Eriksson’s Heartbreaking News: Former England Manager’s Terminal Cancer Battle

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and anticipates having a year at most to live. The 75-year-old, who served as England’s first foreign manager from 2001 to 2006, resigned from his position as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago due to health concerns.

Eriksson, who achieved notable success during his managerial career spanning over four decades, shared the shocking news after fainting during a 5k run. Despite being in good health previously, he now faces the difficult battle against cancer. Notably, Eriksson led England to a historic 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich in September 2001 and guided the team to three consecutive quarter-final appearances in major tournaments.

Speaking to Swedish radio station P1, Eriksson acknowledged the gravity of his situation: “Everyone can see that I have a disease that’s not good, and everyone supposes that it’s cancer, and it is. But I have to fight it as long as possible. I know that in the best case, it’s about a year, in the worst case even less.”

Reflecting on his approach to the challenging circumstances, Eriksson emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive outlook: “It’s better not to think about it. You have to trick your brain. I could go around thinking about that all the time and sit at home and be miserable and think I’m unlucky and so on. It’s easy to end up in that position. But no, see the positive sides of things and don’t bury yourself in setbacks because this is the biggest setback of them all, of course.”

Eriksson’s managerial journey included successful stints with clubs like Benfica, Lazio, Roma, and a domestic double with Lazio in 2000. His tenure with the England national team marked a historic period, highlighted by the iconic win against Germany. Subsequently, he managed various teams, including Manchester City, Mexico, Ivory Coast, and a brief stint with Leicester City in 2017. His most recent managerial role was with the Philippines in 2019.