Sven-Goran Eriksson’s doctors were in tears when the seriousness of his terminal illness was revealed, according to the former England manager’s children.
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.
The former Three Lions coach, who coached the national team between 2001 and 2006, has now shared a poignant farewell message in a new documentary looking back on his life.
His two children also talk about the “worst possible news” about his serious condition in the Amazon Prime documentary “Sven.”
They remember being alerted by doctors after Eriksson fainted during a 5K run.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, 76, announced in January that he had pancreatic cancer and was nearing the end of his life
Sven-Goran Eriksson is seen here with his son Johan, who was caddying for Swedish golfer Johan Edfors at a tournament in the Forest of Arden, Warwickshire in May 2004.
Sven-Goran Eriksson is pictured with his daughter Lina (left) and his partner Yaniseth Alcides (center) at the annual Swedish Sports Gala in Stockholm in January this year.
Johan Eriksson told the documentary makers: ‘I had 10 missed calls from my sister – ‘Dad is in the emergency room. He’s not in a good way.’
‘You can tell when the doctor is in tears, that’s not good. The worst news.’
Lina Eriksson, Johan’s sister, added: ‘We found out he had had five strokes. Then you go into a state of fear, a panic mode.’
Sven himself speaks openly and extensively in the new documentary, as do former colleagues and ex-partners, including Nancy Dell’Olio.
Speaking about his condition at the start of the programme, Eriksson said: ‘One day I woke up and felt dizzy. Yes, I have cancer and that’s it.
“The medicine, we don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m a little scared. It takes time, a little bit of time before you can accept it. I’m still here.”
The program concludes with a message delivered by Eriksson as he looks out over the Swedish countryside near his home in Sunne, saying, “I’ve had a good life.
‘I think we all fear the day we die, but life is also about death.
“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.”
Sven-Goran Eriksson has given a farewell message in a documentary in which he looks back on his life
Eriksson managed England from 2001 to 2006, with David Beckham (pictured above with Eriksson) as his captain, including during this 2006 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Portugal.
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.
He tells the viewers: ‘I hope you will remember me as a positive guy who tried to do everything he could do. 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.”
Elsewhere in the programme, Eriksson admitted he was “stupid” to cheat on his former partner Dell’Olio with TV presenter Jonsson and former FA secretary Faria Alam.
But the former England football manager believes sex should be celebrated, adding: ‘I have not done anything criminal.’
The Swede made headlines worldwide with his cheating practices in the 2000s.
But in the Amazon Prime documentary, he claims that “sex is one of the good things in life for all of us,” although he admits that His reputation was damaged by his affairs.
From 1998 onwards, he had a relationship with Italian lawyer Dell’Olio for almost ten years.
But he had affairs with TV presenter Jonsson, now 56, from 2002 and with former football association secretary Alam, now 58, in 2004.
About his affair with Jonsson, he said: ‘Sex is one of the good things in life for all of us. She was not married. I was not married.
In the documentary, Eriksson looks back on his time as England manager and his cancer diagnosis.
Sven-Goran Eriksson led the Three Lions to the quarter-finals of three consecutive tournaments – the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and the 2004 European Championship in between
Eriksson, pictured with fellow former England player Steven Gerrard, fulfilled a lifelong dream in March this year by coaching a Liverpool team at Anfield in a charity match for legends
Eriksson talks about his affairs in the new film and admits he was ‘stupid’ to cheat on Nancy Dell’Ollio (pictured with Eriksson in 2002) with Ulrika Jonsson and Faria Alam
Sven-Goran Eriksson is pictured here with his partner Yaniseth Alcides and family members
“I was probably stupid, but I don’t think I did anything criminal. I didn’t really bother anyone.”
Dell’Olio, 62, told the documentary how she almost left Eriksson over his affair with Ms Jonsson, but her lawyer advised her not to.
Eriksson said: ‘She loved it. The excitement. She was an upper-class lady in Rome. She liked to go out with important people.’
Nancy admitted that she adored Eriksson, saying: ‘The first impression I had of Sven was that people with power always have extra, extra sex appeal. I fell in love.
“It wasn’t something I was looking for. I was married and I left my husband to start my journey with Sven. We were Sven and Nancy from the first date. I was the first lady of English football.”
Eriksson also revealed that at the height of his role as Three Lions manager, he met Tony Blair in Downing Street and the Labour prime minister joked: “Shall we have a bet? Who will keep the job longest, you or me? We’ve got two impossible jobs.”
Eriksson now lives in Sweden with former dancer Yaniseth Alcides, whom he met in Mexico when he was that country’s national coach.
She said, “I have hope that we will be together for many years to come. I will not lose that hope.”
And Eriksson said of his house near Sunne in Värmland county: ‘It’s beautiful. It makes me calm under the mountain where my father grew up. The ashes could be thrown into the water.’
The Amazon Prime documentary titled ‘Sven’ will be released on August 23
England striker Wayne Rooney, right, with his then manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, left, during an England training session in Baden-Baden during the 2006 World Cup in Germany
Ulrika Jonsson, left in 1997 and right this year, has spoken out after Sven Goran Eriksson discussed their four-month affair in a new documentary
Faria Alam, who was Sven’s secretary when they had an affair, says she was in love with him
Sven-Goran Eriksson is staying with his girlfriend Yaniseth Bravo in Sweden – she has said she will not give up hope that he will beat his pancreatic cancer
Eriksson led England to the quarter-finals of three successive tournaments: the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and the 2004 European Championship in between.
Other managerial positions he held included winning the 1982 UEFA Cup with Swedish side IFK Göteborg, three Portuguese league titles with Benfica and the 1999 European Cup Winners’ Cup Winners’ Cup and the following year’s Italian Serie A championship with Lazio.
He also coached Manchester City and Leicester City in English club football. In March of this year he fulfilled his ambition to coach Liverpool at Anfield, in a charity match against Ajax, in which former players such as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard took part.
Eriksson, who received a standing ovation from the crowd as he emerged from the tunnel ahead of the teams, said afterwards: ‘That will be a great memory in my life – a‘absolutely beautiful.’