Sports

Sven-Goran Eriksson obituary: Calm, dignified, positive, but never a pushover

Published

2 years ago

August 27, 2024

Sven-Goran Eriksson obituary: Calm, dignified, positive, but never a pushover

It was before a Manchester City press conference when a worried club official came into the room to warn everyone that — and it’s a story that feels relevant now — Sven-Goran Eriksson was as angry as he had ever seen.

Eriksson had taken the City job in 2007, the era in east Manchester before the money started to pour in, as his first appointment in football since ending his time as manager of England’s national team.

But the tabloid press had developed an obsession with his private life and there was a certain amount of intrigue that, throughout his 11 months in Manchester, he preferred to occupy the presidential suite of the Radisson hotel rather than taking the more conventional route of buying or renting a house.

A photographer had worked out he could point his lens directly into the hotel bar from the street below and a series of front-page photographs had been published showing Eriksson dancing with a younger woman who was not his partner. He appeared to be holding her tight. In the last photo, it seemed his hand had moved down her lower back. Who was this mystery brunette? Was Sven up to his old tricks again?

Well, it turned out to be his daughter and perhaps that says a lot about the scruples of some red-top newspapers that had made it their business to spy on his life.

Sven, we were warned, wanted to address it. He was on the warpath, apparently. And “we”, in this case, refers to the Manchester football writers, long accustomed to having our eyebrows singed by the ferocious tongue-lashings from Sir Alex Ferguson that became known as the ‘hairdryer’ treatment.

What we had never witnessed was the Eriksson version and, let’s face it, he had every right to be steaming mad. He didn’t look too angry when he walked in, though. “Today,” he said, “not good.”

And, blimey, that was it. He was smiling, holding out his hand to welcome all of us, one by one. No shouting, no threats. It was typical Sven: killing everyone with kindness.

Why tell this story now? Well, perhaps it tells us a lot about how the man saw life and why the news of his death, aged 76, has brought so many tributes from people who spent time in his company and have their own stories about that lovely, calm manner.

Eriksson oversees England training (Gareth Copley – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

Don’t be mistaken: he was never a pushover, as Ferguson himself could testify from that fractious phone call when Eriksson informed him that, yes, he did intend to take Wayne Rooney to the 2006 World Cup, completely against the wishes of United’s manager with the player recovering from a broken metatarsal.

In future years, Eriksson would chuckle at the memory of Ferguson’s X-rated response and how, in the worst moments, the Swede had to hold his phone away from his ear. But Eriksson held his ground. He refused to be beaten down and, in the end, got his way.

More on Sir Alex Ferguson…

No manager with Eriksson’s record of achievement, including 18 trophies with clubs in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, could have worked in football for as long as he did without a steely edge. He just hid it better than others, perhaps.

His first managerial appointment came in 1977 with Degerfors of Sweden. The last was in 2019 with the Philippines national team. In between, he had five years in charge of England, one season with Manchester City, a year at Leicester City and seven months as Notts County’s director of football, leaving all these jobs in circumstances that would not ordinarily qualify someone as a national (overseas) treasure.

And yet, it has felt that way for some time, particularly since he opened up about his pancreatic cancer and accepted that he was not going to win his fight with this brutal, indiscriminate disease.

Eriksson’s response to the news went beyond the bubble of sport. It was a reminder that as important as football is, he understood life’s priorities. He was always comfortable in his own skin, but not everyone feels able to talk so publicly and radiate such optimism when they are staring death in the eye. Not everyone wants to advertise the fact they are in their last few months and weeks.

He never saw it that way, of course. He wanted to say goodbye. And, Sven being Sven, he wanted to say thank you, too. At a time when the internet, football and social media can be a fairly dreadful mix, he seemed intent on bringing something different into the homes of complete strangers. His messages had warmth and kindness at the heart of everything.

It was reciprocated, too.

If Eriksson had a bucket list, managing Liverpool was on it. He loved it when the club he supported as a boy invited him to manage Liverpool in a charity legends match against Ajax in March. It was, he said, “absolutely beautiful” to take his seat in the Anfield dugout.

