Iconic coach with exceptional longevity, first foreign coach of the England team from 2001 to 2006, Swede Sven-Göran Eriksson revealed on Wednesday that he was suffering from cancer and that he probably only had a few months to live .
“Everyone understands that I have an illness that is not good. “Everyone assumes it’s cancer and it is,” he admitted in an interview with the Swedish radio P1as rumors about his state of health have multiplied in recent weeks, after he left his post as sporting director of local club Karlstad.
“It’s better not to think about it”
Aged 75, Eriksson intends to fight “as long” as he can, but admitted to being aware that his chances of survival in the medium term were low. “I have maybe a year left, at worst a little less, or at best maybe a little more,” he said. We cannot be absolutely certain. It’s better not to think about it. »
After an ordinary playing career ended prematurely due to injury, Sven-Göran Eriksson became a legendary coach, notably winning the UEFA Cup in 1982 with IFK Göteborg and the late European Cup. cup winners in 1999 with Lazio Rome. He led the Roman club to the Serie A title the following year, with players like Nesta, Nedved, Veron and Mancini.
At the head of the English selection, he always came up against the quarter-final stage, during the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as well as at Euro 2004. He spent forty years of his life on the sidelines, from 1979 to 2019.