Eriksson the Swedish soccer manager who spent five years as England’s first ever foreign-born coach, has died. He was 76, it was announced on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
Former football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson died at the age of 76. Earlier in the year the former England manager revealed that he had pancreatic cancer and he has a year to live “at best”.
“After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family,” Eriksson’s family said in a statement.
“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 statement further added.
Eriksson, a charismatic coach who led Swedish, Portuguese and Italian clubs to major trophies in the 1980s and 1990s before taking on the England job in 2001.
Eriksson led England to the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and at the 2004 European Championship, managing a golden generation of players, including David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.
I had a good life: Eriksson
“I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well,” Eriksson said speaking on an Amazon Prime documentary.
“You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully, in 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,” he added.
“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.” he added.
(With Agency inputs)
