Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson dies aged 76 – The Irish Times

Sven-Göran Eriksson, England’s first foreign manager and winner of multiple club honours, has died aged 76.

In January 2024, Eriksson revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was likely to have “at best” about a year to live. He had resigned from his last position, as sporting director at Karlstad in his native Sweden, the previous February due to what he described at the time as “health issues that are under investigation.”

Eriksson’s death was confirmed by Bo Gustavsson, the former Lazio coach’s agent in Sweden, via his British PR agent, Dean Eldredge of Oporto Sports. Gustavsson said Eriksson died Monday morning at his home surrounded by his family.

Eriksson’s coaching career spanned more than four decades, starting in Sweden with Degerfors IF before taking over at IFK Gothenburg. Eriksson was 30 at the time and barely known to the players at one of the country’s leading clubs, but he was unfazed and went on to enjoy huge success, leading Gothenburg to the Swedish league title and the UEFA Cup in 1982.

This led to Eriksson being appointed manager of Benfica and, once again, he enjoyed success, winning two league titles and reaching another UEFA Cup final in 1983. This time, he was on the wrong end of the result after a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Anderlecht.

But Eriksson’s career was on the rise. He then joined Roma and then Fiorentina before returning to Benfica in 1989, leading the Portuguese club to another league title and, in 1990, to a European Cup final, lost to Milan.

This led to a return to Italy with Sampdoria, whom he led to Coppa Italia triumph in 1994, before a move to Lazio where Eriksson was backed in the transfer market by the club’s wealthy president, Sergio Cragnotti, and repaid that faith with a Serie A title in 2000. It was only the second time the Roman club had won Italy’s biggest prize.

At the time, Eriksson was one of the most respected coaches in Europe, and it was no surprise when the English Football Association named him as Kevin Keegan’s successor as England manager. His appointment in January 2001, however, was controversial in some media outlets, given his nationality.

“We have sold our birthright on the fjord to a nation of seven million skiers and hammer throwers who spend half their lives in the dark,” wrote the Daily Mail. The Sun described Eriksson’s appointment as a “terrible, pathetic, self-inflicted indictment.”

Eriksson handled his anger with his usual calm and composure and made the perfect start, leading England to a 3-0 win over Spain at Villa Park in February 2001. Seven months later he enjoyed the highlight of his England career – a 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich. Writing in the Guardian, David Lacey described the result as “a pure ecstasy”, and for Eriksson it was a real take-off. As Lacey also wrote that night: “The appointment has taken on a touch of genius.”

England needed another memorable result – a 2-2 draw against Greece at Old Trafford in October 2001 – to qualify for the following summer’s World Cup. It was then that the other aspect of Eriksson’s tenure – controversy – came to light. Shortly before the tournament in Japan and South Korea, it was revealed that Eriksson had had an affair with the TV presenter and fellow Swede, Ulrika Johnson.

Eriksson has been accused of failing to get the best out of England’s so-called golden generation, but he led the country to three major tournaments and reached the quarter-finals on each occasion.

He left his post at the end of the 2006 World Cup after being embroiled in a scandal in January that year, in which he told the “fake sheikh” that he would be willing to manage Aston Villa if the team were taken over by a Middle Eastern country. This followed rumours of alliances with Manchester United and Chelsea and, eventually, his position became untenable: it was announced before the World Cup that Eriksson would leave the club regardless of England’s performance in Germany.

“What’s unfair is not the football press,” Eriksson later said of the tumultuous nature of his five years in charge of England. “What’s unfair is the rest of the press, who don’t see the difference between your private life and your professional life. When all that gets mixed up, in one way or another, it’s bad, very bad.”

Eriksson went on to coach numerous clubs and countries, including Manchester City, Leicester, Mexico and, finally, in 2019, the Philippines. In March 2024, he also fulfilled a childhood dream by coaching Liverpool at Anfield in a charity match. “It was a great day,” Eriksson said afterwards.

A documentary about Eriksson’s life, simply titled “Sven,” was released on Amazon Prime before his death and included a message from the man himself that poignantly summed up his good humour, grace and dignity. “Don’t be sorry, smile,” Eriksson said. “Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the audience, it was fantastic. Take care of yourselves and take care of your life. And live it. Goodbye.” – Guardian