Sven-Goran Eriksson died £3.7million in debt after years of financial mismanagement and being defrauded by his former financial advisor, it has been revealed.
The former England manager had assets of £4.8m but debts in excess of £8.5m, leaving his estate with a hefty deficit, according to Swedish reports.
The Swede said on several occasions that he had poor control over his finances despite his illustrious career in football, reportedly telling Expressen in 2017: ‘I have no idea how much money I have and where it is.’
He admitted that he was close to bankruptcy at one point after losing £10m to financial adviser Samir Khan, who he entrusted with his fortune in 2007.
He later took Khan to court and won, receiving an apology, but said he never got the money back.
The luxury mansion where Svennis spent the final years of his life is now up for sale for what is being described as a ‘bargain’ price.
Björkefors Manor, on the banks of Lake Fryken, is set in a sprawling and secluded estate complete with beautifully-kept gardens, woodland and a private beach.
It was previously put up for sale on several occasions throughout the 2010s, but Svennis was seemingly able to hold on to the property until the end of his life.
The Swedish football legend died from pancreatic cancer last August at the age of 76. His beloved home of 22 years, the old farmhouse was put up for sale shortly after his death.
The former England manager had assets of £4.8m but debts in excess of £8.5m, leaving his estate with a hefty deficit, according to reports
Stunning pictures, shared by agent Sotheby’s, show a blanket of snow covering the estate
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
The extensive lakeside villa has been up for sale since shortly after the former England manager’s death
The property enjoys panoramic views of Lake Fryken, around four hours west of Stockholm
The sprawling estate boasts a lagoon-shaped private beach and has a boathouse
The Swedish coach had a number of well-paid jobs during his managerial career, most memorably his five year spell as Three Lions boss between 2001 and 2006.
He was estimated to have received around £7m in pay-offs alone from England, Manchester City and Mexico.
In the book ‘A Beautiful Game’, published shortly after his death, Eriksson made the revelation that despite his stellar managerial career, he had at one stage been close to bankruptcy.
He revealed his regret at giving his financial responsibilities over to Khan, who he later described as the ‘only person on earth I hate’.
Eriksson had reportedly met Khan in 2004 in Dubai and hired him to manage his finances three years later when he became the boss of Man City.
He admitted not heeding warnings about Khan, leading to him reportedly losing an estimated £10m of his fortune.
‘If I had done that, I could have saved a lot of money. I’ve hit a few studs in my life. Samir Khan accounted for the worst,’ Eriksson said, as per the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
‘He, who was trusted to take care of my money, instead made me lose 100 million kroner.
‘I did sue him and won in court, but I never got any money back. So even though I made so much money, I was really bad for a while, I was close to personal bankruptcy.’
Eriksson had taken legal action in 2010, after growing concerned and asking Deloitte to run checks on Khan a year earlier.
His lawyers argued that Khan made negligent investments and earned ‘secret profits that have been paid to himself’.
Khan was alleged to have bought a house in Barbados in Eriksson’s name and taken out loans on the property, before doing the same with his mansion in Bjorkefors.
Svennis bought the manor early in the early days of his career as England manager in 2002 for 5.8million Swedish Krona (£420,000) and carried out a full renovation on the late 19th century property.
The property’s value rocketed up to as much as £4m in the 2010s, but now the price tag has fallen to around half of that – with a starting price of 25million SEK (£1.8m).
The luxury property has been finished to a high standard with luxurious interiors
A homely kitchen is at the heart of the property, which has modern finishes after being renovated in recent years
The 250 square metre poolhouse which is complete with a saltwater pool, a spa, sauna, jacuzzi, relaxation area and gym
The property likely captured Sven’s heart for its charm but also the fact that it is located between between Sunne, the town where Eriksson was born, and Torsby, where he grew up.
Much of the international football manager’s family still live in the town, including his 95-year-old father, and his funeral was held there last year.
The house is located in a remote area overlooking a mountain around four hours’ drive west of Stockholm.
Eriksson was with former partner, Italian lawyer and TV star Nancy Dell’Olio, when he purchased the home in the early 2000s.
He decided to buy the waterside mansion during a party on a boat out on the lake it overlooks, according to Swedish newspaper Afton Bladet.
An aerial shot shows the few other properties near the two-acre estate, which is located near the town of Sunne
The manor house of 835 square meters was built in the late 19th century and consists of thirteen rooms
Björkefors Manor was owned by Sven-Geran Eriksson for 22 years. Pictured: A stunning staircase in the home’s entrance hall
The glamourous property has modern fittings and is finished to a high standard
The elegant property has been on the market for several months following Eriksson’s death
The luxury house has a total of six bathrooms and includes features such as a jacuzzi and saunas
The property has two gazebos and overlooks Lake Fryken and a mountain near the town of Sunne
Svennis lived with Yaniseth, his partner of more than 15 years, and the couple were pictured enjoying a dinner in the dining room of the house with their children in 2014.
He ‘left his personal mark on both the interior and exterior’ of the seven-bedroom property, according to agent Sotheby’s.
The 13-room house covers 835 square metres and has a high-end kitchen, multiple reception rooms for entertaining, a library and six bathrooms.
A detached villa was built in the grounds in 2005, while a standalone guesthouse is also located near the waterfront.
Outside is a 250 square metre poolhouse which is complete with a saltwater pool, a spa, sauna, jacuzzi, relaxation area and gym.
The estate is also complete with a tennis court, waterside gazebos, a jetty, a motorized floating platform and a lagoon-shaped sandy cove.
The former Three Lions manager lived out his days in the opulent house with his partner Yaniseth Alcides, and said shortly before his death that he would like his ashes spread by the lake which he considered to be his ‘home’.
During the summer months, Eriksson is said to have had two part-time employees living in the grounds who helped him run the expansive estate.
Sotheby’s broker Henrik Flinta told local media that a Swedish national living in Switzerland had shown interest in the property before Christmas.
‘There are many international buyers who have started looking at Sweden. When it gets too hot in some parts of the world like Spain, they come here,’ he said.
Beautiful pictures show the old farmhouse and its two acre surroundings covered in snow
The property has two gazebos where the homeowner can take in the breathtaking views of Lake Fryken and the nearby mountains
The house is complete with cosy wood-burning fireplaces and classy marble and white details
The lakeside home has a jetty and motorized floating platform. Svennis first saw the home while on a party boat on the lake
Despite being on the market for more than five months and being listed at a lower price than it previously fetched, Sven’s beloved home is still looking for a buyer.
Speaking of Lake Fryken in a documentary released shortly before his death last year, the football boss said that the area felt ‘like home’.
In a video shared by Amazon Prime Video Sport just days before his death, he was filmed sitting beside his ‘calming’ Swedish lake house where he said he wished for his ashes to be scattered.
Sitting by Lake Fryken, he says in the documentary: ‘Beautiful place. It makes you calm. Makes me calm.’
Pointing ahead, he said: ‘The mountain, below that mountain is where my father grew up.
‘And if you look straight on, that’s Torsby, where I grew up, and Sunne where I was born.
‘I always thought great place to sleep… [my] ashes could be thrown here. It feels like home.’
Eriksson became the first foreign manager of the England national team in 2001, taking charge of 67 matches until 2006.
He led the talented squad to quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and at the 2004 European Championships.
He also managed Swedish, Portuguese and Italian clubs, winning major trophies in the 1980s and 1990s before taking on the England job.