Veteran Swedish football coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to manage the English national team, has passed away at the age of 76. Eriksson, known for his charismatic leadership, guided Swedish, Portuguese, and Italian clubs to major trophies during the 1980s and 1990s before taking on the England role in 2001.
In January, Eriksson announced his terminal illness with pancreatic cancer, and his long-time agent, Bo Gustavsson, confirmed that Eriksson lost his battle with cancer early on Monday, surrounded by family.
\"We knew it was going to end bad, it all went really fast in the last few weeks,\" Gustavsson told Reuters. \"He has always been so positive, and has had time for others and never thought of himself, and he was that until the very end.\"
Eriksson's children, Lina and Johan Eriksson, expressed their gratitude to those who supported their father. \"I get to hear it while I'm alive and I'm incredibly grateful for that. The heart beats twice and the tears come,\" they shared. \"I have had the best job in the world and I was happy every day for long periods. It's been fantastic.\"
During his tenure with England, Eriksson led the team to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2002 and 2006, as well as the 2004 European Championship. He managed a golden generation of players including David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, and Steven Gerrard.
English Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham posted on social media, \"On behalf of my colleagues at the FA, past and present, our thoughts are with his friends and family today. He will be much missed, and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.\"
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Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson passes away at age of 76
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