Sven-Göran Eriksson (Swedish pronunciation:[svɛnˈjœ̂ːranˈêːrɪkˌsɔn]ⓘ; 5 February 1948 – 26 August 2024) was a Swedishfootball player andmanager. After a playing career as aright-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management between 1977 and 2001, winning 18 trophies with a variety of league clubs in Sweden, Portugal, and Italy. In European competition, he won theUEFA Cup in1982, theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup in1999, the last edition of the tournament before its abolition, theUEFA Super Cup in1999, and reached theEuropean Cup final in1990.
Eriksson later managed the national teams ofEngland,Mexico, thePhilippines and theIvory Coast, as well asManchester City andLeicester City in England. Eriksson coached in ten countries: Sweden, Portugal, Italy, England, Mexico, Ivory Coast, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, China, and the Philippines.
Sven-Göran Eriksson was born on 5 February 1948[3] inSunne[2] and raised inTorsby, both inVärmland, Sweden. His father, also named Sven (born 1929), was a bus conductor whilst his mother, Ulla (1926–2011), worked in a textile store.[4] He was nicknamed "Svennis" after his younger brother Lars-Erik's attempt to pronounce his name; Eriksson went on to become known, and is generally referred to in Swedenmononymously, by this nickname.[5][6]
Eriksson was heavily influenced by Karlskoga's player-manager,Tord Grip, who favoured the English style of play thatBob Houghton andRoy Hodgson had brought to the country.[9] Eriksson retired from playing in 1975 at the age of 27, after giving up on his dream of playing professional football; he summed up his brief playing career by saying: "I was looked upon as a distinctly average defender, but someone who rarely made mistakes".[10]
Having retired as a player, Eriksson received an offer to become Tord Grip's assistant atDegerfors IF.[9][11] A year later, Grip was appointed assistant manager of theSweden national team, and Eriksson became Degerfors' manager. His stint as manager lasted from 1 January 1977 to 31 December 1978.[12] He led the team to the playoffs in 1977 and 1978, winning the latter and promotion to Swedish Football Division 2.[9]
Eriksson's success with assistant manager Tom Chadney by his side attracted the attention of much larger clubs, and Eriksson was appointed manager ofIFK Göteborg on 1 January 1979.[13] The move was such a surprise that many of the players had never even heard of him.[9]
IFK finished second inthe Allsvenskan and won theSvenska Cupen for the first time in the club's history, defeatingÅtvidabergs FF 6–1 in the final.[14] Although results had improved, the team's style did not make him popular. He put results ahead of flair, emphasised tactical awareness and work rate, and he reined in the team's old cavalier style.[9]
As a consequence, the average attendance fell by 3,000 to 13,320.[9] Like Grip, he was influenced by Houghton and Hodgson and played a 4–4–2 with zonal marking and heavy pressing.[9] IFK finished third in the1980 season and second again in1981. The following season, they won thetreble. The team won theLeague and subsequent playoff, the Svenska Cupen, defeatingÖsters IF 3–2 in the final.[15]
Eriksson's international breakthrough came during the spring of 1982, when he led IFK to the first everUEFA Cup for a Swedish club, defeatingValencia in the quarter-finals andKaiserslautern in the semi-finals. In thefinal they playedHamburger SV over two legs.[16] In the first leg at home, IFK managed to score a late deciding goal, and took a 1–0 score with them to the away fixture. In Hamburg, they won 3–0 and thus won the1981–82 UEFA Cup by an aggregate score of 4–0.[16]
Eriksson joined Roma on 1 July 1984.[19] He was not as immediately successful at theGiallorossi as he had been before,[20] but nonetheless still won aCoppa Italia with the club in 1986.[21] Eriksson left the club on 6 May 1987.[19]
Eriksson was manager ofFiorentina from 1 July 1987.[22] Eriksson's stint with the club was trophyless, and he moved back to Benfica for a second stint in 1989. Eriksson led the Portuguese side to thefinal of the1989–90 European Cup (losing toMilan 1–0) in 1990, and another Primeira Divisão title in1991.[23]
In July 1992, Eriksson returned to Italy to leadSampdoria,[24] where he managed to win anotherCoppa Italia in 1994. In contrast to his predecessor,Vujadin Boškov, he introduced a defensive system which was based on zonal marking rather than man-marking.[25] He left in June 1997.[24]
In December 1996, Eriksson agreed to leave Sampdoria at the end of the season to manageBlackburn Rovers.[26][27] In February 1997, however, he went back on his word, and opted to stay in Italy and become the new manager atLazio, beginning on 1 July 1997.[28] Eriksson stated family reasons for wanting to stay in Italy,[29] and Rovers would go on to appointRoy Hodgson.[30]
