The football world was hit by very sad news on Monday morning, with the announcement that former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died at the age of 76.
Eriksson had fought a public battle with pancreatic cancer since announcing his diagnosis earlier this year. When announcing his illness, Eriksson said he had only around a year to live.
The Swedish coach won league titles in Portugal and Italy with Benfica and Lazio. He also led IFK Goteborg to the UEFA Cup in 1982, Lazio to the Cup Winners' Cup in 1999, and managed England and Manchester City during a decorated career.
He died at home with his family by his side.
Though Eriksson commanded great respect for his immense achievements, it was his bright character which endeared him to football fans the world over.
After his death, one story from former German footballer Didi Hamann perhaps best sums up the wonderful personality which made Eriksson so widely beloved.
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Beautiful Didi Hamann story sums up Sven-Goran Eriksson
Sven-Goran Eriksson's time in charge of Manchester City in the late-2000s was not the most successful of his managerial career.
Coming just before the Abu Dhabi Group's lucrative takeover in 2008, Eriksson spent two seasons in charge of City.
One of the players under his stewardship at that time was German Didi Hamann, a Champions League winner with Liverpool in 2005.
The pair had an encounter on their 2008 post-season tour to Thailand which beautifully summed up the attitude Eriksson took to life, no matter the circumstances.
In his autobiography, 'The Didi Man', RTÉ pundit Hamann wrote:
One morning I was on a sun lounger by the pool when I saw Sven walking towards me carrying a silver tray with a bottle of champagne and two glasses on it.
It was still only ten o'clock in the morning...Sven came over and put the champagne on the table next to me, then placed one glass in front of me and the other by his lounger.
I looked up and said, 'Boss, what are we celebrating?'
He looked to me and smiled that gentle smile of his and took on the air of a Buddhist philosohper as he said, 'Life, Kaiser.'
Then, after pausing for dramatic effect, 'We are celebrating...life.'
It's a wonderful, humorous story that perfectly captures the down-to-earth nature of one of modern football's great coaches.
The sentiments were echoed once again by Eriksson in his final public statement, released just last week.
Eriksson made a farewell statement to football fans the world over, thanking them for a "fantastic" life and career before giving the watching world some moving advice.
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.
It's a beautiful, poignant statement that brings a tear to the eye especially after Sven-Goran Eriksson's sad passing.
May he rest in peace.
