Sven-Goran Eriksson hopes he’ll be well enough to watch England v Brazil in March – and reveals one unfulfilled wish
Terminally-ill Sven-Goran Eriksson wants to be well enough to watch England take on Brazil in two months’ time – and has revealed one wish he never fulfilled.
The former England manager has pancreatic cancer – with about a year left to live at the “best case” – and the 75-year-old told Sky News’ Niall Paterson he wants to stay as healthy as he can in that time.
He wants to “not have too much pain” and plans to make it to England to watch the Three Lions taking on Brazil on 23 March at Wembley.
Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed what he would like to do with the time he has left
Asked how he wants to spend the time he has left, he said: “Travelling, looking at a lot of football still.
“I hope maybe to go to England and see England versus Brazil in March. Great game, a warm-up for the World Cup, because that could also be the final [of World Cup 2026].”
And the role in football that he wished didn’t pass him by?
“My father is still a Liverpool supporter and I am a Liverpool supporter too, always have been,” he said.
“So I always wished to be the manager of Liverpool and that will not happen, but I’m still a Liverpool fan.”
He said waking up without pain is a “great gift” that we “take for granted” while healthy, but not when ill.
His children had taken him to hospital after he “felt dizzy” and “fell”, with doctors telling him he had a “small stroke” before revealing his cancer.
Since revealing his diagnosis on Thursday, he says he has received “a lot of messages and phone calls” from former colleagues and players he coached, including from his days as England boss.
Watch the full interview with Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday night with Niall Paterson at 8:30pm tonight
Beckham alongside Eriksson before departing for the Euro 2004 Championships
He looks back at his five-year stint with England with some regret, believing the team could have done more than three consecutive quarter-final finishes in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
As England boss, Eriksson had many dealings with Premier League clubs as he called up players, none more so than Manchester United.
With key players like Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville playing for United at the time, he reflected on some “hard words” he used to have with former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
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“Sometimes we needed a lot of players from Manchester United, that’s normal, they were the best club in the country,” he said, adding he “fully respects” the Scotsman.
“So there were hard words, but I can understand Sir Alex that he defended Manchester United. He hated when we took players for friendly games.”
He added: “But if I saw him two weeks later, he’d say ‘hello, my friend, how are you’.”
Between 2001 and 2006, Eriksson coached the so-called “golden generation” of footballers in the England team including Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Rooney and Frank Lampard.
While that squad didn’t manage to reach a major final, Eriksson believes the current crop is a “good team” and can win Euro 2024.
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has met Israel’s prime minister in an effort to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza before the president-elect takes office on 20 January.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed details of the meeting with Steve Witkoff on Saturday, adding that the head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency has been deployed to Qatar in order to “advance” talks.
It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Doha for the latest round of indirect discussions between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli official said some progress had been made, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to reach a deal in Gaza.
Ronen Bar (left), director of Israel’s security agency, and David Barnea (right), head of Mossad, at a ceremony marking the 7 October Hamas attack. File pic: Reuters
The mediators are making renewed efforts to halt fighting in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages held there before Mr Trump takes office.
A deal would also involve the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Families of Israeli hostages welcomed Mr Netanyahu’s decision to dispatch the officials, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters describing it as a “historic opportunity”.
Mr Witkoff arrived in Doha on Friday and met the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators received reassurances from Mr Witkoff that the US would continue to work towards a fair deal to end the war soon, Egyptian security sources said, though no further details were released.
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Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza are pressing Mr Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the area destroyed and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, with most of its population displaced.
Pope Francis has been honoured with America’s highest civilian award by President Joe Biden, who has described the pontiff as “a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world”.
It is the first time Mr Biden, 82, has given the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction during his four years in office.
In a statement, the White House said the award is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours”.
Mr Biden had been scheduled to present the medal to Pope Francis, 88, in person on Saturday in Rome on what was to be the final overseas trip of his presidency. But the president cancelled his visit to monitor the California wildfires.
The White House said Mr Biden bestowed the award during a phone call in which they also discussed efforts to promote peace and alleviate suffering around the world.
President Joe Biden presented Bono with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Pic: AP
Denzel Washington was also recognised. Pic: AP
Michael J Fox was bestowed with the honour. Pic: AP
The award can be presented with or without distinction.
Mr Biden presented the medal of freedom – without distinction – on 5 January to several people including fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, humanitarian and U2 singer Bono, fashion designer Ralph Lauren and actors Michael J Fox and Denzel Washington.
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Mr Biden himself is a recipient of the award with distinction, recognised when he was vice president by then president Barack Obama in a surprise ceremony eight years ago.
Barack Obama presented Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction in 2017. File pic: AP
The citation for the pope’s honour said his “mission of serving the poor has never ceased”.
“A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths,” it added.
Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The injured pair are now in Kyiv and communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine, the country’s domestic intelligence agency, he said.
Ukrainian special forces and paratroopers captured the North Koreans, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” he said.
“I have instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to grant journalists access to these prisoners.
“The world needs to know the truth about what is happening.”
Mr Zelenskyy said capturing the soldiers alive was “not easy”. He also claimed Russian and North Korean forces fighting in Kursk have tried to conceal the presence of North Korean soldiers, including by killing wounded comrades on the battlefield to avoid their capture and interrogation by Ukraine.
The post included images of the two men – one with a bandage around his jaw and the other around both hands and wrists – and what appeared to be a Russian military document.
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Ukraine’s security service SBU on Saturday provided further details.
It said one of those detained had no documents at all, while the other had been carrying a Russian military ID card in the name of a man from Tuva, a Russian region bordering Mongolia.
“The prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English or Russian, so communication with them takes place through Korean translators in cooperation with South Korean intelligence,” a statement said.
One of the soldiers claimed he had been told he was going to Russia for training, rather than to fight against Ukraine, according to the SBU.
The agency added both men are being provided with medical care in line with the Geneva Conventions, and investigated “in cooperation with South Korean intelligence”.
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North Korean regular troops entered the war on Russia’s side in October, according to Ukraine and its Western allies.
US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments suggest up to 12,000 North Korean combat troops have been sent by Pyongyang under a pact with Moscow.
They believe North Korea has also been supplying Russia with vast quantities of artillery shells.
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