Sven-Goran Eriksson, ex-England manager, dies after battling cancer

Sven-Goran Eriksson, former head coach of the Three Lions of England, has died at 76. 

The death of the Swedish tactician was announced in a statement released by his children on Monday.

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

The death comes a few months after Eriksson had announced that he had terminal cancer and had “about a year” to live.

The revelation was met with positive support and well-wishes across the football world.

Eriksson was most famous for his historic appointment as the first foreign coach of the England men’s national team.

He managed the Three Lions from 2001 to 2006 and led them to the quarter-finals of three major competitions: the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro 2004.

The Swede took charge of an English national team flush with talent and adequately dubbed the golden generation. But despite the enormous wealth of talent at his disposal, he achieved little success.

However, Eriksson won trophies elsewhere. He led 12 clubs across five countries and won 18 trophies. He also managed national teams in Mexico, the Cote d’Ivoire, and the Philippines.

In 2020, Eriksson revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) approached him to manage the Super Eagles for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Swede said he rejected the offer after he was told by an NFF official that his salary would be paid into two different bank accounts.

Lars Lagerback was eventually appointed Eagles coach at that time.