The ex-England boss has revealed that he has terminal cancer at the age of 75
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Health issues forced the 75-year-old to step down form his role as sporting director at Swedish side Karlstad in February 2023, and Eriksson has now revealed that he is suffering from terminal cancer.
"I'm going to resist for as long as I can," Eriksson told Swedish Radio P1. "I have an illness that's serious. Best case a year, I have worst case a lot less. It's impossible to say exactly, so it's better to not think about it."
Eriksson managed England between 2001 and 2006 (Image credit: Getty Images)
The diagnosis came after Eriksson was taken to hospital when collapsed and fainted during a run near his home. It "just came from nothing", he added, and that "makes you shocked".
"I'm not in any major pain. But I've been diagnosed with a disease that you can slow down but you cannot operate. So it is what it is."
Despite being given less than a year to live, though, Eriksson is attempting to remain as positive as possible and enjoy what time he has left.
"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.
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Eriksson's final managerial job came with the Philippines national team (Image credit: Getty Images)
"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 spent 42 years as a manager in his career, taking charge of clubs such as Benfica, Roma, Lazio, Manchester City and Leicester City, as well as national sides like England, Ivory Coast and Mexico.
Taking over as England boss in 2001, Eriksson became the first foreign manager of the Three Lions and managed to achieve three quarter-final finishes in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and Euro 2004.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