On 1 September 2001, Eriksson's teamwon 5–1 away to Germany in Munich; Germany had only ever lost one home game in World Cup qualification before, and had led the game after six minutes.[37] On 6 October, a late free-kick equaliser byDavid Beckham ensured a 2–2 draw withGreece atOld Trafford, sending England directly to the2002 FIFA World Cup.[38]
At the finals, England drew withSweden, defeatedArgentina 1–0, and drew withNigeria to qualify in second place from the four-team group.[39] They went on to defeatDenmark 3–0 in the Round of 16, before losing 2–1 to ten-manBrazil, who went on towin the tournament.[40]
After winning their first qualifying match inSlovakia, England drew at home withMacedonia and were then booed off by their fans after losing afriendly toAustralia.[41] England, however, won their next five qualifiers and, needing a point from the last game to qualify, drew 0–0 inTurkey to top the group.[42]
In their first match in thefinals, England were winning 1–0 againstFrance after 90 minutes, but lost afterZinedine Zidane scored twice in injury time. A 3–0 victory overSwitzerland and a 4–2 victory overCroatia, however, meant England still qualified for a quarter-final against the hostsPortugal. There,Michael Owen gave England an early lead only forHélder Postiga to equalize. England then had aSol Campbell goal disallowed before ultimately losing on penalties.[43]
In March 2004, Eriksson's contract was extended by two years to coverUEFA Euro 2008.[44] He said that he would have wanted to wait until after Euro 2004 to sign it, but it was necessary in order to counter rumours that he would leave forChelsea.[44] The FA did not confirm or deny rumours that the new contract included a clause allowing him to quit after the2006 FIFA World Cup.[44]
On 7 September 2005, Eriksson's England team lost a World Cup qualifying match againstNorthern Ireland 1–0. This was the first time that England had lost to these opponents since 1972, and the first time inBelfast since 1927.[45] Although it was England's first-ever defeat in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying match under Eriksson, it brought his position under pressure and he was criticised, both by some fans and by commentators from theBBC, for his alleged lack of charisma and tactical awareness.[46]
In January 2006, Eriksson was recorded saying he would be willing to leave England to manageAston Villa if England won the World Cup, after being duped into believing that a wealthy Arab would buy the club, and wanted him as manager. The wealthy "Arab" was in fact the "Fake Sheikh"Mazher Mahmood, an undercoverNews of the World reporter. On 23 January, The FA announced that Eriksson would leave his job after the2006 World Cup, and it was thought that theNews of the World allegations played a part in this decision.[47]
In March 2006,The Guardian reported thatSouth Africa became the first potential employer publicly to register its interest in Eriksson.[48]
England finished top of Group B at the finals, beatingParaguay andTrinidad and Tobago, before a 2–2 draw with Sweden, although the English press considered their performances far from satisfactory.[49] After defeatingEcuador by a single Beckham free kick in the last 16, England were again eliminated on penalties by Portugal in the quarter-finals.[50]
BBC Sport punditPhil McNulty wrote a scathing review of Eriksson's period in charge, writing that he was unable to change games after England went behind, refused to drop Beckham and could not combineFrank Lampard andSteven Gerrard in midfield. McNulty added that Eriksson had chosenTheo Walcott for the 2006 World Cup without watching him play, and never fielded the Arsenal player, who had been chosen ahead ofJermain Defoe. Reflecting that Eriksson had taken over £20 million in salary, McNulty wrote "he will be remembered as a failure and a mighty pricey one at that".[50]
Eriksson improved England'sFIFA World Rankings place from seventeenth place in January 2001 to fifth in July 2006, reaching fourth during the 2006 World Cup, and was rated in 2007 by The FA as England's second most successful manager afterAlf Ramsey. Under Eriksson, England achieved the highest point percentage in major tournament matches of all time for an England manager,[51] losing only three competitive games (excluding extra time),[52] and achieved top qualifying place in all three international tournaments.[53][54][55]
In July 2006, after his final match with England,ESPN reported that he had turned down the chance to manageJamaica, as well as an unknown participating club in theUEFA Champions League.[56] In October 2006, it was rumoured he was in talks to manageNewcastle United, which his agent denied.[57]
