Sven-Göran Eriksson, former England manager, dies aged 76

Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson passed away on Monday at the age of 76, as confirmed by his representatives to CNN.

“Sven-Göran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family,” read a statement.

In January 2024, Eriksson publicly shared that he had terminal cancer and "about a year" to live, leading to an outpouring of support from former colleagues and well-wishers around the world. CNN learned from a source close to Eriksson that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“Everyone can see that I have a disease that’s not good, and everyone supposes that it’s cancer, and it is. But I have to fight it as long as possible,” Eriksson told Swedish radio station P1, according to Reuters.

Eriksson is survived by his two children, Johan and Lina, from his previous marriage to Ann-Christine Pettersson, and his partner, Yaniseth del Carmen Bravo Mendoza.

After his death, Johan and Lina honored their father in a statement: “Dad told us at the beginning of this year about his serious illness and received an amazing response from friends and football fans across Europe. He was invited to several football teams in England, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden. They shared their love for football and for dad. It was unforgettable for both him and us. He expressed his appreciation and joy, stating that such beautiful words are usually only uttered when someone has died.

“We have shared his gratitude and experienced the wonderful meetings between him, football, and all his friends. We thank everyone for these positive memories and your support during his illness.

“We hope that you will remember Svennis as the good and positive person he always was, both in public and at home with us.”

Eriksson, best known as the first non-Englishman to manage England's national team, led what was considered England’s “Golden Generation,” coaching star players like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Rio Ferdinand across two World Cups and a European Championship.

“Of course, sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you’re doing well, sometimes you have injuries, the team doesn’t work and things like that,” Eriksson told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies in March as he reflected on his career. “It’s a lot of things, but the stress is always there. I loved that stress, and I miss that stress … Football is a drug, especially if you are involved in it in a heavy way.”

Born in Sunne, Sweden, to a truck driver, Eriksson played amateur soccer before his friend Tord Grip convinced him to transition to coaching. At 27, he became Grip’s assistant manager at Degerfors IF in Sweden’s third division. By 34, Eriksson—known affectionately as “Svennis” in Sweden—led IFK Göteborg to victory in the UEFA Cup, now the Europa League, which he later described as a pivotal moment in his career.

“One of the first trophies I won was with Gothenburg and after some years we won the trophy in Europe,” Eriksson told Sky Sports in 2020. “That gave me the ticket to leave Sweden and go into professional football because Gothenburg at that time, even if we won the title in Europe, we were not fully professional, all the players worked half-time and played football half-time.”

Eriksson’s career took him to Portuguese giant Benfica, where he won two league titles and the Portuguese Cup and led the team to the UEFA Cup final in 1982/83. He then moved on to Italian clubs Roma and Fiorentina, before returning to Benfica and taking the team to the 1989/90 European Cup final. Later, at Lazio, he led the club to a golden era, winning the Coppa Italia, the Italian Super Cup, the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and the club’s second-ever Serie A title in 2000.

His success drew the attention of the English FA, and he was soon managing the England national team. Under his leadership, England reached the quarterfinals at Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 but was defeated by Portugal in penalty shootouts on both occasions. This led to harsh criticism from the English tabloids, who labeled him the “Swedish Flop” and “Golden Fleecer.” Despite this, Eriksson held the position in high regard, saying in 2024, “England is something special…To be the England coach, it’s a big, big job … probably the biggest in the world.”

Beyond managing England, Eriksson coached Manchester City in the Premier League and had stints with teams in Ivory Coast, China, Mexico, and the Philippines during his 40-year managerial career.

Eriksson’s personal life was often in the spotlight, particularly in the British tabloids. His relationships, including alleged affairs with TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson and Football Association secretary Faria Alam, were widely reported, but Eriksson maintained that his private life was his own concern.

“When you talk about paparazzi and that kind of press, you can’t do anything about it,” he told CNN earlier this year. “You have to accept it or go back home to Sweden…I said to myself: ‘No, Sven. Don’t give up just because of this. Don’t worry about it and don’t read it and don’t talk about it.’ It’s up to the press if they want to write it or not. And at the end, I couldn’t care less.”

In 2006, Eriksson was also caught in a “Fake Sheikh” sting by a Sunday tabloid, where a journalist posing as a wealthy Arab businessman quoted Eriksson as saying he would leave England to manage Aston Villa.

During 2024, Eriksson made an effort to live life to the fullest. A lifelong Liverpool fan, he fulfilled a dream when Liverpool invited him to be part of a Liverpool FC Legends management team for a charity match against Ajax Legends at Anfield Stadium following his diagnosis.

Liverpool paid tribute to Eriksson on social media after his death, stating, “Rest in peace, Sven-Göran Eriksson. The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Sven’s family and friends at this extremely sad time.”

Prince William, the president of the English FA, also paid his respects, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson. I met him several times as England manager and was always struck by his charisma and passion for the game. My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman of the game.”

Many of the teams Eriksson managed, including England, Benfica, Notts County, Manchester City, Gothenburg, and Lazio, also shared their tributes on social media.

In an Amazon Prime Video documentary released earlier this month, Eriksson expressed how he wanted to be remembered: “I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do. Don’t be sorry, smile. 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.”