Heartwarming moment Sven-Goran Eriksson gets emotional as Gothenburg fans serenade the terminally-ill former England boss with a song and tifo before Swedish top-flight match
- Sven-Goran Eriksson was emotional as the fans sang and raised a tifo in his honor
- He visited former clubs after revealing his terminal cancer diagnosis
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Sven-Goran Eriksson was moved to tears as Gothenburg fans raised a tifo in his honor and serenaded him on his return.
The ex-England manager visited his old club on Saturday after revealing in January that he has terminal pancreatic cancer and was given a hero’s welcome.
Eriksson led Swedish club Gothenburg to a shock UEFA Cup in 1982, when their players had a second job in addition to their playing commitments.
After he was led out to a chorus of cheers and clapping, the singing began and he was visibly moved by the tributes paid to him. He was also presented with memorabilia.
Perhaps Gothenburg could have done it if Eriksson was in charge of the day – in the end they drew 1-1 against Norrköping.
Sven-Goran Eriksson was moved to tears as Gothenburg fans sang for him and raised a tifo in his honor
He was visiting the club he led to an unexpected UEFA Cup in 1982, while their players had other jobs
Fans have received Eriksson with love and paid tribute to the memories he has given them
He also visited former club Benfica earlier this month. Eriksson, 76, said in January that he had suffered “five small strokes” and feared he was in the last year of his life.
He managed England between 2001 and 2006, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cup as well as the last eight of Euro 2004.
He also managed Manchester City and Leicester in a storied managerial career that took him through 16 teams and three continents, achieving multiple domestic and European honours.
In March he fulfilled his lifelong dream of managing Liverpool and called it a ‘memory for life’ as he coached a team of club legends.
Liverpool Legends defeated a team of Ajax icons 4-2 under his watch that day and he managed Fernando Torres and Djibril Cisse, among others.
He cried when they sang You’ll Never Walk Alone, a testament to his love and admiration for the club.
In 1979, while managing Gothenburg, he wrote to the Reds to ask if he could attend training sessions under then manager Bob Paisley.
Current boss Jurgen Klopp gave Eriksson a big smile and a hug before the match and called him a ‘legend’, while Steven Gerrard flew in from Saudi Arabia to be with him.
The former England boss announced earlier this year that he has terminal pancreatic cancer
Benfica fans gave him a loving welcome when he returned there earlier this month
The 76-year-old managed a Liverpool Legends team in March, fulfilling his dream of coaching the Reds
Former England players also composed video tributes to him for the recent international breakthrough.
Speaking about his terminal cancer in March, he said: ‘You appreciate waking up in the morning and feeling good, but normally you don’t. You take it for granted.
‘When you get the diagnosis out of the blue at first, it’s a shock, but after a while you learn to live with it.
Jurgen Klopp and Eriksson had a warm meeting before the match and he told the Liverpool boss: ‘you’re doing great’
The former England boss also enjoyed an emotional reunion with Steven Gerrard ahead of the charity match
‘Today I have a normal life and I don’t think about what will happen tomorrow or the day after. Otherwise you’ll sit there and think about feeling sorry for yourself. No. Leave it.
‘I don’t talk about it that much. It is what it is. I probably can’t stand it. Anyway, life is beautiful.’