On 6 July 2007, virtually a year to the day that he left the England job, Eriksson was confirmed as the new manager ofManchester City after signing a three-year contract worth £2 million per year, plus bonuses.[58] He was City's first manager from outside the United Kingdom and the first Swedish manager in the Premier League.[59] Before the season started, he signed strikerRolando Bianchi, along with midfieldersGélson Fernandes,Geovanni,Martin Petrov andElano; and defendersVedran Ćorluka andJavier Garrido.[60]
On 19 August, Manchester City beatreigningPremier League championsManchester United to go top of the2007–08 Premier League after three games without conceding a goal.[61] Eriksson received thePremier League's Manager of the Month award for August.[61] The club stayed in the top six throughout the rest of 2007, and were third throughout October and November, but fell to seventh on 12 January 2008 after winning only one of their previous five games.[62]
In Spring 2008, ownerThaksin Shinawatra said that he would replace Eriksson after only one full season due to an "avalanche of very poor results which is unacceptable at this level".[63] In the last game of the season, Manchester City suffered an 8–1 loss toMiddlesbrough, the biggest defeat of Eriksson's career.[64]
Manchester City ended in ninth place in the league, one place away from theUEFA Cup2008–09 qualifying positions.[65] Manchester City subsequently qualified through the extra place awarded to the Premier League for finishing as the highest placed team who had not already qualified for a European competition in the UEFA Fair Play League for 2007–08.[66] Eriksson became the first Manchester City manager since1969–70 to win both league derby games against Manchester United and also achieved the club's then joint highest Premier League point total, 55.[67]
On 2 June 2008, Manchester City confirmed by club statement that they had parted company with Eriksson by "mutual consent", with Eriksson still having two years left on his contract.[68]
On 3 June 2008, Eriksson was officially signed to become manager of theMexico national team.[69] He formally started the role after Mexico's World Cup qualifier againstBelize on 21 June.[70] On 20 August 2008, he debuted as manager of Mexico in aCONCACAFWorld Cup qualifier versusHonduras. Mexico went on to win 2–1. During the next few matches, some results were poor, as Mexico drew withCanada and lost to Jamaica and Honduras.[71]
On 11 February 2009, Eriksson was put under further pressure as his side lost 2–0 to theUnited States. Calls for him to quit or be sacked were heard from the fans while English clubPortsmouth were rumoured to be interested in making him their new manager. This link was strengthened by reports of members from the Portsmouth board flying toMexico City to discuss contract offers with Eriksson and a possible compensation settlement with theMexican Football Federation.[72]
On 3 March 2009, Eriksson continued to deny that he would leave Mexico and return to managePortsmouth, insisting that he would remain and help Mexico qualify for the World Cup.[73] After a 3–1 World Cup qualifying loss at Honduras, Eriksson was removed as national team coach. Eriksson had only won one of his last seven non-friendly games as manager.[74]
Eriksson later said that he was attracted by the consortium's plans to take the world's oldest league club to the top of the Premier League, and believed that they had the finance and commitment to do that.[75] Large-scale investment in new facilities were promised,[77] and Sol Campbell andKasper Schmeichel joined the club from Premier League teams.[76] Campbell, however, played only one game before departing and Schmeichel was released at the end of the season.[78]
County's large debts, including an unpaid tax bill, emerged in November 2009.[79] On 11 February 2010, Eriksson resigned as director of football following the club's takeover by formerLincoln City chairmanRay Trew.[80] Eriksson waived a multi-million payoff in order to assist the takeover, which chairman Trew described as the act of an "absolute gentleman". Notts County were promoted as League Two champions at the end ofthe season.[79]
On 28 March 2010, Eriksson became the manager of theIvory Coast national team.[81][82] Disclosure of the amount of money Eriksson's contract was worth has never been confirmed, but it has been reported that he received £270,000 for accepting the job.[83] On 15 June, Ivory Coast played an ill-tempered 0–0 draw against Portugal in their opening game inGroup G of the2010 World Cup finals,[84] followed by a 3–1 loss against Brazil on 20 June.[85]
