Eriksson: Former England Head Coach Confirms He Has One Year To Live

The former England head coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, has been diagnosed with cancer and has about a year to live.

Due to health issues, the 75-year-old Eriksson left his most recent role as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago, capping 42 years of managerial experience.

He said he is currently trying to be positive and “make something good” out of being told he had cancer.

“I’m going to resist for as long as I can,” Eriksson told Swedish Radio P1.

“I have a serious illness. The best case is a year, and I have a worst case of a lot less. It’s impossible to say exactly, so it’s better to not think about it.

“You try to trick the brain, it’s too easy to succumb and become negative and get stuck at home. Better to try and see positives and not give in during hard times.”

Eriksson started his coaching career in 1977 with Degerfors before moving on to fellow Swedish team Gothenburg, where he won the 1981 Uefa Cup, two Swedish cups, and the Swedish championship.

He later enjoyed stints with Italian teams Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and Lazio, in addition to the Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. During his time at Lazio, he won seven trophies, including the Serie A title, two Italian Cups, and the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup.

In January 2001, Eriksson left his position at Lazio to take over as manager of England, replacing Kevin Keegan.

The 75-year-old Eriksson, who led England to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and 2006, is England’s first foreign coach. He lost his job in England after a five-year tenure.

Eriksson had a varied managerial career after leaving England, having worked for the national teams of the Philippines, Mexico, and the Ivory Coast in addition to periods with Manchester City and Leicester City.

From October 2018 to January 2019, he managed the Philippines for ten games, his last managerial position.