Prince William has hailed Sven-Goran Eriksson as a “true gentlemen of the game” after the ex-England boss passed away.
Eriksson, 76, died after a battle with cancer, it was announced in a statement on Monday (26 August). And tributes to the former Three Lions boss have come flooding in after the news.
The Prince of Wales, who was named President of the FA in 2006, posted on social media: “Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson. I met him several times as England manager and was always struck by his charisma and passion for the game.
READ MORE: Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson dead at 76 as football world mourns
READ MORE: Sven-Goran Eriksson’s touching funeral plan as he wants to be buried at ‘home’
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“My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman of the game. W”
A statement posted on Monday from Eriksson’s family read: “Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by his family.
(Image: Antonietta Baldassarre/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“The closest mourners are daughter Lina; son Johan with wife Amana and granddaughter Sky; father Sven; girlfriend Yanisette with son Alcides; brother Lars-Erik with wife Jumnong.
“The family asks for respect for their wish to mourn in private and not be contacted. Condolences and greetings can be left on the website.”
Eriksson was the first foreign manager to take charge of the Three Lions, taking over from Kevin Keegan in 2001 and helping turn the team’s fortunes around by securing automatic qualification for 2002 World Cup, a few weeks after masterminding England’s iconic 5-1 win over Germany in Munich.
(Image: Sven/Amazon Prime)
Eriksson would step down from his role after crashing out of the 2006 World Cup.
His passing comes just days after his documentary was released on Amazon Prime. In a tear-jerking documentary aptly named ‘Sven’, the football legend bid farewell to the world.
He also opened up on his funeral plans, heartbreakingly selecting a spot that “felt like home”.