Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who led England from 2001 to 2006, passed away on Monday at the age of 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his agent confirmed.
Eriksson died peacefully at home with his family by his side, according to his agent Bo Gustavsson. Eriksson, who managed several prominent teams and guided England to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and 2006, had announced in February 2023 that he was stepping back from public life due to health issues. In January, he revealed to Sveriges Radio that he had pancreatic cancer and was given a prognosis of “at best maybe a year to live.”
“We knew about his condition, but his passing came sooner than expected,” Gustavsson said.
Born on February 5, 1948, in Sunne, Sweden, Eriksson, known as “Svennis,” achieved notable success as a football manager after a modest playing career as a defender. He began managing Degerfors IF in 1977, leading them to success and catching the eye of larger clubs. Eriksson later managed IFK Goteborg, Benfica, and several Italian teams, including Roma and Lazio.
His most prominent role was as the first foreign manager of England’s national team, where he led them to World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and 2006, and the Euro 2004 quarterfinals. Despite a memorable 5-1 win over Germany, his tenure also saw controversies surrounding his personal life.
After leaving England in 2006, Eriksson managed Mexico, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines but never his native Sweden’s national team.
