Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who led England from 2001 to 2006, passed away Monday at 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his agent confirmed.
“He passed away peacefully this morning with his family around him at his home,” Eriksson’s agent, Bo Gustavsson, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Swede, who managed several high-profile teams and guided England to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and 2006, announced in February 2023 that he was stepping back from public life due to “health issues.”
In January, he told public broadcaster Sveriges Radio that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer and that his doctor’s assessment was that he had “at best maybe a year (to live), at worst a little less.”
“We had known about this but it happened very quickly. We were not prepared for it to happen today,” Gustavsson told AFP.
Born on Feb. 5, 1948, in Sunne, western Sweden, Eriksson, known as “Svennis” in Sweden, achieved success as a football manager after retiring from a modest career as a defender.
In 1977, he became the manager of the Swedish club Degerfors IF. After leading the small club to success in lower divisions, he attracted the attention of bigger clubs. He went on to manage Sweden’s IFK Goteborg before finding success internationally with Benfica in Portugal and several Italian teams, including Roma and Lazio.
His most high-profile position was as the first foreigner to manage England’s national team. During his tenure, he led England to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002, where they were eliminated by Brazil.
Four years later, England reached the quarterfinals again but lost to Portugal in a penalty shootout, a match notable for Wayne Rooney’s red card after a clash with his then-Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Eriksson also guided England to the last eight of the 2004 European Championship, where they were again knocked out by Portugal in another penalty shootout. He left the England job in 2006 after five years in charge.
His tenure included a memorable 5-1 win over Germany in a World Cup qualifier but also some controversy over his personal life. “This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories,” Mark Bullingham, CEO of England’s Football Association, said in a statement.
“Sven will be rightly recognized and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team and his broader contribution to the game,” Bullingham continued. Eriksson went on to manage Mexico, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines but never his native Sweden’s national team.
In March, Eriksson fulfilled what he said had been a lifelong dream of managing English football club Liverpool. Alongside former Liverpool favorites Ian Rush, John Barnes, and John Aldridge, he managed Liverpool Legends in a charity match against Ajax Legends, overseeing a 4-2 win for his team.
Eriksson said afterward he had shed tears before kick-off when he received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked onto the pitch, with fans singing Liverpool’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” “That will be a huge memory in my life,” Eriksson said. “Absolutely beautiful.”
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