Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died aged 76.
A press release confirmed that he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 26, 204.
He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and said earlier this year that doctors had told him he probably had less than 12 months to live. In an Amazon Prime documentary chronicling the final months of his life, Eriksson said: “I hope you remember me as a positive man who tried to do everything he could. Don’t be sorry. Smile.”
“Thank you for everything, the coaches, the players, the public, it was fantastic. Take care of yourselves and take care of your life. And live it.”
“Here, we could throw the ashes in the water… we feel at home”
Sven-Göran Eriksson ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3e4sIKGoLn
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) August 22, 2024
Swedish coach Eriksson was the first foreigner to coach England, leading the Three Lions to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006, and to Euro 2004.
“I have to fight as long as possible,” Eriksson told Swedish radio P1, explaining that he was diagnosed “almost a year ago” after suddenly collapsing one day after running five kilometres.
“I know that in the best case scenario it will take about a year, in the worst case scenario even less. Or in the best case scenario I guess even longer. I don’t think the doctors I have can be totally sure; they can’t give me a specific date.”
Eriksson, who left his role with England after the 2006 final, resigned as sporting director of Swedish third-tier club Karlstad in February 2023 due to health concerns.
“I lead a completely normal life,” he told the BBC World Service’s Sporting Witness programme. “I’m not in hospital. I go in every now and then for a visit, but I live at home and I have friends here. At Christmas and New Year, all the family were here, lots of people.
“I try to exercise as much as possible, which is less than a year ago. But I lead a normal life.
“When you receive a [diagnosis] like that you enjoy every day and you are happy when you wake up in the morning and you feel good, so that’s what I do.
Eriksson told the Swedish outlet that he was determined not to dwell too much on his situation. “You have to trick your brain,” he said.
“I could spend my time thinking about it, stay at home and feel miserable, think I’m unlucky, etc. It’s easy to find yourself in that situation. But no: see the positive side of things and don’t get stuck in failures, because that’s the biggest of all, of course.”
Managerial review of Sven-Goran Eriksson
Born in the town of Sunne, Eriksen had a modest playing career as a right-back in the Swedish lower divisions, starting with over 100 appearances for neighbouring club Torsby IF.
His coaching career would become much more high-profile, but it began at Degerfors, where Eriksson was assistant to the coach who would be his right-hand man with England, Tord Grip.
Eriksson took over after Grip’s departure to become Sweden manager, guiding Degerfors to the playoffs in 1977 and 1978 and winning promotion to the second tier of Swedish football in the latter of those campaigns.
He then joined top-flight club Gothenburg, with whom the highlight of Eriksson’s three successful years as manager was a 4–0 victory over Hamburg in the 1981/82 UEFA Cup final, now the Europa League. Gothenburg remain the only club from a Nordic country to have won a major UEFA competition.
Eriksson won his first top-flight titles with Portuguese club Benfica, who signed him in 1989, and reached the UEFA Cup final in 1982/83. He then made his debut in Italy, leading Roma to the 1985/86 Coppa Italia and taking charge of Fiorentina from 1987 to 1989.
A second spell at Benfica brought him another Primeira Liga triumph and a run to the final of the European Cup, now known as the Champions League, in 1989/90, with reigning champions AC Milan beating Eriksson’s side 1-0.
Eriksson won the Coppa Italia again after joining Serie A club Sampdoria in 1992, and his greatest success in Italy came at Lazio, where he won the title in 1999/2000, as well as the Cup Winners’ Cup, the Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia twice, and the UEFA Super Cup.
England called him up in 2001, with Eriksson taking over after Kevin Keegan resigned and staying in the role until 2006. A year later he took charge of Manchester City and, after initially looking like they were in contention for a title, the Cityzens finished ninth, including a double against city rivals Manchester United.
We would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Sven-Goran Eriksson, who passed away at the age of 76.
Rest in peace, Sven. ?
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 26, 2024
Now over 60, Eriksson remains highly respected in the game and popular with fans, but has been unable to recapture his former success.
He has had a somewhat nomadic career, including stints in charge of Mexico and Ivory Coast, and has also attempted to help Leicester City win promotion to the Championship, serving as director of football at League Two club Notts County and spending four years in China with Guangzhou R&F, Shanghai SIPG and Shenzhen.
He returned to international football with the Philippines in October 2018, leading the team on their Asian Cup debut during his three-month tenure.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s trophies as manager
| Team | Years | Trophies |
| Degerfors | 1977-78 | Division 3 (1978) |
| Gothenburg | 1979-82 | Swedish Cup (1978-1979, 1981/82) |
| Benfica | 1982-84 | Primeira Liga (1982/83, 1983/84), Taca de Portugal (1982/83) |
| Rome | 1984-87 | Italian Cup (1985/86) |
| Fiorentina | 1987-89 | — |
| Benfica | 1989-92 | Primeira Liga (1990/91), Supertaca Candido de Oliveira (1989) |
| Sampdoria | 1992-97 | Italian Cup (1993/94) |
| Lazio | 1997-2001 | Serie A (1999/2000), Coppa Italia (1997/98, 1999/2000), Supercoppa Italiana (1998, 2000), Cup Winners’ Cup (1998/99), Super Cup (1999) |
| England | 2001-06 | — |
| Manchester City | 2007-08 | — |
| Mexico | 2008-09 | — |
| Ivory Coast | 2010 | — |
| Leicester | 2010-11 | — |
| Canton | 2013-14 | — |
| Shanghai | 2014-16 | — |
| Shenzhen | 2016-17 | — |
| Philippines | 2018-19 | — |
Sven-Goran Eriksson England Record
Eriksson’s appointment sparked much debate over the hiring of a non-English coach and he remains one of only two foreign managers to have held the role, along with Fabio Capello from 2008 to 2012.
His philosophical charm and soft-spoken manner were seen as unusual off the pitch, while on the pitch he was responsible for taking charge of a group of players that many considered to represent the greatest England team of all time, including Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
His conservative tactics have drawn criticism, but a 5-1 victory in Germany The road to qualification for the 2002 World Cup remains a part of English folklore, the result and performance against opponents who were often their nemesis making the prospect of Eriksson’s side realising their enormous potential seem closer than ever.
Eriksson, however, was unable to improve England’s poor record in the knockout stages of tournaments, including a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in Japan in 2002 and penalty shootouts against Portugal at Euro 2004 and Euro 2005. 2006 World Cup.
The FA and Eriksson announced in January 2006 that he would leave his post after that year’s final, two years before the end of his contract.
