Sven-Göran Eriksson is a highly accomplished Swedish footballer who has made a significant impact as both a player and a coach throughout his extensive career.
As a player, Eriksson played as a right back, mainly playing in Sweden.
However, he truly excelled in management, achieving great success in many leagues and national teams.
From 1977 to 2001, Eriksson managed various clubs in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, winning an impressive 18 titles.
His managerial prowess was on full display when he guided these teams to win domestic leagues and national cups.
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- Full name: Sven-Göran Eriksson
- Stage name: Sven-Göran Eriksson
- Date of birth: February 5, 1948
- Date of death: August 26, 2024
- Age: 76 years old
- Place of birth: Sunne, Sweden
- Nationality: Swedish
- Occupation: Swedish football player and coach
- Height: 1.78 m
- Parents: Sven Eriksson and Ulla Olsson
- Siblings: Lars-Erik Eriksson
- Spouse: Ann-Christine Pettersson (m.1977–1994)
- Moderators: Nancy Dell’Olio, Yaniseth Alcides
- Children: Lina Eriksson and Johan Eriksson
- Relationship: Not married
- Net worth: 35 million USD
Early life and education
Sven-Göran Eriksson is a Swedish football player and coach born on 5 February 1948 in Sunne, Sweden. He was born to his parents, Sven Eriksson and Ulla Olsson.
Eriksson’s father worked as a bus conductor, and his mother worked in a textile shop. He has a younger brother named Lars-Erik Eriksson, but details about his educational background are unknown. Eriksson is ethnically Swedish, although his religion is not known.
Career
Eriksson made his debut for Swedish fourth division side Torsby IF at the age of 16. After moving to Säffle to study economics, he changed clubs to SK Sifhälla. In 1972 he joined KB Karlskoga of the Swedish 2nd Division, where he also worked as a physical education teacher in Örebro.
Eriksson was heavily influenced by Karlskoga player-manager Tord Grip, who favored the English style of play that Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson had brought to Sweden. Eriksson retired from playing in 1975 at the age of 27, giving up his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
After retiring, Eriksson was asked to become Tord Grip’s assistant at Degerfors IF. A year later, Grip was appointed assistant manager of the Swedish national team, and Eriksson became coach of Degerfors. He led the team to the playoffs in 1977 and 1978, winning the latter championship and promotion to Swedish Football League 2.
Eriksson’s success with Degerfors attracted the attention of bigger clubs, and he was appointed coach of IFK Göteborg on 1 January 1979. The move was unheard of for many players. talking about him before was surprised.
Eriksson’s European success with IFK Göteborg led to him being recruited by Portuguese club Benfica in 1982. He immediately made an impact, winning the Primeira Divisão, Taça de Portugal and finishing in runner-up position in the 1982–83 UEFA Cup. After his second consecutive title, Eriksson moved to Italy, becoming coach of Roma in 1984.
Eriksson’s time with Roma was less immediately successful than his previous stints, but he still won the Coppa Italia with the club in 1986. He then moved to Fiorentina in 1987, but The time there he needed to have no more titles.
He returned to Benfica in 1989, leading the Portuguese side to the 1989–90 European Cup final and another Primeira Divisão title in 1991. In 1992, Eriksson returned to Italy to coach Sampdoria, where he won added a Coppa Italia in 1994.
In December 1996, he agreed to leave Sampdoria at the end of the season to manage Blackburn Rovers, but he later kept his word and chose to stay in Italy. He became the new coach of Lazio on 1 July 1997, citing his family’s desire to stay in the country.
Sven-Göran Eriksson was the first foreign coach of the England national team, taking over in 2001 after Kevin Keegan resigned. His debut as England coach was a 3-0 friendly win over Spain. England reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup before losing 2-1 to Brazil.
In 2009, Eriksson was appointed director of football at English club Notts County. In 2010, he became manager of Leicester City, helping them escape the relegation zone in the Championship.
Eriksson managed the Ivory Coast national team in 2010-2011. He then took over as head coach of Chinese club Guangzhou R&F in 2013, facing former Italian coach Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande in local derbies.
In 2018, Eriksson returned to international management, taking charge of the Philippine national team on a 6-month contract. After the Philippines’ winless Asian Cup debut, Eriksson ended his tenure as head coach but continued to serve as a consultant.
Eriksson is considered one of the greatest managers of all time. His tactical approach was inspired by his former manager, Tord Grip, who was influenced by innovative English managers such as Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson.
Awards and nominations
Club management:
- Eighteen titles with clubs in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
- UEFA Cup (1982) with IFK Göteborg
- European Cup Winners’ Cup (1999) with Lazio
- UEFA Super Cup (1999) with Lazio
- Won Serie A (2000) with Lazio
- Many domestic cup titles in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
National team management:
- Led England to the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and the 2004 UEFA European Championship.
Social Media
Personal life
Sven-Göran Eriksson, the famous Swedish football player and coach, has had a personal life that has attracted considerable media attention over the years.
From 1977 until their divorce in 1994, Eriksson was married to Ann-Christine Pettersson and they had two children, Lina and Johan. Although it lasted nearly two decades, this marriage ended in divorce in 1994.
After the end of her marriage, Eriksson had notable relationships with famous individuals, including lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio and television host Ulrika Jonsson.
These relationships attracted significant media scrutiny and attention, even during his tenure as manager of the England national football team.
In the later stages of her life, Eriksson found a lifelong partner in Yaniseth Alcides, a former dancer from Panama. They were together for 16 years until Eriksson passed away in August 2024. Sadly, he passed away on August 26, 2024, at the age of 76. He was battling pancreatic cancer.
Net worth
Sven-Göran Eriksson, the famous Swedish soccer player and coach, had amassed an estimated net worth of $35 million at the time of his death in August 2024.
His considerable wealth comes from a very successful sports career, during which he achieved many awards and honors in various leagues and national teams.
Notably, he has managed famous football teams, including the England national team and clubs such as Manchester City and Lazio, contributing significantly to his financial success throughout his career.
