JUST IN: Ex-England Coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson Is Dead

The former manager of England and Manchester City, Sven-Goran Eriksson, has passed away at the age of 76.

Naija News reports that the Swedish national, who made history as the first foreign coach to lead the England national team, revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

A statement released by his family indicated after a prolonged illness, Sven-Goran Eriksson passed away this morning at home, surrounded by his loved ones.

“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 family asks for respect for their wish to mourn in private and not be contacted,” the statement noted.

When Eriksson Shared His Health Status

It is worth noting that in January this year, Eriksson told Swedish radio station P1 that he had been given a year left to live.

During an interaction with Amazon Prime’s ‘Sven’ documentary — which was released in August — about his life, Eriksson said: “I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well.

“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.

“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.”

Eriksson’s Career

Naija News understands that Eriksson has not been active in management since departing from the Swedish club IF Karlstad in February 2023.

Although he served as an advisor for the third-tier team, he resigned due to health concerns.

Nevertheless, he had the opportunity to manage a Liverpool Legends team against Ajax Legends in March, which he described as “a dream” experience, mainly since he had previously expressed his lifelong support for the Merseyside club.

Throughout his 42-year managerial career, Eriksson oversaw numerous clubs and national teams.

He is notably recognized for his tenure as the manager of the England national team from 2001 to 2006, during which he led the team to the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.

Eriksson assumed the England position following a successful period with the Italian club Lazio, where he secured the Serie A title in the 1999-2000 season—marking only their second championship and the last time they claimed the Scudetto.

In addition, Eriksson achieved multiple titles with Benfica during the 1980s before managing various clubs, including Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Manchester City, and Leicester City.

On the international stage, he had coaching roles in Mexico, the Ivory Coast, and the Philippines, with the latter being his final managerial position, which he left in 2019.

Throughout his career, he managed 12 clubs, including Manchester City, Leicester, Roma, and Lazio, amassing a total of 18 trophies.