CNN
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Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson died on Monday at the age of 76, his representative confirmed to CNN.
“Sven-Göran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness, SGE
“He woke up at home surrounded by his family,” the statement said.
In January 2024, Ericsson revealed that he had terminal cancer and had “about a year” left to live, and was inundated with messages of support from former colleagues and well-wishers around the world.
CNN was previously informed by a source close to Erickson that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“Everybody knows I have a bad disease and everybody thinks it’s cancer, and it is, but I have to fight it as long as I can,” Eriksson told Swedish radio station P1, according to Reuters.
Eriksson is survived by his two children, Johan and Lina, from his former wife Ann-Christine Pettersson, and his partner, Yanises del Carmen Bravo Mendoza.
Johan and Lina paid tribute to their father in a statement released after his death.
“When my father told us earlier this year that he was seriously ill, we received an amazing response from friends and football fans across Europe. He was invited to play for several football teams in England, Italy, Portugal and Sweden,” they wrote. “They shared their love for football and for my father. It is an unforgettable memory for him and for us. My father expressed his gratitude and joy, saying that such beautiful words are usually only uttered when someone passes away.”
“We share our gratitude with him and had the great opportunity to experience football and all of his friends. We thank you for these positive memories and for your support during his illness.
“I hope everyone will remember Svenis as a good and positive person, both in public and at home with us.”
The Swede is best known for his time as England manager, as he was the first foreign manager to hold the job, leading England’s “golden generation” to two World Cups and a European Championship, with stars including David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand.
“Obviously, sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re in good form, sometimes you’ve got injuries or the team just doesn’t work or anything like that,” Eriksson told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davis in March, reflecting on his managerial career.
“There’s a lot going on, but the stress is always there. I loved the stress and I miss the stress… Football is like a drug, especially if you take it seriously.”
The son of a truck driver from Sunne, Sweden, Eriksson played amateur soccer until his friend Tord Grip persuaded him to sell his cleats and become a coach, and at the age of 27, he joined Grip as assistant manager at Degerfors IF in the Swedish third division.
By the age of 34, “Svenis”, as he was nicknamed in his hometown, had led IFK Gothenburg to victory in the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League).
Ericsson later considered this period “a fond memory” and key to his career development.
“One of the first trophies I won was in Gothenburg and then a few years later I won a European trophy,” Eriksson told Sky Sports in 2020.
“That was what inspired me to leave Sweden and become a professional footballer. Gothenburg at that time were not fully professional, even though they had won European titles, and all the players were half work, half football,” he explained.
Eriksson soon moved to Portuguese giants Benfica, where he won two league titles, the Portuguese Cup and led As Agias to the UEFA Cup final in 1982/83, where they lost to Belgian club Anderlecht.
After spells with Italian clubs Roma and Fiorentina, and then a return to Benfica along the way, where he led the team to the European Cup final in the 1989/90 season, Eriksson returned to Italy, first to play for Sampdoria and then Lazio.
Eriksson led the Biancocelesti to a golden era, winning the Coppa Italia, Italian Supercup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999 and the club’s second Serie A title in 2000.
Eriksson’s success caught the eye of the English Football Association, who soon appointed him manager of the England national team.
Under Eriksson’s management, England suffered two quarter-final penalty shootout defeats to Portugal at the 2004 Euros and the 2006 World Cup, and English tabloids, unhappy with England’s poor performances, made front-page headlines calling the manager “Sweden’s flop” and the “Golden Freezer”.
Still, the job is special to him, telling CNN in 2024 that “England is a special place.”
“I don’t know if football was invented in England, but more or less it is, and the Premier League is the best league in the world today,” Eriksson said. “Being England manager is a huge job, probably the biggest job in the world.”
Eriksson previously managed English Premier League club Manchester City for one season and has also managed Côte d’Ivoire, China, Mexico and the Philippines in a managerial career spanning more than four decades.
Eriksson’s private life away from the stands and the dressing room was deemed equally newsworthy by the British tabloids.
“Their view of their partners is quite sexist and often not at all fair,” Nancy Dell’Olio, an American-Italian lawyer and former partner of Erickson’s, told CNN in a 2014 interview.
“It was quite an intrusive move and it had nothing to do with my will,” Dell’Olio added, “but when you’re next to someone so important in football, you kind of immerse yourself in the role.”
His alleged affairs with TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson and Football Association general secretary Faria Allam were glossed over on British front pages but the Swede seemed unfazed, responding to the 2002 scandal by saying: “My private life is my private life and that’s it.”
In the end, Ericsson reluctantly accepted the scrutiny.
“When you talk about the paparazzi and that kind of coverage, there’s nothing you can do,” the Swede told CNN earlier this year. “It’s either take it or go back to Sweden.”
“I said to myself: ‘No, Sven, don’t give up on this. Don’t worry, don’t read, don’t talk about it.’ It’s up to the press whether they write about it or not. And in the end, I didn’t care.”
Eriksson was also the subject of a “fake sheikh” sting by a Sunday tabloid in 2006, in which a reporter posing as a wealthy Arab businessman claimed that Eriksson had said he was leaving England for Aston Villa.
Eriksson was determined to live life to the fullest in 2024. Both he and his father are Liverpool supporters and Eriksson said he had “always hoped” to get the opportunity to manage the club.
Following news of his diagnosis, Liverpool invited the Swede to join Liverpool greats Ian Rush, John Barnes and John Aldridge as part of the Liverpool FC Legends management team for a charity football match against Ajax Legends at the club’s Anfield stadium.
Liverpool paid tribute to Eriksson on social media after his death, writing: “Rest in peace Sven-Goran Eriksson. Everyone at the club’s thoughts are with Sven’s family and friends at this very sad time.”
Prince William, chairman of the English Football Association, also praised Eriksson.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson,” Prince Charles wrote on Twitter. “I met him on several occasions as England manager and was always impressed by his charisma and passion for football. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. A true football gentleman.”
Many of the teams he managed, including England, Benfica, Notts County, Manchester City, Gothenburg and Lazio, paid tribute on social media.
“I want to be remembered as a positive guy who tried to do everything he could,” Erickson said in a documentary about his life released on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month.
“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you to the coaches, the players and the crowd. It was a great experience. Take care of yourself and your life. And live it.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
