Current:Home > NewsFormer England national soccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson dies at 76-VaTradeCoin
Former England national soccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson dies at 76
lotradecoin account registration process View Date:2024-12-25 23:25:19
STOCKHOLM - Sven-Goran Eriksson, the charismatic Swedish football manager who became the first foreigner to lead the England national team, died on Monday at the age of 76.
Eriksson announced in January that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
"After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family," his family said in a statement.
Widely regarded as the greatest Swedish manager, Eriksson won major titles in his home country, Portugal and Italy before leading England in three major tournaments during the early 2000s.
After a mediocre playing career, he gained international recognition by guiding unfashionable Swedish club IFK Gothenburg to the UEFA Cup title in 1982, the only Swedish team to win a European trophy.
Heavily influenced by the English football revered in Sweden in the 1970s and 80s, Eriksson used a pragmatic playing style and a 4-4-2 formation for most of his managerial career. While tactically astute, Eriksson saw his biggest strength as a builder of teams with the right character.
"The group is the most important thing. Not only the players, but their families as well. The whole club, including the masseurs and the kitchen staff, we are all one group," he said.
When he arrived at Italy's Lazio in 1997, Eriksson demanded that the president sell club captain and star player Giuseppe Signori because he was a bad influence on the group.
"He didn't have the right attitude, he had been at the club for a long time and was too negative," Eriksson said. "Instead I took in great players, like (Juan Sebastian) Veron and (Roberto) Mancini, who were hungry and professional."
The Lazio fans were enraged by the decision and stormed the training facility but within six months Eriksson had turned the mood around and went on to win seven trophies with Lazio, including the club's second Italian league title.
Mancini, who Eriksson formed a close bond with at Fiorentina and Lazio, and who went on to manage Manchester City and Italy, said Eriksson had become like a father to him.
"Or bigger brother, I should perhaps say, to not insult him," he said.
Career as England manager
Eriksson became England manager in 2001. When asked how it felt to become the first non-Briton to lead the team, the soft-spoken Swede smiled and said "not bad."
It was an indication of why he had earned the nickname of "the rubber wall" in Italy for absorbing, but rarely rising to, media provocation - a trait that served him well when dealing with the English football press pack and made him popular with his players.
Nine months after his arrival, a stunning 5-1 away World Cup qualifying win over Germany erased any doubts over the decision to appoint him.
Managing a golden generation of players, including David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, Eriksson guided England to the 2002 World Cup, where they lost to eventual winners Brazil in the quarterfinals.
England qualified for the 2004 European Championship and the 2006 World Cup but exited both tournaments in the quarterfinals after penalty shootout defeats by Portugal.
Eriksson's relationship with the press soured over the years. His tumultuous personal life was front-page news and he was caught out in a undercover sting saying he would leave England for Aston Villa ahead of the 2006 World Cup.
After revealing in January that he had terminal pancreatic cancer, Eriksson received warm welcomes at the stadiums of many of his former clubs. He led Liverpool from the bench in a charity match, a life-long ambition of his.
Beckham, Eriksson's England captain, went to visit him in Sweden and many of his former players sent public messages.
"He's probably the most humane coach I have had," Rooney said in a documentary about Eriksson.
veryGood! (817)
Related
- Sabrina Carpenter reveals her own hits made it on her personal Spotify Wrapped list
- Georgia wide receiver arrested on battery, assault on unborn child charges
- Toyota pushes back EV production plans in America
- Cissy Houston, gospel singer and mother of pop icon Whitney Houston, dies at 91
- Through 'The Loss Mother's Stone,' mothers share their grief from losing a child to stillbirth
- Anne Hathaway Reveals Sweet Anniversary Gift From Husband Adam Shulman
- Using AI to buy your home? These companies think it's time you should.
- A driver’s test for autonomous vehicles? A leading expert says US should have one
- What was 2024's best movie? From 'The Substance' to 'Conclave,' our top 10
- Alabama Town Plans to Drop Criminal Charges Over Unpaid Garbage Bills
Ranking
- Gen Z is 'doom spending' its way through the holidays. What does that mean?
- These police officers had red flags in their past, then used force in a case that ended in death
- Rare $100 Off Dyson Airwrap for October Prime Day 2024 — Grab This Can't-Miss Deal Before It Sells Out!
- 2024-25 NHL season opens in North America with three games: How to watch
- 'Secret Level' creators talk new video game Amazon series, that Pac
- Movie armorer on Alec Baldwin’s film ‘Rust’ pleads guilty to gun charge in separate case
- How many points did Zach Edey score tonight? Grizzlies-Mavericks preseason box score
- Man falls to his death in Utah while canyoneering in Zion National Park
Recommendation
-
Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled to Eastern Europe is in custody, online records show
-
Cissy Houston, gospel singer and mother of pop icon Whitney Houston, dies at 91
-
Sean “Diddy” Combs Hotline Gets 12,000 Calls in 24 Hours, Accusers' Lawyer Says
-
Judge gives preliminary approval for NCAA settlement allowing revenue-sharing with athletes
-
Manager of pet grooming salon charged over death of corgi that fell off table
-
Alabama Town Plans to Drop Criminal Charges Over Unpaid Garbage Bills
-
Alaska Utilities Turn to Renewables as Costs Escalate for Fossil Fuel Electricity Generation
-
What polling shows about Black voters’ views of Harris and Trump