Former Swedish manager Sven-Göran Eriksson died on Monday at the age of 76, a victim of terminal pancreatic cancer. Born in Sunne, he was best known for being the first foreigner to coach the English national football team, between 2001 and 2006, during which time he was in charge of two World Cups and one European Championship.
The Football Association (FA) has expressed its condolences on the passing of Eriksson and recalled his “significant contribution to English football”. Despite not having achieved extraordinary results on the field – he was never able to lead England beyond the quarter-finals in any of the major tournaments – the highest authority in British football praised his work at the helm of the Three Lions. “Today is a very sad day. Sven gave all English fans many special moments, including that 5-1 win over Germany in Munich. Sven will always be rightly remembered for his contributions to the game,” read the FA statement, which later announced that a tribute would be organised in his honour at Wembley on the next FIFA matchday.
“This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories. No one can ever forget the 5-1 victory in Munich against Germany under Sven’s guidance.
“Sven will be rightly recognized and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his… pic.twitter.com/UQ0od5qt4K
— The FA (@FA) August 26, 2024
The British royal family also joined in the tributes to Eriksson. Prince William of Wales remembered the Swede as “a true gentleman” in a message posted on his social media account X. “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson. I saw him several times as England manager and I was always struck by his charisma and passion for the game. My thoughts are with his family,” said the eldest son of King Charles III in his post. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was not far behind and also expressed himself through a message on X: “It is sad to hear that Sven-Göran Eriksson has passed away. He will always be remembered for his tremendous contribution to English football, to which he brought many joys over the years,” said the Labour leader.
Prior to his time as England manager, Eriksson had a successful coaching career in Italy and Portugal. The Swedish coach led Lazio to a league title, two Italian Cups, two Italian Super Cups, a UEFA Cup and a European Super Cup. He also guided Benfica to three league titles, a Portuguese Cup and a Portuguese Super Cup between 1983 and 1991. His first major achievement came in 1982, when Eriksson won a UEFA Cup with Swedish side Goteborg, a historic achievement for a club from that country.
𝖲𝗏𝖾𝗇-𝖦𝗈̈𝗋𝖺𝗇 𝖤𝗋𝗂𝗄𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗇, 𝟣𝟫𝟦𝟪-𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟦
Thank you for everyone, what is there for you, mister 🩵 pic.twitter.com/el0htTyfYq
— SSLazio (@OfficialSSLazio) August 26, 2024
Eriksson also managed other European clubs such as Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Manchester United, Manchester City and Leicester City. As well as the national teams of Mexico and Ivory Coast. The last job he held in the world of football was as sporting director of the modest Swedish Karlstad, a position he had to leave in February 2023 due to health problems. Almost a year later, in January 2024, Eriksson announced that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer, which would end his life on Monday.
You can follow EL PAÍS Sports on Facebook and Xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
