Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson Passes Away: Farewell to a Legend
Sven-Goran Eriksson, former coach of the England national team, has passed away at the age of 76 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The news of his passing was confirmed by his representative, Bo Gustavsson, who stated that Eriksson died at his home in Sweden on the morning of August 26, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
“On Friday, August 23, I still met Eriksson, but he didn’t want to talk,” Gustavsson shared. “At that moment, I sensed that this day would come quickly, but I never thought he would leave so soon.”
In January 2024, Eriksson announced that he was facing the final stages of cancer and had at most a year left to live. Since then, he received countless tributes and honors from former teammates and students. Eriksson’s pancreatic cancer was discovered after he collapsed during a 5 km run. Following the diagnosis, he immediately resigned as the sporting director of Swedish club Karlstad. The last team he coached was the Philippine national team from 2018 to 2019.
Born on February 5, 1948, in Sweden, Sven-Goran Eriksson played as a right-back for domestic clubs from 1964 to 1973. However, it was his coaching career that truly shone, spanning 42 years with numerous impressive achievements. He won the UEFA Cup in 1982 with Goteborg, the Italian Cup in 1986 with Roma and again in 1994 with Sampdoria, was a runner-up in the European Cup in 1990 with Benfica, and won Serie A with Lazio in 2000.
Notably, Eriksson was also the first foreign coach to lead the England national team from 2001 to 2006, during the era of the “Golden Generation” featuring stars like David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and John Terry. Under his leadership, the England team reached the quarterfinals in all three major tournaments.
In March 2024, Eriksson led the Liverpool legends in a tribute match, winning 4-2 against an Ajax legends team. Liverpool was his favorite club since childhood, and his dream of leading the team finally came true. After the match, players from both teams lined up to applaud Eriksson, who smiled with emotion and a sense of nervousness. “Thank you, Liverpool, for giving me this opportunity,” he said.
“Cancer is a terrible thing, and it delivered Eriksson a death sentence,” commented the UK’s Guardian newspaper. “But he made the most of his remaining time to send a positive message to all of us: Do what you love while you still can. Thank you, Eriksson.”
