England’s “Golden Generation” of football stars have led the tributes to their former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has died aged 76.
Erikssonhad pancreatic cancer, and at the beginning of 2024 revealed he only had a year to live “at best”.
In a statement, his family confirmed he had died, writing on Monday: “After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family.
“The closest mourners are daughter Lina; son Johan with wife Amana and granddaughter Sky; father Sven; girlfriend Yanisette with son Alcides; brother Lars-Erik with wife Jumnong.”
Image: Eriksson after being unveiled as England’s new manager. Pic: Reuters
The Swede became the first foreign manager of the England men’s football team in 2001, coaching players including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, and Frank Lampard.
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Former England captain Beckham led tributes from the players, describing his old boss as “a true gentleman”.
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Posting a video of the two of them walking together, Beckham wrote: “We laughed, we cried & we knew we were saying goodbye… Sven thank you for always being the person you have always been, passionate, caring, calm & a true gentleman…
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“I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family…
“Thank you Sven and in your last words to me: ‘It will be ok’.”
Image: Sven-Goran Eriksson and David Beckham.
Pic: PA
Soon after, Lampard wrote on Instagram: “He was an absolute gentleman and was always there for you on and off the pitch.
“I will always be grateful to him for the trust and support he gave me in my England career.
“Thanks Sven for all you did for me. My thoughts are with your loved ones at this difficult time.”
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Image: England’s Wayne Rooney (R) talks to manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Pic: Reuters
He was heralded as a “very special man” by Rooney, who also thanked him “for the memories and all your help and advice” in a statement on X.
Italian lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio – Eriksson’s former partner of nine years also paid tribute with a series of photos of them together.
The 63-year-old described their relationship as having “ups and downs” but said she would “always hold onto those cherished memories”.
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“I choose to remember the good times we shared and the moments that brought joy to our lives,” she said on Instagram. “When you love someone, that love never truly fades. Rest in peace, Sven. You will be missed.”
Also among those paying tribute was Prince William, president of the Football Association (FA), who said: “Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
“I met him several times as England manager and was always struck by his charisma and passion for the game.
“My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman of the game.”
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Sir Keir Starmer said he was “deeply saddened” by news of Eriksson’s passing.
The prime minister said: “He will be remembered for his tremendous contribution to English football which brought joy to so many over the years. Our thoughts are with his family.”
Meanwhile, the FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham said England’s next home game at Wembley will feature a tribute to the former manager.
It is due to take place when the Three Lions play Finland in a Nations League match at the stadium on 10 September.
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The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, described Eriksson as a “great innovator and a true ambassador of our beautiful game” a nod to his record of winning titles in three different European countries – Sweden, Italy, and Portugal – and an international career spanning four continents.
‘Outstanding coaching success’
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.
Clubs including Man City, Lazio and IFK Goteborg all paid tribute to Eriksson, as did the Swedish Football Association, which called him “one of Swedish football’s most influential coaches”.
Image: Eriksson waves to the crowd at the Liverpool Legends match in March. Pic: PA
“With his outstanding coaching success, Svennis has inspired leaders in Swedish football for several decades, and his influence extends far beyond Sweden’s borders,” it said.
“Thank you, Svennis, for everything you have done for football, both in Sweden and abroad. Rest in peace.”
Other former players including Gary Lineker, Peter Crouch, Rio Ferdinand, David James and Michael Owen all joined in paying their respects, the latter describing him as “one of the very best”.
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While current England captain, Harry Kane said: “I didn’t have the privilege of playing under Sven but I know how well liked and respected he was by those who played under him as England manager.
“My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
Due to his health issues, Eriksson stepped down as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad in February 2023.
After announcing his cancer diagnosis, Eriksson was granted his lifelong wish when he led out Liverpool Legends, as they played in a charity match against Ajax at Anfield in March.
He described the moment as “absolutely beautiful” and a “huge memory” in his life, with Liverpool winning the game 4-2.
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Paying tribute, Liverpool said: “The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Sven’s family and friends at this extremely sad time.”
Speaking previously, Eriksson said he hoped to be remembered as “a good man”.
“I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well,” he said, speaking at the end of the Amazon Prime documentary Sven.
Image: Prince William speaks to England coach Eriksson in 2006.
File pic: PA
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He added: “You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully, at the end people will say, ‘yeah, he was a good man’, but everyone will not say that.
“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do.
“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it. Bye.”
But what about his style ‘prince’? Some want that ditched too.
It’s a complicated but not impossible process. Andrew could, of course, just stop using it voluntarily.
Some want him to give up his home, too. For a non-working royal, the stately Royal Lodge, with its plum position on the Windsor Estate, is an uncomfortable optic.
