DAVID BECKHAM has shared a heartbreaking tribute video following the tragic death of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The Swede died today at the age of 76, eight months after revealing that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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David Beckham paid tribute to Sven-Goran ErikssonCredit: AFP
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Becks visited Eriksson at his home in Sweden earlier this year
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He posted a short clip of their last time together
Tributes are coming from all over the world to Eriksson, who led England’s ‘Golden Generation’ between 2001 and 2006.
And Beckham, who captained the former manager during his time in charge, paid tribute with a touching video.
The caption read: “We laughed, we cried and we knew we were saying goodbye…
“Sven, thank you for always being the person you always were, passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman…
“I will forever be grateful for making me your captain, but I will forever cherish these last memories of this day with you and your family…
“Thank you, Sven, and in his last words to me, ‘Everything will be fine’.”
The heartbreaking video captured the moment Becks visited his old boss at his farm in Sweden earlier this year.
The couple enjoyed a traditional meal and six special bottles of wine together.
Eriksson said of the visit: “He came with six liters of wine from dates that were important to me.
“He had a wine from 1948 – the year I was born, very nice of him. He is real, he could have been a great diva, but he is the exact opposite.
Sven-Goran Eriksson recorded his heartbreaking final farewell alone – and his emotional message left the film crew in tears
SVEN’S INCREDIBLE CAREER
1977 – After playing professional football in Sweden, Sven-Goran Eriksson began his managerial career at the Swedish club Degerfors.
2000 – Led Lazio to the Serie A title and became one of the hottest coaches in the world.
2001 – After the resignation of Kevin Keegan, he was appointed as the next permanent England manager in February 2001. He oversaw 66 games with the Three Lions, winning 39 and losing just 12.
2002 – Eriksson led England to the 2002 World Cup with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and David Beckham in his squad. Three lions were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
2004 – The legendary manager also led the Three Lions to Euro 2004, but they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Portugal.
2006 – Eriksson leads England to another World Cup, his last tournament in charge, before resigning.
2007 – The Swede took over at Manchester City a year after leaving his job in England and oversaw 45 games.
2010 – After coaching Mexico, the Ivory Coast and Notts County following his split with Man City, Erikson took over at Leicester and saved them from relegation. After his time with the Foxes, he went on to manage China and the Philippines.
2024 – In January 2024, Eriksson announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Three months later, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by leading Liverpool in the Legends Game at Anfield, before passing away in August.
“He ate herrings and potatoes and moose meat.
“The day before, he sent a cook who prepared food, and then he came and stayed here for a day. We sat talking, a lot about football.”
Beckham was not the only former England star to pay tribute to Eriksson.
Michael Owen wrote on X: “Rest in peace. One of the best and a man who will be sadly missed by all in the world of football.”
Gary Neville said: “Rest in peace Sven.”
Wayne Rooney said: “Rest in peace Sven. A special man.
“Thanks for the memories and all your help and advice. Thoughts and prayers with all his family and friends.”
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Michael Owen saluted his former boss on social media
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Wayne Rooney thanked Eriksson for making his debut possible
David James told 5Live: “Sven was such a lovely man. I’m shocked because as much as we know the disease is terminal, you’re never quite prepared for that possibility.”
Trevor Sinclair posted: “Lost and eternally grateful. RIP Sven.”
Peter Crouch said: “Really sad news. Sven gave me my England debut when many doubted it. I’ll be forever grateful. I’ll miss him.”
Micah Richards noted, “Really sad to hear of Sven’s passing,” Richards wrote on his Instagram story. “His management of people was as good as mine [have] ever experienced and it meant I could play my best football under him. Thank you for everything Sven. RIP.”
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker added: “Honestly lovely guy, RIP Sven.”
And players including Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand posted pictures in tribute to Eriksson.
The FA will pay tribute to Eriksson ahead of England’s upcoming game against Finland, with chief executive Mark Bullingham saying: “It’s a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories.
“Nobody can ever forget the 5-1 win in Munich against Germany under Sven.
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Rio Ferdinand paid tribute with a series of touching photos
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Paul Scholes also thanked Eriksson online
“Sven will rightly be recognized and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team and for his wider contribution to the game.
