Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who led England from 2001 to 2006, passed away on Monday at the age of 76 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to his agent.
“He passed away peacefully this morning at his home with his family by his side,” Eriksson’s agent, Bo Gustavsson, told AFP.
In February 2023, Eriksson announced he was stepping back from public life due to health concerns. In January, he revealed to Sveriges Radio that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer and had been given a prognosis of “at best maybe a year, at worst a little less.”
“We were aware of his condition, but it happened very suddenly. We weren’t prepared for it to happen today,” Gustavsson added.
Born on February 5, 1948, in Sunne, Sweden, Eriksson—affectionately known as “Svennis” in Sweden—achieved notable success as a football manager after retiring from a modest playing career.
Starting in 1977, he managed Swedish club Degerfors IF, guiding them to success in the lower divisions and attracting attention from larger clubs. He went on to manage IFK Göteborg in Sweden, then moved to Benfica in Portugal and various Italian teams, including Roma and Lazio.
His most prominent role was as the first foreign manager of England’s national team. Under his leadership, England reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, only to be defeated by Brazil. They made it to the last eight again in 2006, where they lost to Portugal in a penalty shootout, with Wayne Rooney being sent off after an altercation with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Eriksson also led England to the quarter-finals of the 2004 European Championship, where Portugal eliminated them in another penalty shootout.
After leaving the England position in 2006, Eriksson managed Mexico, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines but never took charge of Sweden’s national team. His tenure was marked by a notable 5-1 victory over Germany in a World Cup qualifier but also drew attention for controversies related to his personal life