The passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swedish football manager who served as England’s coach from 2001 to 2006, was announced on Monday. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 76, as confirmed by his agent.

“He passed away peacefully this morning with his family around him at his home,” Eriksson’s agent Bo Gustavsson told AFP.

The Swedish football manager, who led several prominent teams and guided England to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and 2006, disclosed in February 2023 that he was withdrawing from public life due to health-related concerns.

In January, he shared with public broadcaster Sveriges Radio that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that his physician’s prognosis indicated a limited life expectancy, potentially less than a year.

“We have known about this but it happened very quickly. We were not prepared for it to happen today,” Gustavsson told AFP.

Eriksson, known as "Svennis" in Sweden, was born on February 5, 1948, in Sunne, western Sweden. After a modest playing career as a defender, he transitioned to a successful career as a football manager.

He began his managerial journey in 1977 with Degerfors IF, a Swedish club, where he achieved notable success in the lower divisions, catching the eye of larger clubs.

Subsequently, he managed IFK Goteborg in Sweden before expanding his career internationally, taking the helm at Benfica in Portugal and several Italian clubs, including Roma and Lazio.

His most prominent role came when he became the first foreign manager of England's national team.

Under his leadership, England reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, where they were eliminated by Brazil.

Four years later, they again reached the last eight, only to be defeated by Portugal in a penalty shoot-out, a match notable for Wayne Rooney's red card following an incident with Cristiano Ronaldo, his then Manchester United teammate.

Eriksson also guided England to the quarter-finals of the 2004 European Championship, where they faced another penalty shoot-out loss to Portugal.

After five years in charge, he departed from the England position in 2006. His tenure included a memorable 5-1 victory over Germany in a World Cup qualifier, but it was also marked by personal controversies.

Following his time with England, Eriksson managed teams in Mexico, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines, but he never took on the role of manager for Sweden's national team.