Former England manager Eriksson dies aged 76

The former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died at the age of 76.
A statement on his official website confirmed he had died on Monday morning surrounded by his family.
The Swede, who said in January that he had “at best” a year to live after being diagnosed with cancer, was the first foreign manager of the English national side, taking charge of 67 matches from 2001 to 2006.
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He led England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments in a row, including the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
He was appointed after a successful career in club management, notably in Italy, where he won a Serie A and cup double, as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup, with Lazio.
He also had spells in charge of Manchester City and Leicester City among stints in several other countries in a lengthy career.
Speaking at the end of the Amazon Prime Video documentary Sven, he said: “I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well.
“You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully at the end people will say, ‘Yeah, he was a good man’, but everyone will not say that.
“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do.
“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it. Bye.”
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The Prince of Wales, who is also Patron of the FA, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson. I met him several times as England manager and was always struck by his charisma and passion for the game. My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman of the game.”
Sir Keir Starmer posted: “Deeply saddened to hear that Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away. He will be remembered for his tremendous contribution to English football which brought joy to so many over the years. Our thoughts are with his family.”
David Beckham, the England captain throughout Eriksson’s time as manager, posted a video on Instagram of the pair’s last meeting with the caption: “We laughed, we cried & we knew we were saying goodbye.
“Sven thank you for always being the person you have always been: passionate, caring, calm & 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.’”
Wayne Rooney, who made his England debut under Eriksson as a 17-year-old, posted: “Rest in peace, Sven. A special man. Thanks for the memories and all your help and advice.”
Peter Crouch, who also made his international bow under Eriksson, posted: “Really sad news. What a great person he was. Sven gave me my England debut when plenty doubted it. I will forever be grateful to him.”
Mark Bullingham, the chief executive of the FA, said: “This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories. No one can ever forget the 5-1 victory in Munich against Germany under Sven’s guidance.
“Sven will be rightly recognised and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his wider contribution to the game.
“On behalf of my colleagues at The FA, past and present, our thoughts are with his friends and family today. He will be much missed, and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.”
Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s passing.“As a coach, Sven-Goran was both a great innovator and a true ambassador of our beautiful game, winning domestic competitions in three different European countries together with two successes at continental level with IFK Göteborg and S.S. Lazio. A global influence, his career also included coaching national teams from four different continents with time spent in charge of England, Mexico, Côte d’Ivoire and the Philippines.“As a football person, he always led with enthusiasm and with a smile. On behalf of Fifa and our global community, I send my condolences to Sven-Goran’s family and friends at this difficult time. RIP.”