The football world is mourning the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson, the former Swedish coach who marked an era in both European and international football. Born in Sunne in 1948, Eriksson passed away at the age of 76 after a hard battle with pancreatic cancer, diagnosed in January 2024.
“After a long illness, SGE passed away this morning at home surrounded by family. The closest mourners are daughter Lina; son Johan with his wife Amana and granddaughter Sky; father Sven; his girlfriend Yanisette with her son Alcides; brother Lars-Erik with his wife Jumnong. The family asks for respect for their wish to grieve privately and not be contacted,” was the official statement released after the tragic news.
In January 2024, Eriksson publicly announced on Swedish radio P1 that he had been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer and that doctors had given him about a year to live. In his own words, he stated: “Everyone can see that I have a disease that is not good, and everyone assumes it is cancer, and it is, but I have to fight it as long as possible.”
Despite his diagnosis, Eriksson remained positive to the end. He said in a statement to the British newspaper Mirror: “I hope I am remembered as a positive guy who tried to do everything I could. Don’t regret it, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, fans, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and your life, and live it, bye.”
“Life is not 100%. I have had injections for many months, now (the doctors) are switching to pills. There are a lot of big effects on the throat and nose, but that is part of it and I can live with it. I know life won’t last forever. But I am fine,” she said crudely in the biographical documentary SVEN on Amazon Prime Video.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former England and Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson . Our deepest condolences go out to Sven’s family and friends,” the Premier League’s official account posted. “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson , who managed the Three Lions from 2001 to 2006, aged 76. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Rest in peace, Sven. You will be greatly missed,” the England team wrote on X (formerly on Twitter)
The detection of this disease led him to spend almost all his time in the calm of his home in the Swedish city of Sunne with his children and his partner of 15 years, Yaniseth Bravo. “Sunne is a very good place to return to. He has resettled and I think he has found peace,” said his close friend, Anders Runebjer.
One of Eriksson’s last public appearances was at Anfield, the home of Liverpool, a team of which he was a fervent supporter throughout his life. On 23 March, during a charity match pitting Reds legends against Ajax legends, Eriksson had the opportunity to coach former players of the calibre of Ian Rush, John Barnes and Jerzy Dudek in front of more than 60,000 spectators.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp showed his respect and admiration for Eriksson, declaring that he would be delighted to welcome him to Anfield and allow him to sit in his office and ‘do his job for a day’. This gesture underlined the profound impact that the manager left on the world of football.
“Being at this game is a dream come true and I could never have dreamed of so much, but when I was a manager I always wanted to go to Liverpool and it never happened. I was close once and there were talks. It was many years ago and it never happened,” he said at the time.
Eriksson began his coaching career in the late 1970s in Sweden. His first major success came with IFK Goteborg, where he won the Swedish league and the UEFA Cup in the 1981-1982 season. These successes opened the door to a glittering career that took him to renowned Italian clubs such as Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio.
Eriksson had some unforgettable moments with the Eagles, leading them to win the Scudetto in the 1999-2000 season, along with a European Super Cup and a Coppa Italia. Eriksson also collected victories in Portugal, where while coaching Benfica he won three league titles, a Taça de Portugal and a Portuguese Super Cup.
However, it will always be remembered by fans that Eriksson broke barriers by becoming the first foreign manager of the Three Lions’ England squad in 2001. Under his leadership, England reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. During his time with England, Eriksson was recognised for his tactical flair and his ability to manage world-class players.
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