Despite defeating the already-eliminatedNorth Korea in the final group game 3–0, Ivory Coast failed to qualify for the knockout stage. Prior to the match against Brazil, Brazilian coachDunga commented, "With Eriksson, Ivory Coast has great balance. We used to see them play and they didn't have this type of organisation that they have now."[86]
As there were no reported negotiations of an extension to Eriksson's contract between his agent and theIvorian Football Federation, his contract ended on 25 June.[87]
Eriksson was appointed manager ofLeicester City on 3 October 2010, as the Foxes sat in the relegation zone of theChampionship.[88][89] His first league game in charge resulted in a 1–1 draw againstHull City, managed byNigel Pearson who had managed Leicester for the previous two seasons. This was quickly followed by Leicester's first victory under Eriksson, beatingLeeds United 2–1 atElland Road.[90]
In December 2010, Eriksson denied that he had been in talks for becoming the new manager forBlackburn Rovers, following the exit ofSam Allardyce, stating he was happy managing Leicester.[91]
Boosted by the loan signings of players such asKyle Naughton and laterYakubu, results steadily improved under Eriksson as Leicester gradually began to climb the table, until a good run of form in the new year saw Leicester win seven of their first eight league games of 2011, and also takePremier League title challengers and eventual cup winners Manchester City to a replay in theFA Cup.[92]
On 18 February 2011, after an injury time winner fromMartyn Waghorn at home toBristol City, Leicester had climbed to seventh in the table, and just one point off a play-off place.[93] Leicester's form, however, began to stutter as they won just two out of their following eleven games. The Foxes ended up finishing the season in 10th position.[94]
Eriksson spent big in a bid for promotion in the summer of 2011, including multimillion-pound transfer fees onMatt Mills andJermaine Beckford.[95][96] making them pre season promotion favourites.[95][97][98] After thirteen league matches, however, Eriksson left the club by mutual consent on 25 October 2011, with the Foxes sitting in the thirteenth position in the league, two points from a relegation play-off position.[99]
Three players who were signed by Eriksson – Kasper Schmeichel,David Nugent andPaul Konchesky – were part of the Leicester team that won the2013–14 Championship and survived relegation from the2014–15 Premier League under Nigel Pearson. Nugent credited Eriksson for his improved form at the club.[100] Of the three, Schmeichel was a key member of the first team that won the2015–16 Premier League.[101]
In an interview withYorkshire Radio on 8 February 2012, the chairman of Football League Championship club Leeds United,Ken Bates, revealed that Eriksson had applied for the vacant managerial position at the club after the dismissal ofSimon Grayson. Bates went on to state that his application was unsuccessful.[102] On 3 September 2012, Eriksson was unveiled as the technical director ofBEC Tero Sasana, a team in theThai League 1.[103]
On 17 November 2012, Norwegian media reported that Eriksson was in talks withVålerenga, about the possibility of taking over the soon to be available manager job for theOslo-based club. A meeting between the two parties was held on 21 November in Oslo, but no deal was made. In December, negotiations between Eriksson and theFootball Federation of Ukraine, who had offered him the position of head coach of theUkraine national team, did not bear fruit.[104]
On 15 January 2013, it was announced that Eriksson would be joining German2. Bundesliga side1860 Munich as assistant toAlexander Schmidt.[105] On 18 January 2013, the club however reported, that Eriksson declined the offer to join 1860.[106]
On 4 June 2013,Guangzhou R&F of theChinese Super League announced Eriksson as their new head coach, on a nineteen-month contract lasting until December 2014.[108] He was believed to be paid around £2 million a year for the job.[109] He came up against formerItaly managerMarcello Lippi in thecity's derby matches, as theWorld Cup winner was manager of local rivalGuangzhou Evergrande.[110] Under Eriksson, Guangzhou R&F finished third in the league in 2014, and therefore qualified for theAFC Champions League for the first time.[111] He left Guangzhou R&F on 10 November 2014, after a disagreement in negotiations for extending his contract.[112]
Eriksson signed a two-year contract with fellow Chinese Super League sideShanghai SIPG on 18 November 2014.[113] He led Shanghai SIPG to finish runners up in the season of 2015, and qualified for the AFC Champions League for the first time.[citation needed]
