Sven-Goran Eriksson’s final days have been detailed by one of his closest confidants and long-term right-hand man, Tord Grip – as others, including David Beckham, have shared their last encounters with the 76-year-old after his death from cancer.
Grip, 86, joined Eriksson in assistant coaching and advisory positions throughout much of his now legendary management career after a stint as a domestic and Swedish international footballer.
Eriksson started coaching as an assistant to Grip at Swedish side Degefors before succeeding him at the side when Grip was promoted to an assistant manager position on Sweden‘s national team.
The pair then worked together in 1998 at Lazio, when Grip became Eriksson’s number two at the Italian powerhouse, and when Eriksson was hired as the new manager of the Three Lions he brought his friend with him.
Grip has revealed how Eriksson’s devastating cancer diagnosis affected him in his final days after he revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with the disease in his pancreas.
It comes as:
Tord Grip (left) served as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s right-hand man at several teams during the Swede’s illustrious management career (pictured in 2005)
Grip worked with Eriksson at England, Degefors, Lazio, Man City, Mexico and Notts County
Eriksson died on Monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer (he is pictured in March after fulfilling a lifetime dream of managing Liverpool during a legends charity match)
David Beckham detailed his last meeting with Eriksson in an Instagram post earlier today
Eriksson and Beckham pictured in 2006 leaving for the World Cup in Germany
He told the Mirror at the weekend, before Sven died on Monday morning: ‘In the last few weeks he was getting rapidly worse.
‘The last time I spoke to Svennis was last week. He was tired but we talked as usual. But then yesterday morning I spoke to his father. Svennis was sleeping then.’
He added that Sven should be remembered as ‘the most successful coach and mentor that Sweden has ever seen’.
Grip parted from Eriksson after he stepped down as England manager following the team’s disastrous 2006 World Cup campaign – but the pair were later reunited at Manchester City, where the 76-year-old had been hired as manager.
Grip joined as a first team coach in 2008 – and the pair then joined Mexico in 2009, Grip once again Eriksson’s right-hand man as assistant manager.
But after Eriksson was sacked, the duo joined Notts County – Eriksson as the club’s director of football, and Grip as his general advisor.
Throughout this time, Grip remained one of his closest confidants and, on occasion, unofficial spokesperson in the press.
After Eriksson was snared by disgraced journalist Mazher Mahmood – popularly known as the ‘Fake Sheikh’ – into admitting he intended to quit the England national team, Grip spoke to the media about how he was coping.
He told the BBC in 2006 after the revelations were published: ‘He has been through a lot of things but this was something very special, because it was a real set-up.
‘But I know that Sven is OK and he’s fully committed to the job.’
Grip is among many of Eriksson’s friends and former players to have shared some of their last memories with the coaching legend following his death earlier today.
Eriksson pictured in January as he announced his cancer news to the world – prompting an outpouring of praise and love for how he was dealing with his diagnosis
Sven Goran-Eriksson and Tord Grip pictured in 2001 – after taking up roles at England as manager and assistant manager respectively
Eriksson applauding ahead of England’s fateful World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in 2006 – the match would ultimately prompt him to resign after England lost 3-1 on penalties
Sven-Goran Eriksson in a recent Amazon Prime documentary about his life, entitled ‘Sven’
David Beckham shared an Instagram post featuring what the star says he knew would be his final meeting with the ex-England manager.
Becks’ post shows him and his former boss walking, talking and laughing at what appears to be Eriksson’s home in Sunne.
The video did not have a date attached – but comes after Eriksson revealed earlier this year that Beckham had visited him with a personal chef and a crate of expensive wine drawn from significant years of the manager’s career.
He wrote: ‘We laughed, we cried & we knew we were saying goodbye.
‘Sven thank you for always being the person you have always been: passionate, caring, calm & a true gentleman.
‘I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family.
‘Thank you Sven and in your last words to me: ‘It will be ok’.’
It is not known when the video was filmed – but Eriksson revealed in June that Beckham had visited him after he went public with his cancer diagnosis.
During an interview with Radio Sweden’s P4 Varmland channel two months ago, the 76-year-old said Becks had visited him on his farm outside Sunne.
‘He came with six litres of wine from dates that were important to me,’ Eriksson had revealed.
‘He had wine from 1948 – the year I was born, very nice of him. He is genuine, he could have been a big diva, but he is quite the opposite.’
Beckham also brought wine from 1982, when Eriksson won the UEFA Cup with IFK Goteborg, and 2000, the year he won the Serie A title with Lazio.
Eriksson added: ‘The previous day he had sent a chef who fixed the food, and then he came and was here for a day, we sat chatting, a lot about football.
‘It confirms, in a way, how great he is. He didn’t have to come here. I felt proud that he came.’
Sven-Goran Eriksson poses for pictures as he is unveiled as England’s manager in 2001 – amid a storm of controversy over his status as England’s first ever foreign manager
Eriksson (pictured here in 2006 ahead of a friendly against Belarus) did not take England to a title but brought the team under control with a calm but stern guiding hand
Sven-Goran Eriksson was widely celebrated before his death – seen here at Stadio Olimpico, the home of ex-team SS Lazio, in May
Eriksson pictured in 2000 after taking Lazio to victory in Serie A – earning them the ‘Scudetto’
Sven Goran-Eriksson with Fernando Torres during the Liverpool Legends match in March – at which he fulfilled his lifelong dream of coaching the Anfield side
Tributes have poured in from across the footballing world, including from Michael Owen and Gary Lineker
Anders Runebjer, a lawyer and one of Eriksson’s closest friends, also told the Mirror he had seen Sven in the last few days before he passed away.
He said: ‘I’ve seen Sven and how do I feel? I feel sad but I am happy to have known Sven and know that I can still see him. This is my reaction.
‘Lake Fryken is beautiful. It is 90 kilometres long from south to north and it is a beautiful landscape. You can see that in the pictures. You can definitely fish in that lake too.
‘But sadly his condition does not allow Sven to do that any more. It is a hard time for him.’
The Prime Video documentary Sven, released just days before Eriksson’s death, reveals how his children Johan and Lina had reconnected with him after he moved back home to Sunne as he battled cancer.
Lina had told the documentary: ‘Every time coming back to the house, I see the clear difference in deteriorating. That’s really, really hard to see.
‘I think it has taken time to process and I think he has come a long way now than initially. It’s only very recently that I’ve been able to reconnect with Dad and to have a very different relationship with him than I had had as a teenager.
‘You realise the value of life and that what you thought was important is really not that important.’
Eriksson revealed in January that he had been given ‘at best’ a year to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
But his unfailing positivity in the wake of his terminal diagnosis inspired the world – and saw him showered with adoration from his friends, former players and fans.
In the months between sharing the news and his eventual death today, he visited some of the teams he had managed over the years – and even fulfilled a lifelong ambition to manage Liverpool.
He visited Anfield in March to command the Liverpool Legends to a rousing victory over Ajax Legends.
The former manager also delivered a message to fans around the world during the Amazon-produced film.
‘I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do,’ Eriksson said.
‘Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.’
‘I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well.
‘You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully, at the end people will say: “Yeah, he was a good man”. But everyone will not say that.’