With the reputation of the monarchy at risk, William does not want to appear weak. He’s putting loyalty to “the firm” firmly above his familial relationships.
Prince Andrew has always strongly denied the allegations, and restated on Friday: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me”. Sky News has approached him for comment on the fresh allegations set out in the Mail on Sunday.
But with Virginia Giuffre’s tragic death and posthumous memoir due out on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace will be braced for more scandal.
When Andrew gave up his titles, there was certainly a sense of relief.
There is now a sense of dread over what else could emerge.
Sky News’ royal commentator has explained why Prince Andrew has not given up being called a prince – while another expert has said “the decent thing” for him to do would be “go into exile” overseas.
Andrew announced on Friday that he would stop using his Duke of York title and relinquish all other honours, including his role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
However, he will continue to be known as a prince.
Royal commentator Alastair Bruce said that while Andrew’s other honours and titles were conferred to him later in life, he became a prince when he was born to Elizabeth II while she was queen.
He told presenter Kamali Melbourne: “I think […] that style was quite special to the late Queen,” he said. “And perhaps the King, for the moment, thinks that can be left alone.
“It’s a matter really for the King, for the royal household, perhaps with the guidance and advice of government, which I’m sure they are taking.”
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2:49
Who pushed Andrew to drop his titles?
Since Andrew’s announcement, there has been speculation over whether any further measures will be taken – and one author has now called for him to “go into exile”.
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Andrew Lownie, author of The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, said: “The only way the story will go away is if he leaves Royal Lodge, goes into exile abroad with his ex-wife, and is basically stripped of all his honours, including Prince Andrew.”
Royal Lodge is the Windsor mansion Andrew lives in with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has also lost her Duchess of York title.
Image: Andrew and his former wife continue to live on the Windsor estate. Pic: Reuters
Mr Lownie continued: “He makes out he’s an honourable man and he’s putting country and family first. Well, if he is, then the optics look terrible for the monarchy. A non-working royal in a 30-room Crown Estate property with a peppercorn rent.
“He should do the decent thing and go. And frankly, he should go into exile.”
Mr Lownie added if the Royal Family “genuinely want to cut links, they have to put pressure on him to voluntarily get out”.
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1:11
Windsor’s take on Prince Andrew
Andrew’s decision to stop using his titles was announced amid renewed scrutiny of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and fresh stories linked to the late Virginia Giuffre.
Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, alleged she was sexually assaulted by Andrew on three occasions – which he has always vigorously denied.
Bereaved families whose loved ones took their own lives after buying the same poison online have written to the prime minister demanding urgent action.
Warning: This article contains references to suicide
The group claims there have been “multiple missed opportunities” to shut down online forums that promote suicide and dangerous substances.
They warn that over 100 people have died after purchasing a particular poison in the last 10 years.
Among those who have written to Downing Street is Pete Aitken, whose daughter Hannah was 22 when she took her own life after buying the poison from a website.
Hannah was autistic and had ADHD. She was treated in six different mental health hospitals over a four-year period.
He said: “Autistic people seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of sort of poison and, you know, wanting to take their lives.”
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4:05
Pete Aitken speaking to Sky News
Sky News is not naming the poison, but Hannah was able to buy a kilogram of it online. Just one gram is potentially fatal.
“There’s this disparity between the concentration required for its legitimate use and that required for ending your life. And it seems quite clear you could make a distinction,” Mr Aitken said.
Analysis from the Molly Rose Foundation and the group Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms says at least 133 people have died because of the poison. It also says coroners have written warnings about the substance on 65 separate occasions.
The report accuses the Home Office of failing to strengthen the regulation of the poison and says not enough is being done to close dangerous suicide forums online.
Lawyers representing the group want a public inquiry into the deaths.
In a joint letter to the prime minister, the families said: “We write as families whose loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threat.
“This series of failings requires a statutory response, not just to understand why our loved ones died but also to prevent more lives being lost in a similar way.”
The group’s lawyer, Merry Varney, from Leigh Day, said: “The government is rightly committed to preventing deaths through suicide, yet despite repeated warnings of the risks posed by an easily accessible substance, fatal in small quantities and essentially advertised on online forums, no meaningful steps have been taken.”
Image: Hannah’s dad is one of the family members to have signed the letter
A government spokesperson said: “Suicide devastates families and we are unequivocal about the responsibilities online services have to keep people safe on their platforms.
“Under the Online Safety Act, services must take action to prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content and ensure children are protected from harmful content that promotes it.
“If they fail to do so, they can expect to face robust enforcement, including substantial fines.”
They added that the position is “closely monitored and reportable under the Poisons Act, meaning retailers must alert authorities if they suspect it is being bought to cause harm”.
“We will continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure the right safeguards are in place,” they said.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.