Sven-Goran Eriksson: Prince William leads tributes as former England soccer coach dies

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.

“We knew it was going to end badly, 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, and 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.

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 Australia in London, the Socceroos’ only win against the Three Lions, which prompted a change in FIFA regulations after he substituted all 11 players at half-time.

This was England’s ‘golden generation’ with David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, but Eriksson’s team did not go beyond a major quarter-final, reaching that stage in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and 2004 European Championship, losing the latter two in penalty shoot-outs.

Eriksson left the England job in 2006, forced out by a tabloid sting and a media focus on his personal life that always perplexed him, but if he felt bitter he never showed it.

He had come to note after leading IFK Gothenburg to an incredible European triumph, taking the part-timers from Sweden’s west coast to a 4-0 victory on aggregate over SV Hamburg in the 1982 UEFA Cup final.

That win opened up the footballing world. He won three Portuguese league titles during two spells at Benfica and Italy’s Serie A with Lazio in 2000, the latter success catching England’s attention.

Renowned as an excellent communicator and man manager, Eriksson left much of the work on the training ground to his long-time assistant Tord Grip.

After leaving England he coached Manchester City and Leicester City as well as the Mexico and Ivory Coast national sides and clubs in China and the Philippines.

Eriksson’s life and career is the subject of a new Amazon Prime documentary, which was released last week.

“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do,” he said in it.

“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.”

- with agencies