Terminally ill former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has shared a poignant farewell message in a new documentary reflecting on his life.
Eriksson, 76, announced in January that he has pancreatic cancer and is nearing the end of his life, with a best-case scenario of only a year left to live.
At the end of a new Amazon Prime documentary about his life, called ‘Sven’, the former Three Lions boss gave a final message to former players, coaches and supporters.
His message was spread across the Swedish countryside, near his home in Sunne, Sweden.
“I’ve had a good life. I think we’re all afraid of the day we die, but life is also about death,” Eriksson says.
Sven-Goran Eriksson has given a farewell message in a documentary in which he looks back on his life
In the documentary, Eriksson looks back on his time as England manager and his cancer diagnosis.
“You have to learn to accept it as it is. Hopefully, at the end of it, people will say, yes, he was a good man, but not everyone will say that.
‘I hope you will remember me as a positive person who tried his best to do everything he could.
‘Don’t be sorry, smile. Thanks for everything, coaches, players, the crowd, it was fantastic.
‘Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.’
The film then zooms back in on Eriksson at home, where the former England manager ends his message with ‘see you soon’.
The Swede had a very successful coaching career and coached clubs such as Benfica, Lazio, Man City, Leicester City and Roma.
He was also the England manager between 2001 and 2006, becoming the first foreign manager to coach the Three Lions.
During Eriksson’s final speech, key images from his career were shown, along with a clip of him coaching a Liverpool legend earlier this year.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson fulfilled his ambition to coach Liverpool in a legendary match earlier this year
Eriksson (pictured with partner Yaniseth Alcides) announced in January that he has pancreatic cancer and is nearing the end of his life. At best, he has only a year to live.
Eriksson led England from 2001 to 2006, but failed to lead the ‘Golden Generation’ to glory
The match fulfilled Eriksson’s lifelong dream of coaching Liverpool at Anfield and also showed how popular he remains with fans in England.
During the film, Eriksson says his life has been “like a fairy tale.”
“It wasn’t a normal life,” he said. “I’ve had a good life, maybe too good, you have to pay for it.”
During a visit to Lake Fryken, near his home in Sunne, Eriksson admitted that this could be his final resting place.
“I’ve always thought it’s a great place to sleep,” he said. “You could throw your ashes in the water here. It feels like home.”
The 76-year-old is best known for his time as England manager, where despite being in charge of what is known as the ‘Golden Generation’, he failed to lead the Three Lions to glory.
In the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and the 2004 European Championship, England were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Eriksson struggled to put together a successful team, while there was much dissension within the selection.
Eriksson suggested that his ashes could be scattered at a lake in Fryken, Sweden
The Amazon Prime documentary titled ‘Sven’ will be released on August 23
The Amazon Prime documentary features key figures from his life, including David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Roberto Mancini and Kasper Schmeichel.
He also openly talks about his affairs in the film, admitting that it was “stupid” to cheat on Nancy Dell’Ollio with Ulrika Jonsson and Faria Alam.
Dell’Ollio and Alam also feature in the film, which focuses on Sven’s rise and fall as England manager, as well as the reality of Sven’s terminal cancer diagnosis.
Eriksson admits that the film makes him appreciate his family more, including his partner of 16 years, Yaniseth Alcides.
- SVEN is available to watch on Prime Video in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics from August 23.