Sven-Göran Eriksson, England’s first overseas manager and winner of multiple honours at club level, has died at the age of 76.
Eriksson’s death was confirmed by Bo Gustavsson, the former Lazio coach’s agent in Sweden, via his UK PR agent, Dean Eldredge of Oporto Sports.
Gustavsson said Eriksson had died on Monday morning at home surrounded by family. “The family ask that their wish to be able to mourn in privacy is respected and that they are not contacted,” a statement said.
Eriksson was in January 2024 diagnosed of terminal pancreas cancer and he said that he likely had “at best” about a year to live.
He had stood down from his final job, as sporting director at Karlstad in his native Sweden, the previous February because of what he described at the time as “health issues which are under investigation”.
Eriksson’s managerial career spanned more than four decades, during which he won 18 trophies.
It began in Sweden with Degerfors IF before he took charge of IFK Göteborg.
During his career, Eriksson managed a string of high-profile European clubs such as Benfica, Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio.
Eriksson left the England role after the 2006 World Cup and would later manage Mexico and the Ivory Coast, as well as English clubs Manchester City and Leicester City.
He rose from being a PE teacher in a small Swedish town to the peaks of English football.
