January 11, (THEWILL) – Sven-Göran Eriksson, the former manager of the England national football team from 2001 to 2006, has revealed he has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and has at best “maybe a year” to live.
The 75-year-old Swede, who has managed several high-profile clubs and national teams over his long career, made the announcement in an interview on Thursday, with Swedish public broadcaster, Sveriges Radio.
Eriksson stepped back from public appearances in February 2023 due to undisclosed health issues. He has now confirmed he is battling cancer and, based on his doctor’s assessment, likely has less than 12 months left. While clearly a difficult diagnosis, Eriksson says he aims to remain positive and make the most of the time he has left. “You have to trick your brain,” he commented. “I could think about it all the time and sit home and mope, but I think it’s easy to end up like that.”
The Swedish manager found success domestically early in his career, leading teams like Degerfors IF and IFK Göteborg, before moving abroad to clubs in Portugal and Italy. However, Eriksson is best known internationally for his five-year spell in charge of England, during which he led the team to the quarterfinals of both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Since leaving the England job, he has also managed the national teams of Mexico, Ivory Coast and the Philippines.
Eriksson was born on February 5, 1948, in Sunne, Sweden. Despite having a modest playing career as a defender, he quickly found his feet as a manager after retiring in 1977. Over a long and successful career, his progressive approach and ability to blend continental style with traditional English virtues made him one of the best-known Swedish coaches ever to work abroad.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