Under Eriksson, Shanghai SIPG advanced to the quarter-finals in their debut in the AFC Champions League, and secured a seat in the2017 AFC Champions League by finishing third in the 2016 season.[114] However, Eriksson was criticized for his tactical play and failure to give chances to young talents throughout his term at SIPG.[115] He was replaced byAndré Villas-Boas on 4 November 2016.[116]
On 5 December 2016, Eriksson became the manager ofChina League One sideShenzhen FC, replacingClarence Seedorf.[117] He won his first six matches of the season of 2017, including five league matches and a FA Cup match. However, Eriksson was sacked on 14 June 2017, following a nine-game run without a win.[118]
On 27 October 2018, Eriksson returned to international football after he was appointed head coach of thePhilippines national team on a six-month contract.[119] He was recommended to the position by interim coachScott Cooper, who took over afterTerry Butcher's resignation in August;[119][120] Eriksson and Cooper previously worked together for English club Leicester City.[121]
Eriksson was then tasked to lead the Philippines in the2019 AFC Asian Cup—the team's first appearance in the tournament.[129][130][131] They lost their first group match 1–0 toSouth Korea.[132] This was followed by a 3–0 loss toChina, which was coached by Eriksson's friendMarcello Lippi.[133][134] Philippines ended their Asian Cup campaign in a 3–1 loss toKyrgyzstan, whereStephan Schröck's consolation goal was the Philippines' only goal in the tournament.[135]
After the Philippines' winless Asian Cup debut, Eriksson ended his tenure as head coach of the national team. However, he continued to serve as a consultant for quite some time.[136][137]
Considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time,[138] tactically, Eriksson was initially inspired by the style of his former teammate and managerTord Grip early into his coaching career, who was in turn influenced by that of English managers Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson, who introduced an innovative 4–4–2 formation into Swedish football, which made use of zonal marking and heavy pressing. While Eriksson's style was successful at IFK Göteborg, he also drew criticism from the fans for being overly pragmatic as a coach, with a focus on getting results over playing with flair, and placing a particular emphasis on the tactical awareness and work-rate of his teams.[9][139][140]
During his time at Lazio, he also used a fluid 4–5–1 formation at times, in particular during the 1999–2000 season, which could become a 4–2–3–1, a 4–3–3, a 4–1–4–1, or a 4–4–2 throughout the course of a match. The team's gameplay was primarily based on creating a numerical advantage in the opposing half rather than controlling the ball, and through looking to attack and score as quickly as possible, while minimising risk. During the opening of matches, the team often played a vertical passing game, making use of long balls out from the back in an attempt to stretch their opponents, and create spaces for the team's more creative players to exploit. If this was done successfully, throughout the course of the match, the team would then play a series of many quick short passes in a more organised manner to build attacks. Eriksson also utilised the flanks offensively. He also placed significant importance on the physical and mental qualities of his players. Defensively, his team still made use of pressing further up the pitch, and the team's formation would transform into an organised and compact 4–1–4–1 with little distance between the lines. At times, the team's defensive set-up made them vulnerable to counter-attacks or one-twos if their opponents broke through the first line, however, which allowed teams to play through them on occasion. In the first third of the pitch, Lazio would drop deeper to defend. While Eriksson used a zonal marking system in Sweden, at Lazio, he instead used a strategy which resembled thezona mista, which was a cross between zonal marking and man-to-man marking systems.[139][141] Eriksson often rotated his players at Lazio. He alternatedGiuseppe Pancaro orGiuseppe Favalli at left-back, who would overlap and join the attack, withPaolo Negro as the full-back on the right side of the team's four-man defence.[142] He also successfully convertedSiniša Mihajlović – formerly a left winger, second striker, or left-back – into a ball-playing centre-back or sweeper, alongside fellow ball-playing centre-backAlessandro Nesta.