“On behalf of my FA colleagues, past and present, our thoughts are with his friends and family today. He will be greatly missed and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.”
Prince William, chairman of the FA, added: “I am sorry to hear of the death of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
“I met him a few times as England manager and was always impressed by his charisma and passion for the game.
“My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman in the game. W.”
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Prince William paid a heartfelt tribute
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Jamie Carragher made his feelings known online
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I am deeply saddened to hear that Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away.
“He will be remembered for his enormous contribution to English football which brought joy to so many over the years. Our thoughts are with his family.”
Eriksson’s charismatic life and cancer diagnosis will be featured in an upcoming documentary on Amazon Prime Video.
One video shows him saying: “I’ve had a good life. I think we all fear the day we die, but life is also death.
“You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully, eventually people will say, yes, he was a good man, but not everyone will say that.
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Eriksson said goodbye to fans in his upcoming documentary
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He was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year
I hope you will remember me as a positive person who tried to do everything he could. Don’t be sorry, smile.
“Thank you for everything, coaches, players, audience, it was fantastic. Take care and take care of your life. And live it.”
A statement from Eriksson’s family announced his sad death this morning.
Children Lina and Johan said: “Our father fell asleep peacefully this morning at his home in Bjorkefors outside Sunne.
“He bravely fought his illness for a long time, but now it has come to an end.
“Sven was a good coach… better than it seems, say SunSport experts”
SunSport’s Shaun Custis and Martin Lipton discussed Sven-Goran Eriksson’s legacy in England following his death aged 76.
Custis: “He was the most polite, civil administrator I’ve ever dealt with in my life.”
Lipton: “There are many managers who are prone to paroxysms of deterioration and screaming matches.
“You can’t imagine that Sven ever raised his voice, let alone had an argument with someone. He was a gentle man and a gentleman in all his dealings with us, certainly. And I think that always came through from the very beginning.
“He was obviously quite a calm, unflappable character and he wouldn’t let anything upset him, no matter what questions were thrown at him, no matter what kind of stick he got. He had an air of complete calm.”
Custis: “There was a lot of mystery about him. You didn’t read things about him every two minutes on the internet like you do now, but he came in and got off to a great start in that 3-0 win over Spain.”
Lipton: “He just loved being around football, didn’t he, that was the thing.
“He didn’t want to give it up… He actually genuinely loved being around footballers, being a manager and all the trappings of that and just being important. Because he enjoyed being Sven-Goran Eriksson – a football manager.”
Lipton: “He restored faith in the England team in that period, gave us a night we will never forget and oversaw a real change in the culture of English football so that he became more famous in many ways.
“The players became bigger than they had ever been and he managed to keep it under wraps… He was a better manager than I thought he was at the time.”
“Our thoughts go out to Sven-Goran’s father Sven; girlfriend Yaniseth and her son Alcides; his brother Lasse and wife Jumnong, as well as all good friends and acquaintances in Sweden and around the world.
“Dad told us about his serious illness at the beginning of this year and he received an incredible response from friends and football fans all over Europe. He was invited to several football clubs in England, Italy, Portugal and Sweden.
“They shared a love for football and for dad. It was unforgettable for him and for us. He expressed his gratitude and joy and said that such beautiful words are usually only spoken when someone dies.”
The children added: “We shared his gratitude and experienced wonderful encounters between him, football and all his friends. We thank everyone for these positive memories and your support during his illness.
“We hope you will remember Svennis as the good and positive person he always was both in public and at home with us.”
SVEN’S ENGLISH RECORD – 2001-2006
Matches 67
Victory 40
Draws 17
Losses 10
Winning percentage 59.7
World Cup 2002
Lost 2-1 to Brazil in the quarterfinals
Euro 2004
Lost on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals
World Cup 2006
Lost on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals
Eriksson was the first foreign coach of the English national team after being appointed in 2001.
Eriksson managed 67 matches, winning 40 and losing 10.
Eriksson left the England role after the 2006 World Cup and would later manage a number of clubs at domestic and international level.
In his club career, he won six league titles in three different countries, including the domestic Treble with Lazio in 2000.
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