Sven-Goran Eriksson dies aged 76: England’s ‘Golden Generation’ stars lead tributes to ‘true gentleman’
England’s “Golden Generation” of football stars have led the tributes to their former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has died aged 76.
Eriksson had 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.”
Eriksson after being unveiled as England’s new manager. Pic: Reuters
Sven-Goran Eriksson dies – latest updates
‘A true gentleman’
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.
Former England captain Beckham led tributes from the players, describing his old boss as “a true gentleman”.
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…
“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’.”
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.”
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”.
“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.”
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.
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”.
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”.
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.
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.
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.”
World
Body pulled from mine after police cut off supplies to ‘smoke out’ thousands of illegal miners
A body has been recovered from a South African mine after police cut off basic supplies in an effort to force around 4,000 illegal miners to resurface.
The body has emerged from the closed gold mine in the northwest town of Stilfontein a day after South Africa’s government said it would not help the illegal miners.
Around 20 people have surfaced from the mineshaft this week as police wait nearby to arrest all those appearing from underground.
It comes a day after a cabinet minister said the government was trying to “smoke them [the miners] out”.
The move is part of the police’s “Close the Hole” operation, whereby officers cut off supplies of food, water and other basic necessities to get those who have entered illegally to come out.
Local reports suggest the supply routes were cut off at the mine around two months ago, with relatives of the miners seen in the area as the stand-off continues.
Relatives of miners and community members wait at the mine shaft. Pic: AP
A decomposed body was brought up on Thursday, with pathologists on the scene, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said.
It comes after South African cabinet minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told reporters on Wednesday that the government would not send any help to the illegal miners, known in the country as zama zamas, because they are involved in a criminal act.
“We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted. We didn’t send them there,” Ms Ntshavheni said.
An aerial view of a mineshaft. Pic: AP
Senior police and defence officials are expected to visit the area on Friday to “reinforce the government’s commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion”, according to a media advisory from the police.
In the last few weeks, over 1,000 miners have surfaced at various mines in South Africa’s North West province, where police have cut off supplies.
Many of the miners were reported to be weak, hungry and sickly after going for weeks without basic supplies.
Illegal mining remains common in South Africa’s old gold-mining areas, with miners going into closed shafts to dig for any possible remaining deposits.
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Relatives of miners and community members wait near the mine shaft. Pic: AP
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The illegal miners are often from neighbouring countries, and police say the illegal operations involve larger syndicates that employ the miners.
Their presence in closed mines has also created problems with nearby communities, which complain that the illegal miners commit crimes ranging from robberies to rape.
Illegal mining groups are known to be heavily armed and disputes between rival groups sometimes result in fatal confrontations.
World
Ukrainian frontline commander warns: ‘The world is scared of Russia and losing is not only our problem’
In the courtyard of a farmhouse now home to soldiers of the Ukrainian army’s 47th mechanised brigade, I’m introduced to a weary-looking unit by their commander Captain Oleksandr “Sasha” Shyrshyn.
We are about 10km from the border with Russia, and beyond it lies the Kursk region Ukraine invaded in the summer – and where this battalion is now fighting.
The 47th is a crack fighting assault unit.
They’ve been brought to this area from the fierce battles in the country’s eastern Donbas region to bolster Ukrainian forces already here.
War latest: Russia ready to carry out ‘massive attack’
The captain known by his men as ‘Genius’
In the summer, Ukraine launched an incursion into Russian territory, in Kursk
Captain Shyrshyn explains that among the many shortages the military has to deal with, the lack of infantry is becoming a critical problem.
Sasha is just 30 years old, but he is worldly-wise. He used to run an organisation helping children in the country’s east before donning his uniform and going to war.
He is famous in Ukraine and is regarded as one of the country’s top field commanders, who isn’t afraid to express his views on the war and how it’s being waged.
His nom de guerre is ‘Genius’, a nickname given to him by his men.
Captain Sasha Shyrshyn and Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay
‘Don’t worry, it’s not a minefield’
Sasha invited me to see one of the American Bradley fighting vehicles his unit uses.
We walk down a muddy lane before he says it’s best to go cross-country.
“We can go that way, don’t worry it’s not a minefield,” he jokes.
He leads us across a muddy field and into a forest where the vehicle is hidden from Russian surveillance drones that try to hunt both American vehicles and commanders.
