Sven Goran Eriksson: The 18 trophies, the tenure on the England bench and the battle with cancer (Videos) – 2024-08-26 15:43:09

From the Daggerforsto the great powerhouse of Swedish football, Gothenburg and from there intermediate stops in Benficathe Romathe Fiorentinathe Lazio and of course the “electrified” bench of her national team England. Sven Goran Eriksson was introduced to the world of football as a “colorless” right-back in Sweden, but he saw his name “launch” recording a 42-year career on the benches of clubs and national teams.

“They saw me as a mediocre defender, but they recognized that I rarely made mistakes,” he said many years later of his career as a footballer, which he interrupted at the age of 27 to continue from the edge of the benches.

In the four decades he spent in the field as a coach he conquered 18 trophiesmainly in the early part of his career from 1977 to 2001, among them the UEFA Cup. OR decade of the 00’s found him on the “Lions” bench, as one of the options called upon to bring “home” (as the now famous song says) the first trophy since 1966.

Eriksson’s career with England

Called to replace him Kevin KeeganEriksson was introduced to the discerning English public in February 2001 in a friendly win against Spain. However, the first big test would come against Greece in October 2002. Then, Otto Rehagel’s “blue and white” came very close to the big surprise, but his direct free kick David Beckham gave a golden point to the “Lions” (2-2) and together with the qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

Eriksson had to manage one of the “golden” packages of English football, which included figures such as: Beckham, Owen, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Scholes, Campbell, Phil Nevillebut even under his guidance it was not possible to fulfill the dream that has turned into… a curse for the English.

At World Cup of 2002 his amazing foul Ronaldinho left England out of the round of 16 (2-1), while at Euro of 2004the hosts Portuguese eliminated the “Lions” on penalties, this time in the quarterfinals. Two years later, in Worldwide Cup her Germanyhistory repeated itself in the same sadistic way for the English, against the same opponent.

Having failed to lead England to the “promised land” of football, Eriksson was heavily criticized by the British media. Key points were his inability to intervene regularly when the team was behind, the failure to create a strong midfield with class players like Lampard and Gerrard at his disposal, and the transfer of Scholes.

Ultimately, his tenure on the England bench came to an end in July 2007, when he was announced as their manager Manchester Citywhich was not yet in its “glories”. Under Eriksson, City struggled to break into the top ten, and he was also charged with the heaviest defeat in their history, 8-1 against Middlesbrough.

His association with the “Citizens” ended in the summer of 2008 to follow a trip for Erikson to Mexico, Jamaica, Ivory Coast, the Philippines, with stops in English clubs such as Notts County and Leicester.

The battle with cancer and the emotional goodbye

In January 2024, Sven Goran Eriksson was in his home country holding the post of sporting director in Karlstad. It was then that he revealed that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, even stating that doctors did not give him more than a year to live.

“I had a good life, yes. I think we all fear the day when life ends, when we die. But life is also about death. You have to learn to accept him for who he is. Hopefully, in the end, people will say, “Yes, he was a good man,” but not everyone will say that. I hope you will remember me as a positive guy, who tried to do his best. Don’t be sorry. Smile.

Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the public. It was all fantastic. Take care of yourself, take care of your life and live it. Goodbye!”, was the message he wanted to share in the documentary – a tribute to his life.

The curtain fell on Monday, August 26, with Sven Goran Eriksson taking his last breath, having managed to earn a prominent place among football’s influential figures thanks to his tactical approach and effectiveness in coaching clubs especially in the 80’s and 90’s.

The palmare of Sven Goran Eriksson

1 Italian championship (Lazio – 1999/2000)

1 UEFA Super Cup (Lazio – 1999/2000)

1 UEFA Cup (Gothenburg – 1981/1982)

4 Italian Cups (Roma 85/86, Sampdoria 93/94, Lazio 97/98, 99/00)

2 Italian Super Cups (Lazio 1998/99, 2000/2001)

3 Portuguese Championships (Benfica 1982/83, 1983/84, 1990/91)

1 Portuguese Cup (Benfica 1982/83)

1 Swedish Championship (Gothenburg 1981/82)

2 Swedish Cups (Gothenburg 1979/80, 1981/82)

1 Portuguese Super Cup (Benfica 1989/90)