Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson reveals he has a maximum of one year to live following a cancer diagnosis.
At 75 years old, Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swedish coach, holds the distinction of being the initial foreign manager to oversee the English national team. Under his guidance, England reached the quarter-finals in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as well as the 2004 Euros.
“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.”
Having had a 42-year career in management, Eriksson received news of his cancer diagnosis nearly a year ago. Consequently, he stepped down from his last position as the sporting director at the Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago due to health concerns.
“I live a totally normal life,” Eriksson told BBC World Service’s Sporting Witness.
“I’m not in hospital, I go now and then for a visit but I live at home and I have friends here. Christmas and New Year, the whole family were here – a lot of people.
“I’m going out to try and exercise as much as possible, which is less than it was one year ago, but I have a normal life.
“When you get a message like that, you appreciate every day and you are happy when you wake up in the morning and you feel OK, so that’s what I’m doing.
“I thought I was fully healthy but suddenly I had a small stroke so I fell and my children took me to the hospital.
“After one day of examination they told me I had five small strokes, but said ‘no problem, you will recover 100% from that’, but worse is they said I have cancer which they can’t operate on.
“They said they will give me treatment and medicine to try and live as long as possible. I have that diagnosis and they can’t operate, unfortunately.”
Eriksson initiated his managerial journey with Degerfors in 1977, subsequently moving to Gothenburg, where he secured the Swedish title, two Swedish cups, and the 1981 UEFA Cup.
Following this success, he embarked on two stints with the Portuguese powerhouse Benfica and managed several Italian clubs such as Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and Lazio. His tenure at Lazio resulted in winning seven trophies, including the Serie A title, two Italian Cups, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.