Sasha shows me a picture of the house they had been staying in only days before – it was now completely destroyed after a missile strike.
Fortunately, neither he, nor any of his men, were there at the time.
“They target commanders,” he says with a smirk.
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‘The world is scared of Russia’
It takes me a moment or two to realise we are only a few steps away from the Bradley, dug in and well hidden beneath the trees.
The disguised American Bradley vehicle hidden in the forest
Sasha tells me the Bradley is the finest vehicle he has ever used.
A vehicle so good, he says, it’s keeping the Ukrainian army going in the face of Russia’s overwhelming numbers of soldiers.
He explains: “Almost all our work on the battlefield is cooperation infantry with the Bradley. So we use it for evacuations, for moving people from one place to another, as well as for fire-covering.
“This vehicle is very safe and has very good characteristics.”
The American Bradley fighting vehicle that Ukrainian soldiers have found vital in their efforts
Billions of dollars in military aid has been given to Ukraine by the United States, and this vehicle is one of the most valuable assets the US has provided.
Ukraine is running low on men to fight, and the weaponry it has is not enough, especially if it can’t fire long-range missiles into Russia itself – which it is currently not allowed to do.
If President-elect Donald Trump cuts the supply of military aid, the Ukrainians will lose – it’s that simple.
US President-elect Donald Trump has been clear he intends to change his nation’s policy on the war in Ukraine. Pic: Reuters
Sasha says: “We have a lack of weapons, we have a lack of artillery, we have a lack of infantry, and as the world doesn’t care about justice, and they don’t want to finish the war by our win, they are afraid of Russia.
“I’m sorry but they’re scared, they’re scared, and it’s not the right way.”
Like pretty much everyone in Ukraine, Sasha is waiting to see what the US election result will mean for his country.
He is sceptical about a deal with Russia.
“Our enemy only understands the language of power. And you cannot finish the war in 24 hours, or during the year without hard decisions, without a fight, so it’s impossible. It’s just talking without results,” he tells me.
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How Ukrainian units are downing Russia’s drones
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‘Losing will be not only our problem’
These men expect the fierce battles inside Kursk to intensify in the coming days.
Indeed, alongside the main supply route into Kursk, workers are already building new defensive positions – unfurling miles of razor wire and digging bunkers for the Ukrainian army if it finds itself in retreat.
Barbed wire rolled out in the Sumy region ahead of expected fighting
Tank traps in the Sumy region
Sasha and his men are realistic about support fatigue from the outside world but will keep fighting to the last if they have to.
“I understand this is only our problem, it’s only our issue, and we have to fight this battle, like we have to defend ourselves, it’s our responsibility,” Sasha said.
But he points out everyone should realise just how critical this moment in time is.
“If we look at it widely, we have to understand that us losing will be not only our problem, but it will be for all the world.”
Stuart Ramsay reports from northeastern Ukraine with camera operator Toby Nash, and producers Dominique Van Heerden, Azad Safarov, and Nick Davenport.
A weather warning has been issued for parts of Spain, as the country counts the cost of recent flooding.
The orange warnings are in place for parts of southwestern Spain – the area around Seville down towards Gibraltar.
Up to 8cm (3ins) of rain could fall within 12 hours, but the weekend looks much more settled in the country.
The latest warnings come just two weeks after flash flooding in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 200 people.
Malaga saw 14.2cm (5.6ins) of rainfall on Wednesday – Spain’s highest of the day – most of which fell in six hours.
All train services were halted in Malaga. Some flights have now resumed after the initial disruption.
Pic: Jamie Marchant
Emergency services in the province have moved 3,000 people from homes at risk of flooding close to the Guadalhorce River in the west of the city.
Jamie Marchant, 29, from Caerphilly in South Wales travelled to Malaga last Wednesday.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
He told Sky News that “debris” had been left behind by the recent rainfall in the region.
“Everyone is pitching in to clean up and some shops are opening as usual,” he added.
Orange warnings for the Valencia region in eastern Spain expired earlier on Thursday.
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The adverse weather could lead to total insured losses of more than €4bn (£3.33bn), according to credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS.
Much of the claims are expected to be covered by the Spanish government’s insurance pool, the agency said, but insurance premiums are likely to increase.
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