[141][143][144][145] During the 1999–2000scudetto-winning season, he often deployed eitherRoberto Sensini orMatías Almeyda alongsideDiego Simeone in midfield, to help cover for the team defensively. On the flanks, he often alternatedPavel Nedvěd,Roberto Mancini, orAlen Bokšić on the left, and one ofSérgio Conceição,Attilio Lombardo orDejan Stanković on the right. All the team's midfielders were given the freedom to switch positions, to help give the team a numerical advantage in midfield when in possession, except for the deepest defensive midfielder, and the right winger; the latter was expected to push up the flank, take on opponents in one on one situations, and provide crosses into the box. The left winger, depending on the team selection, would often drift into the centre, either to support the midfield or the main striker, or make runs off the ball to get on the end of passes; he would also drop back into midfield to assist the team defensively off the ball, and cover for the full-backs.[141][142] Eriksson was also praised for usingJuan Sebastián Verón in a deeper playmaking role in midfield at Lazio behind the forwards, rather than in the more advanced role he had played atParma, which had a positive impact on his performances.[141][146] The team were also known for their effectiveness from set-pieces.[141] Eriksson initially fielded two strikers – Marcelo Salas andSimone Inzaghi – before abandoning this system early into the 1999–2000 season, alternating one of them up-front as a lone centre-forward; Inzaghi would provide depth to the team with his runs, or get onto the end of passes and score, while Salas would look to get onto the end of crosses and long balls, or drop deep to link-up with the midfield and hold up the ball.[141]
During his time as England's manager, however, Eriksson did come under criticism from pundits and the public for fieldingPaul Scholes out of position, seemingly as a left midfielder, at Euro 2004, rather than in the centre, in order to accommodateFrank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in midfield; Eriksson defended this decision, however, stating that other players were not as adept in that role, and that he wanted to field his four strongest midfielders. He elaborated that Scholes was also given the freedom to move into the centre to help the midfield and receive the ball, something which Scholes himself confirmed, likening it to a role he had also played successfully under his Manchester United managerAlex Ferguson.[147][148]
In addition to his success and tactical prowess, Eriksson was also known for his positive leadership style as a manager, which also influencedCarlo Ancelotti's coaching style during their time together at Roma in the 1980s.[149] His coaching style at Lazio influenced his former Lazio players Simone Inzaghi, Diego Simeone, Roberto Mancini, and Matías Almeyda, who also went on to pursue coaching careers.[150]
Eriksson was married to Ann-Christine Pettersson from July 1977 until their divorce in 1994. They had two children, Lina and Johan.[151] In May 1998, Eriksson was introduced toItalian-American lawyerNancy Dell'Olio, and they began a relationship six months later. In 2001, they relocated to London. In early 2002, Eriksson had an affair withBritish-Swedish television presenterUlrika Jonsson,[152] but he returned to Dell'Olio. In August 2004, he had an affair withBritish-Bangladeshi secretaryFaria Alam.[153]
In 2002, Eriksson endorsed thePlayStation gamesSven-Göran Eriksson's World Cup Challenge andSven-Göran Eriksson's World Cup Manager.[154]
Eriksson's autobiography,My Story, was published in November 2013.[155]
In October 2016, Eriksson announced he was to take legal action against Mazher Mahmood, on the basis that the January 2006News of the World story had cost him the England coaching job.[156]
In January 2024, Eriksson announced that he had been diagnosed with terminalpancreatic cancer and had "at best about a year to live".[157][158] In March 2024, he was invited to manage theLiverpool Legends for a charity match against Ajax; Eriksson was a lifelong fan of Liverpool and had always aspired to manage the club.[159] Eriksson was, after that, honoured by his former clubs Benfica, IFK Göteborg, Sampdoria, Lazio, Degerfors IF, and Torsby IF at their respective stadiums.
Eriksson died at his home in Björkefors nearSunne, Sweden, on the morning of 26 August 2024, at the age of 76.[160][161] The world of football paid many tributes to Eriksson. His former England captainDavid Beckham said "Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been – passionate, caring, calm and 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'."[162] His funeral took place on 13 September 2024 at Fryksände church inTorsby, Sweden. Many football people attended, among them David Beckham,Tord Grip andThomas Nordahl, son of the Swedish former footballerGunnar Nordahl.[163] Afterwards, his remains were cremated and placed in an urn, after his wish to have his ashes scattered across theFryken was denied by local authorities.
