Ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson said Thursday that he had pancreatic cancer and has “maybe a year” to live.
The 75-year-old Swede, who has coached a number of high-profile teams and led England to World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006, said in February last year that he would be withdrawing from public appearances “due to health issues.”
“Everyone understands that I have a bad disease.” Everyone assumes it’s cancer, and it is. But I have to fight for as long as I can,” Eriksson said in an interview with Sveriges Radio.
Eriksson said that his doctor estimated he had “at best maybe a year (to live), at worst a little less” to live.
“You have to trick your brain,” he said.
“I could think about it all the time, mope at home, feel unlucky, and so on.” “I believe it is possible to end up like that,” he told the station.
“Look for the bright side,” he said.
“Do not bury yourself because of adversity.” Of sure, this is the most difficult difficulty, but try to make the most of it.”
Eriksson, who was born on February 5, 1948 in Sunne, western Sweden, and is known as “Svennis” among Swedes, rose to prominence as a football manager after retiring from a mediocre career as a defender.
In 1977, he was appointed manager of the Swedish team Degerfors IF. He drew the attention of larger clubs after guiding the modest club to victory in lower categories.
He went on to coach Sweden’s IFK Goteborg before moving on to international success with Benfica in Portugal and various Italian clubs like Roma and Lazio.
His most visible role was as the first foreigner to coach England’s national team.
Eriksson has subsequently managed Mexico, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines, but never his own country of Sweden.