Sven-Goran Eriksson, Swedish soccer coach who was first foreigner to lead England team, dies at 76

Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swedish soccer supervisor who spent 5 years as England’s first ever foreign-born coach after making his title successful trophies at membership stage in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died Monday. He was 76.

Eriksson died at house surrounded by his household, his agent Bo Gustavsson advised The Related Press.

His loss of life adopted eight months after he revealed he had been recognized with pancreatic most cancers and had at most one 12 months to reside.

That information led to Eriksson receiving a surge of affection and tributes from his former gamers and golf equipment, a biographical documentary being made, and a go to to his favourite membership Liverpool which invited him to be supervisor for the day at a charity sport.

Fondly often called “Svennis” in his native Sweden, Eriksson had a modest, nine-year taking part in profession earlier than retiring on the age of 27 and embarking on what proved to be a nomadic teaching profession that reached its peak when he was employed by England in 2001.

Inside months, he led an underachieving workforce to a shocking signature win — 5-1 in opposition to Germany in Munich in a World Cup qualifying sport.

Eriksson led what was thought to be a “golden technology” of gamers, together with David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, on the World Cups in 2002 and 2006 and obtained the workforce to the quarterfinals at each tournaments earlier than elimination by Brazil and Portugal, respectively.

In the one different main event beneath Eriksson — the European Championship in 2004 — England was additionally ousted on the quarterfinal stage, by Portugal and through a penalty shootout like on the World Cup in 2006.

“We laughed, we cried and we knew we have been saying goodbye,” Beckham wrote in a put up on Instagram alongside footage of a current assembly with Eriksson, who made him captain of the nationwide workforce.

“Sven, thanks for at all times being the individual you’ve got at all times been — passionate, caring, calm and a real gentleman. I will likely be eternally grateful for you making me your captain however I’ll eternally maintain these final reminiscences of at the present time with you and your loved ones … Thanks Sven and in your final phrases to me, ‘It will likely be okay.’”

Eriksson’s tenure in certainly one of world soccer’s most high-profile jobs was remembered virtually as a lot for what occurred off the sphere as on it. He had two affairs — one with Swedish TV character Ulrika Jonsson and the opposite with a secretary on the Soccer Affiliation, Faria Alam — which stored England’s gossip-hungry newspapers busy.

“My non-public life was not very non-public in England,” Eriksson stated in 2018.

His time with England coincided with the emergence of a WAG (wives and girlfriends) tradition, with the high-profile companions of the gamers — like Victoria Beckham — making headlines after Eriksson allowed them to come back to the World Cup in Germany.

Eriksson later had temporary spells answerable for the Mexico, Ivory Coast and Philippines nationwide groups however the one silverware he earned got here within the membership sport.

At Swedish workforce IFK Gothenburg, he received the league-and-cup double in 1982 and capped a shocking season by additionally capturing the now-defunct UEFA Cup.

Eriksson received back-to-back Portuguese titles in an preliminary two-year stint with Benfica (1982-84), in addition to the Portuguese Cup in 1983, and returned there to achieve the European Cup ultimate in 1990 — shedding to AC Milan — and win the league once more in 1991.

It was in Italy the place he grew to become a serious teaching title, primarily at Lazio after spells at Roma (1984-87) and Sampdoria (1992-97) — the place he received Italian Cups — and Fiorentina (1987-89).

At Lazio from 1997-2001, he led to the workforce to solely its second league title — in 2000 — after a late-season collapse by Juventus, in addition to two Italian Cups and the final ever version of the European Cup Winners’ Cup (in 1999).

Eriksson’s Lazio might have received Serie A in 1999, too, solely to be overwhelmed to the title by a degree by AC Milan and in addition misplaced the ultimate of the UEFA Cup in ’98.

“It was the most effective interval of my profession,” Eriksson stated of successful seven trophies in a four-year stretch, at a time when Italy was rivaling Spain because the Europe’s high soccer league.

Eriksson benefited from the heavy spending of its proprietor, Sergio Cragnotti, at Lazio, with the Scudetto-winning workforce containing massive names like Juan Sebastián Verón, Pavel Nedved and Sinisa Mihajlovic. It continued the next season when the Roman membership, searching for to win the Champions League, spent a world-record price to purchase Hernan Crespo and in addition purchased fellow Argentine striker Claudio López however Eriksson didn’t end the season after being enticed by the England job.

He additionally had two year-long stints in membership administration in England, at Manchester Metropolis (2007-08) and Leicester (2010-11), both aspect of a spell as director of soccer at fourth-tier Notts County after it got here briefly into the form of cash — following its buy by a consortium from the Center East — that might appeal to a high-profile title like Eriksson.

Bespectacled and a straight talker, Eriksson was well-liked along with his gamers all through his teaching profession and was thought to be a wonderful man-manager. He exuded a relaxed authority within the locker room and was by no means afraid of constructing massive choices, like promoting Guiseppe Signori — the captain and star striker at Lazio — as a result of Eriksson didn’t suppose the participant was a superb affect. Lazio received the league the next season.

Eriksson completed his teaching profession by managing two golf equipment in China — Guangzhou and Shanghai SIPG — and extra just lately had the position of sporting director at Karlstad, a workforce in Sweden’s third division, earlier than saying in February 2023 that he’d be standing down for well being causes.

They grew to become extensively identified 11 months later when Eriksson advised Swedish Radio he had terminal most cancers, saying: “At finest I’ve perhaps a 12 months, at worst perhaps rather less.”

“I might go and give it some thought on a regular basis and sit at house and be grumpy and suppose I’m unfortunate and so forth,” he stated. “I believe that’s simply executed, that you find yourself there.

“No, have a look at issues positively and don’t wallow in adversity. As a result of that is, in fact, the largest setback.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated Eriksson “lives on within the hearts of the Swedish individuals.”

“Svennis’ significance to soccer, in Sweden and out of doors Sweden, can’t be overestimated,” Kristersson stated. “I can solely think about what number of ladies and boys have began taking part in soccer — and dared to dream — due to his efforts. Thanks for all the pieces Svennis!”

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Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Steve Douglas, The Related Press