Emotional Sven says goodbye with message on how he desires to be remembered

Sven-Goran Eriksson has delivered a touching goodbye message to the world after his terminal illness diagnosis.

Back in January, the ex-England manager bravely disclosed his fight with pancreatic cancer, admitting he had, at best, “a year to live.” Since that bombshell, Eriksson has been on an emotional tour, dropping by iconic football venues across Europe, including those of former teams such as Lazio, Benfica, and Sampdoria. He also ticked off a bucket list dream by managing Liverpool in a legends match against Ajax this March.

In a tear-jerking Amazon Prime documentary aptly named ‘Sven’, the football legend bid farewell to the world. “I had a good life, yes,” Eriksson admitted. “I think we all are scared of the day when it’s finished, when we die. But the life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it, of what it is.

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“Hopefully at the end, people will say, ‘Yeah, he was a good man’. But everyone will not say that. I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do.

“Don’t be sorry. Smile,” he added. “Thank you for everything – coaches, players, the crowd. It’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself, and take care of your life, and live it. Bye.”

Eriksson made waves back in 2001 as England’s first non-native manager, a job he held for five rollercoaster years. Despite managing a so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of players – including the likes of Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry – the Three Lions could only manage quarter-final exits at every major tournament under Sven.

Would England have won Euro 2024 if Sven had been in charge instead of Southgate? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Swede’s tabloid-friendly love life was just as action-packed as his professional life. His relationship with glamorous Italian lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio frequently made headlines, as did affairs with the likes of TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson and FA secretary Faria Alam.

Reflecting on his bedroom antics, Sven didn’t shy away. He owned up to being “stupid” but insisted he never did anything illegal. “Sex is one of the good things in life for all of us. She [Nancy] was not married. I was not married,” he said.

Eriksson later mused: “I had a good life, maybe too good. You have to pay for it.”

In addition to his tenure with the England national team, Eriksson also had managerial roles at Manchester City and Leicester City, and briefly served as director of football at Notts County. His coaching career spanned across Europe, with significant spells at clubs like Benfica, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and IFK Goteborg in his native Sweden.

Elsewhere, Eriksson managed three other national teams: Mexico, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines, with the latter marking his final role in football before retiring from the game in 2019.