England lead tributes to former Three Lions boss Sven-Goran Eriksson as he passes away, aged 76, after cancer battle

England have led tributes to their former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson after it was announced that he has died aged 76 from pancreatic cancer.

The Swede, who was the first non-British coach to manage the Three Lions, announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with the condition.

Regarding his diagnosis, Eriksson also said that “in the best case scenario” he had only one year left to live.

Eriksson enjoyed a successful managerial career, leading England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments between 2001 and 2006.

Eriksson also oversaw the development of the ‘Golden Generation’ of English footballers, which included some of the country’s best players, including David Beckham, Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that Sven-Göran Eriksson, who was manager of the #ThreeLions from 2001 to 2006, has passed away at the age of 76,” England wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.

‘Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

“Rest in peace, Sven. You will be greatly missed.” The Lionesses responded to their post by writing, “Rest in peace, Sven” with a heart emoji.

Former pros have also paid their respects online, with Jamie Carragher posting a picture of the former England manager to his Instagram Story, captioning it: ‘RIP Sven’ and adding a heart emoji. Gary Neville, who was part of the ‘Golden Generation’, also posted an image of the manager to his Instagram Story, captioning it: ‘Rest in peace Sven.’

“A genuinely nice guy, RIP Sven,” wrote former England striker Gary Neville.

The chief executive of the English Football Association (FA), Mark Bullingham, also paid his last respects earlier today.

He wrote in a statement: “This is a very sad day. He gave all the England fans such special memories. No one will ever forget the 5-1 win in Munich against Germany under Sven’s leadership.

‘Sven will rightly be recognised and forever remembered for his important work for the England team and for his wider contribution to the sport.

‘On behalf of my colleagues at The FA, past and present, our thoughts today are with his friends and family. He will be greatly missed and we will honour him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.’

Eriksson could also play for English clubs Leicester and Manchester City. The Cityzens paid tribute to Eriksson online on Sunday afternoon.

“We would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has passed away at the age of 76,” Man City wrote.

‘Rest in peace, Sven.’

City also made a touching gesture to their former manager, announcing that they had flown the flags around the Etihad Stadium at half-mast.

“The flags around the Etihad Stadium will be flown at half-mast in honour of our former manager,” City said in a statement.

‘The Swedish coach was in charge of City in the 2007/08 season, a period that many supporters remember with pleasure.

‘After succeeding Stuart Pearce, Eriksson oversaw an influx of continental talent as City made a flying start to the season, leading the Blues to their first league double against Manchester United in 38 years as we finished ninth in the Premier League.

‘He took over as manager of the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2007 and after leaving at the end of the season he remained involved in football until earlier this year.

‘Our thoughts at Manchester City are with Sven’s family and friends.’

During his domestic management career, Eriksson would win 18 major honours while managing clubs across Europe. Eriksson would lead Lazio to the Serie A title in 2000 and also won two Italian Cups with the club.

The Italian club paid their respects on social media on Sunday: ‘Sven-Goran Eriksson, 1948-2024. Thank you for everything you have done for us, sir.’

Meanwhile, he also enjoyed success at Benfica, where he led the club to three Portuguese league titles.

The Portuguese club paid their respects to their former manager online on Sunday, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “It is with deep sadness that Sport Lisboa e Benfica mourn the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson, at the age of 76. Rest in peace, sir.”

The football manager had also said that it was his dream to one day coach Liverpool. And earlier this year, he would make that dream come true after he was invited to coach Liverpool Legends against Ajax Legends at Anfield.

Liverpool also paid tribute to the manager on Sunday, writing in a post on X (formerly Twitter): ‘Rest in peace, Sven-Göran Eriksson.

‘The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Sven’s family and friends at this extremely sad time.’

West Ham United also expressed their condolences to the player’s family and friends via social media.

“Everyone at West Ham United is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson,” the east London club wrote.

“We extend our deepest condolences to Sven’s family, friends and loved ones. Rest in peace, Sven.”

The Premier League also wrote on X: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former England and Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. Our thoughts and condolences are with Sven’s family and friends.’

‘Sven-Goran Eriksson will be fondly remembered by many and we look back on his lifelong achievements and his contribution to English football.’

During his five-year stint as England manager, Eriksson oversaw 66 international matches. In his first major tournament as manager, he led the Three Lions to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, where England were beaten 2–1 by Brazil.

Trevor Sinclair was part of the squad that travelled to Asia for the tournament and paid a heartfelt tribute to his former manager following his passing.

“Sad and eternally grateful,” he wrote with a broken heart emoji. “RIP Sven.”

Amazon Prime released a documentary earlier this month called ‘Sven’, in which Eriksson reflected on his life in football and spoke about his cancer diagnosis.

During the documentary, the former football coach said: ‘I hope you remember me as a positive man who tried to do everything he could.

“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the public, it was fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”

“I’ve had a good life. I think we’re all afraid of the day we die, but life is also about death.

“You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully, eventually people will say, ‘Yes, he was a good man.’ But not everyone will say that.”

Earlier this week, a close friend of Eriksson gave an update on his condition, saying he could no longer go on one of his favorite walks.

The former football manager lived with his family in Sweden and also enjoyed walks around Lake Fryken.

Speaking to The Mirror, Runebjer said: ‘I’ve seen Sven and how do I feel? I feel sad, but I’m happy that I knew Sven and that I know I can still see him. This is my reaction.

“He’s such a great person,” he added.

‘The Frykenmeer is beautiful. It is 90 kilometers long from south to north and it is a beautiful landscape. You can see that in the pictures. You can certainly also fish there.

‘But unfortunately, his condition no longer allows Sven to do that. It’s a difficult time for him.’