Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson, first foreign England manager, dies at 76
- Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to manage England’s national football team, passed away at 76 after battling pancreatic cancer
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.
