Prince William Leads Tributes: Sven-Goran Eriksson, ‘A True Gentleman’

Sven-Goran Eriksson has been celebrated as a “true gentleman of the game” following his passing at the age of 76, with the Prince of Wales leading the tributes to the former England manager.

Eriksson, who had been battling pancreatic cancer since last year, served as the manager of the England national team from 2001 to 2006. He made history as the first foreign manager of the English side.

His death was confirmed by his family on Monday morning. Earlier this year, Eriksson had disclosed that he had “at best a year left to live.”

In a heartfelt tribute on Twitter, Prince William, a patron of the Football Association, expressed his sorrow: “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. W.”

The head of the FA, Mark Bullingham, announced that Eriksson will be honored during England’s friendly match against Finland at Wembley next month.

Bullingham stated, “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 recognized and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his broader 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.”

Several of Eriksson’s former clubs, including Manchester City and Benfica, also paid tribute. Uefa expressed its condolences as well: “On behalf of the European football community, everybody at Uefa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sven Goran Eriksson. A beloved figure in the game, Sven was a Uefa Cup winner as coach of IFK Goteborg in 1982 before leading Lazio to the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999. Rest in peace, Sven.”

In a statement, Eriksson’s children, Lina and Johan, reflected on their father’s legacy and the love he received from the football community: “Dad told us at the beginning of this year about his serious illness and received an amazing response from friends and football fans around Europe. He was invited to several football teams in England, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. They shared their love for football and for dad. It was unforgettable for both him and us. He expressed his appreciation and joy and stated that such beautiful words are usually only uttered when someone has died. We have shared his gratitude and got to experience the wonderful meetings between him, football, and all his friends. We thank everyone for these positive memories and your support during his illness.”