Swedish soccer manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who became the first foreigner to lead the England national team, has died at the age of 76. Eriksson, a charming man and charismatic coach who led Swedish, Portuguese and Italian clubs to major trophies before taking on the England job in 2001, announced in January that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer. Eriksson’s long-time agent Bo Gustavsson said Eriksson had died early on Monday (local time), surrounded by his family.
Sven-Goran Eriksson. (Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) “We knew it was going to end bad, it all went really fast in the last few weeks,” Gustavsson said. Football Association patron Prince William said he was “always struck by (Eriksson’s) charisma and passion”.
In a personal tribute on social media, the Prince of Wales called him a “true gentleman of the game” British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute to Eriksson as did former players and clubs, political and football officials in Sweden, England and elsewhere. Fondly known as “Svennis” in his native Sweden, Eriksson had a modest playing career before retiring at the age of 27 and embarking on what proved to be a nomadic coaching career that reached its peak when he was hired by England in 2001. More Football His finest result with them was probably the 5-1 win against Germany in Munich not long after taking charge during qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.
One of his worst was a 3-1 defeat to.