Sven-Göran Eriksson, England’s first overseas manager and winner of multiple honours at club level, has died at the age of 76. Eriksson, who had been battling pancreatic cancer, succumbed to the illness on Monday morning at his home, surrounded by family. The news was confirmed by Bo Gustavsson, Eriksson’s agent in Sweden, and relayed through UK PR agent Dean Eldredge of Oporto Sports.
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Eriksson’s death comes after he publicly revealed in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had shared that he likely had “at best” about a year to live. Prior to his passing, Eriksson had stepped down from his final role as sporting director at Karlstad in Sweden due to what he described as “health issues which are under investigation.”
Early life
Sven-Göran Eriksson was born on 5 February 1948 in Sunne and raised in Torsby, both in Värmland, Sweden. His father, also named Sven (born 1929), was a bus conductor and his mother, Ulla (1926–2011), worked in a textile store. He was nicknamed “Svennis” after his younger brother Lars-Erik’s attempt to pronounce his name; Eriksson went on to become known, and is generally referred to in Sweden mononymously, by this nickname.
Eriksson made his debut for Swedish football Division 4 team Torsby IF at the age of 16.[6] He switched clubs to SK Sifhälla after moving to Säffle to study economics. In 1972, he joined Swedish football Division 2 team KB Karlskoga FF, where he also worked as a physical education teacher in Örebro.
Eriksson was heavily influenced by Karlskoga’s player-manager, Tord Grip, who favoured the English style of play that Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson had brought to the country. Eriksson retired from playing in 1975 at the age of 27, after giving up on his dream of playing professional football; he summed up his brief playing career by saying: “I was looked upon as a distinctly average defender, but someone who rarely made mistakes”
Managerial career
Here’s a table summarizing Sven-Göran Eriksson’s managerial career:
| Club/National Team | Role | Tenure | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degerfors IF | Manager | 1 Jan 1977 – 31 Dec 1978 | Promoted to Swedish Football Division 2 |
| IFK Göteborg | Manager | 1 Jan 1979 – Jun 1982 | Swedish title, UEFA Cup (1982), Svenska Cupen (1982) |
| Benfica | Manager | Jun 1982 – Jun 1984 | Primeira Divisão (1983, 1984), Taça de Portugal (1983), UEFA Cup runners-up (1983) |
| Roma | Manager | 1 Jul 1984 – 6 May 1987 | Coppa Italia (1986) |
| Fiorentina | Manager | 1 Jul 1987 – Jun 1989 | No major trophies |
| Benfica | Manager (second stint) | Jun 1989 – Jun 1992 | Primeira Divisão (1991), European Cup runners-up (1990) |
| Sampdoria | Manager | Jul 1992 – Jun 1997 | Coppa Italia (1994) |
| Lazio | Manager | 1 Jul 1997 – Jan 2001 | Serie A title (2000), Coppa Italia (1998, 2000), Supercoppa Italiana (1998, 2000), European Cup Winners’ Cup (1999) |
| England National Team | Manager | Feb 2001 – July 2006 | 2002 FIFA World Cup (Quarter-finals), UEFA Euro 2004 (Quarter-finals) |
| Manchester City | Manager | 6 Jul 2007 – 2 Jun 2008 | Premier League Manager of the Month (Aug 2007), won both derbies against Manchester United |
| Mexico National Team | Manager | Jun 2008 – Mar 2009 | Qualified for 2010 World Cup group stage |
| Notts County | Director of Football | Jul 2009 – Feb 2010 | Helped club to promotion from League Two |
| Ivory Coast National Team | Manager | Mar 2010 – Jun 2010 | 2010 World Cup group stage |
| Leicester City | Manager | 3 Oct 2010 – 25 Oct 2011 | Improved league position to 10th, significant signings |
| Guangzhou R&F | Manager | Jun 2013 – Nov 2014 | Qualified for the AFC Champions League |
| Shanghai SIPG | Manager | Nov 2014 – Nov 2016 | AFC Champions League Quarter-finals (2016) |
| Shenzhen | Manager | Dec 2016 – Jun 2017 | Sacked after nine-game winless run |
| Philippines National Team | Head Coach | Oct 2018 – Jan 2019 | 2018 AFF Championship (semi-finals), 2019 AFC Asian Cup (group stage) |
This table provides an overview of Eriksson’s significant roles and achievements throughout his extensive managerial career. In March 2024 he also realised a childhood dream by managing Liverpool at Anfield in a charity game. “It was a beautiful day,” Eriksson said afterwards.
A documentary about Eriksson’s life, simply entitled ‘Sven’, was shown on Amazon Prime before his death and contained a message from the man himself that poignantly summed up his good humour, grace and dignity. “Don’t be sorry, smile,” Eriksson said. “Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it. Bye.”
Sven-Göran Eriksson will be remembered for his considerable contributions to football and his remarkable achievements throughout his career. Rest in peace, Sven.
