the reins of the England national team from 2001 to 2006, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in January. At the time, he shared his prognosis, revealing that he had “at best a year to live.”
In a statement, Eriksson’s family said: “After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family. 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.”
The Swedish tactician became the first non-British manager to lead England and guided the Three Lions to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments during his tenure, departing after the 2006 World Cup.
At the club level, Eriksson’s managerial career spanned a remarkable 12 different teams, including notable stints at Manchester City and Lazio. His trophy cabinet boasts an impressive 18 titles, reflecting his success throughout his illustrious career.
In a poignant moment, Eriksson fulfilled a lifelong dream in March when he took charge of Liverpool’s legends team in a match against Ajax. Leading the Reds to a 4-2 victory, he experienced a truly memorable chapter in his football journey.
Just days before his passing, Eriksson delivered an emotional farewell message to the football world, taken from the Amazon Prime documentary ‘Sven.’ In his words:
“I had a good life. 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.”
