Former England football manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, is confronting a dire health challenge as he reveals his terminal cancer diagnosis, with the 75-year-old stating he has, at most, a year left to live.

The news comes after Eriksson, who served as England’s first foreign manager from 2001 to 2006, stepped down from his role as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad due to health issues nearly a year ago. The shocking revelation was made during an interview with Swedish radio station P1, where Eriksson disclosed that the diagnosis followed his collapse during a 5k run, despite being in good health prior to the incident.

Known for leading England to memorable victories, including the famous 5-1 triumph over Germany in Munich in 2001 and three consecutive quarter-final berths in major tournaments, Eriksson remains optimistic about the challenging road ahead.

Acknowledging the severity of his condition, Eriksson stated, “Everyone can see that I have a disease that’s not good, and everyone supposes that it’s cancer, and it is. But I have to fight it as long as possible.”

Expressing a mixture of acceptance and determination, he added, “I know that in the best case it’s about a year, in the worst case even less. Or in the best case, I suppose even longer. I don’t think the doctors I have can be totally sure, they can’t put a day on it.”

Despite the grim prognosis, Eriksson emphasises the importance of maintaining a positive outlook, saying, “It’s better not to think about it. You have to trick your brain. I could go around thinking about that all the time and sit at home and be miserable and think I’m unlucky and so on. It’s easy to end up in that position. But no, see the positive sides of things and don’t bury yourself in setbacks because this is the biggest setback of them all, of course.”

Eriksson’s illustrious managerial career spanned over four decades, featuring successful stints with clubs like Benfica, Lazio, Roma, and Manchester City. His impactful tenure with the England national team included navigating through major tournaments, albeit marred by penalty shoot-out defeats, notably at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.

Following his time with England, Eriksson took on various roles, managing clubs like Manchester City and Leicester City, as well as handling international teams such as Mexico and Ivory Coast. His most recent managerial position was with the Philippines in 2019.

As Eriksson faces this challenging chapter, the football community and fans around the world rally in support, celebrating the achievements of a manager whose legacy extends far beyond the pitch.