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Sven-Göran Eriksson wrote a final column before his death. In it, the coaching legend told an emotional anecdote with Dietmar Hamann.
Stockholm – The fate of Sven-Göran Eriksson has moved millions of football fans around the world in recent months. In January 2024, the Swede announced that he was suffering from incurable pancreatic cancer. He died on August 26 at the age of 76.
Shortly before his death, Eriksson wrote a final column for the British daily newspaper TelegraphWith the consent of the family, this has now been published after Eriksson’s death and before his funeral.
Eriksson was Hamann’s coach at Manchester City
“Life should be celebrated. I have always had that attitude” – with these words Eriksson began his final emotional contribution. To better illustrate his attitude to life, the coaching legend told an anecdote with Dietmar HamannEriksson was coach of Manchester City from 2007 to 2008, while Hamann was a professional with the Skyblues at the time.
After the season, Manchester City toured Thailand. Hamann was sitting by the pool when Eriksson came to see him. “Didi didn’t know that Tord Grip, my assistant, and I had just been fired. Both Tord and I were sad about it because we had a good season,” wrote Eriksson.
“We celebrate life, Kaiser,” Eriksson said to Hamann
In that season, Eriksson and Manchester City reached ninth place in the Premier League; the previous season, the Citizens had only finished 14th under his two predecessors Stuart Pearce and Kevin Keegan. The dismissal hurt Eriksson. “So we did what everyone should do in such a situation: we bought a few bottles of champagne.”
Sven-Göran Eriksson is considered the greatest football coach Sweden has ever had. © IMAGO / Sportimage
He went to Hamann at the pool and invited his player for a drink. “He said to me: ‘What are we celebrating, boss?'” said Eriksson. “My answer then was the same as it is today, as I write these final words, which will be published at some point: ‘We’re celebrating life, Kaiser,’ I said.”
For Eriksson, it was “difficult” after his diagnosis in January 2024, as he was otherwise such a positive person. “There were days when I felt very bad and other days when I felt OK. But through it all, I always tried to live every day with a smile. You have to stay positive,” was the message he left behind.
Eriksson coached several top clubs and the English national team
In Sweden, “Svennis” is considered the greatest football coach the country has ever had. Eriksson surprisingly won the UEFA Cup with IFK Göteborg in 1982, defeating 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the semi-final and Hamburger SV in the final. During his decades-long coaching career, the former defender subsequently coached numerous clubs such as Benfica Lisbon, AS and Lazio Rome as well as Manchester City and several national teams.
His probably biggest position on the international football stage was from 2001 to 2006: He was the first foreigner ever to be allowed to coach the England national football team, which the Swede led to the quarter-finals at the 2002 World Cup, the 2004 European Championship and the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
