The final farewell: First glimpse of Sven Goran Eriksson’s coffin ahead of star-studded funeral for ex-England manager
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will be laid to rest today in a large, colourful and very public funeral in his hometown. He has died aged 76 from pancreatic cancer.
Eriksson grew up in Torsby, a small town of about 4,000 inhabitants in western Sweden. He started his career at the football club Torsby IF from 1964 to 1971.
This cosy, sleepy spot would of course be the springboard to much greater success. The mild-mannered Swede enjoyed a glittering career with club giants such as Roma and Lazio, before spending five years in charge of the Golden Generation of players at the Three Lions.
Since Eriksson’s death last month, preparations have been underway for what is being hailed as ‘the biggest’ funeral the city has ever seen, with world football’s biggest names in attendance, including David Beckham and his wife Victoria.
The rest of the guest list remains shrouded in mystery, but it undoubtedly includes many who have worked with the Swede during his decades-long career, as well as his many friends.
Former England manager Roy Hodgson, who has had a major influence on Eriksson’s coaching style, arrived at a local airport yesterday, as did former Arsenal owner David Dein.
Sven-Goran Eriksson, pictured in May 2006
About 600 people will visit the church of Fryksande, a stately red brick building on a hill overlooking the city.
It is surrounded by extensive lawns and a neat, well-maintained cemetery.
At 7:30 am local time, the area was still shrouded in thick fog, with temperatures around 8 degrees.
The area is closed to traffic and stewards in yellow jackets control access for family members and the press.
The municipality is headed by Eriksson’s immediate family, including his daughter Lina and son Johan. Johan followed in his father’s footsteps and played football before becoming a manager.
His 95-year-old father Sven will also be present, along with Eriksson’s girlfriend Yaniseth Alcides and her son Alcides, as well as his brother Lasse and his wife Jumnong
His longtime lover Nancy Dell’olio, 63, has said she also wants to attend the funeral.
Reflecting the reverence he holds in Torsby – where Eriksson is a friend, neighbour and old schoolmate as well as a football icon – an overflow area has been set up outside where people can watch the proceedings on a large screen.
While the rest of the world knew him as Sven, locals called him by his nickname, ‘Svennis’, named after his younger brother Lars-Erik’s attempt to pronounce his name.
After the service, Torsby’s brass orchestra will carry his coffin along the 650-meter-long footpath from the church in Fryksände to the Kollsberg farm, where friends and family can pay a more intimate tribute.
The ‘New Orleans-style’ procession was inspired by the colourful public funeral of Sampdoria president and owner Paolo Mantovani in Genoa in 1993, which Eriksson attended when he was a coach there, and featured jazz music.
The preparations have been thorough: the band’s conductor has calculated that the route will take exactly 14 minutes, so that he can plan the number of pieces of music he needs.