These were just some of the moments recently when it has felt like a trick of the mind that, in another era, his presence in English football was seen as an affront by many people.

Eriksson fulfils his ambition of managing Liverpool at Anfield (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

John Barnwell, of the League Managers Association, described it as “an insult” to his members when the Football Association confirmed in 2001 that it had invited a non-Englishman to fill the vacancy left by Kevin Keegan’s departure. Gordon Taylor, of the Professional Footballers’ Association, accused the FA of “betraying their heritage”. An infamous column in the Daily Mail frothed that English football had decided to “sell our birthright down the fjord to a nation of seven million skiers and hammer throwers who spend half their year living in darkness”.

The speed with which these opinions changed once England started winning under their new manager was quite something to behold. Not that the man in question ever seemed too fazed, anyway.

“Sweden had an English coach (George Raynor) in 1958 when they reached the World Cup final,” said Eriksson. “Why, then, shouldn’t a Swede take England? I read the book The Second Most Important Job In The Country, which is all about the England managers from 1949 through to Kevin Keegan. It showed that all of them were declared idiots at some time, even Sir Alf Ramsey (the 1966 World Cup-winning manager), so I knew what to expect.”

At times, he did not help himself, not least when having attended a meeting with what he believed to be a wealthy businessman months before the 2006 World Cup, he was recorded admitting he would be willing to leave the England role to manage Aston Villa. The ‘Fake Sheikh’ turned out to be an undercover reporter from the News of the World.

It pained him that he could not deliver anything of real substance with the so-called ‘Golden Generation‘, featuring Michael Owen, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and various other A-listers from the time.

The ‘Golden Generation’ fell short under Eriksson’s stewardship (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Yes, the 5-1 victory in Germany in 2001 is up there with England’s finest results, but Eriksson, behind the polite smile and owlish spectacles, burned with competitive desire. He desperately wanted more, especially when Hurricane Rooney appeared on the scene and started blowing opponents out of the way. It was Eriksson, you may recall, who compared him to Pele.

In the end, though, Eriksson never wanted to be defined purely as a football manager. He led a nomadic life, including roles in China, Thailand and Dubai and national team jobs with Mexico and Ivory Coast.

Even when the cancer took hold, he was determined to see more of the world, explore new places and expand his knowledge.

Eriksson takes the applause of fans at another of his former clubs, Lazio, in May (Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

His home was in Sunne, Sweden, and it was there where he recorded the goodbye message that went out last week. “I had a good life. We are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well,” he said.

To watch it back now is to be reminded of one of his truest gifts: his exceptional calm in the most difficult circumstances. His dignity, his positivity. You could be forgiven for thinking he had put it out too early. But he had it all planned. He is smiling, right at the end.

“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do,” he said. “Don’t be sorry. Smile. Thank you for everything — coaches, players, crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”

(Top photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images)

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Sports

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum questions Trump’s college sports reform meeting as potential ‘circus’

Published

6 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum questions Trump’s college sports reform meeting as potential ‘circus’

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President Donald Trump will host a White House roundtable regarding college athletics reform later this week.

The panel is expected to include prominent coaches, college sports and pro sports league commissioners, and other professional athletes, according to OutKick.

The group will meet March 6 to examine solutions to key challenges, including NCAA authority; name, image and likeness issues (NIL); collective bargaining; and governance concerns.

President Donald Trump holds a football presented to him during a ceremony to present the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the US Naval Academy football team, the Navy Midshipmen, in the East Room of the White House on April 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

The meeting Friday will include big names like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Adam Silver and Tiger Woods. Trump has been adamant about “saving college sports,” even signing an executive order setting new restrictions on payments to college athletes back in July.

However, ESPN college analyst Paul Finebaum, who has previously hinted at a congressional run as a Republican, remains a bit skeptical.

“The easiest thing, guys, is just to say this is ridiculous,” Finebaum said to Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic on WJOX. “And I read the other day, ‘Why is Nick Saban going?’ Why is anybody going? The bottom line is this. If something doesn’t happen very quickly, and I mean in the next short period of time, we’re talking about weeks, not years, then this thing could blow up.

“However it came about, I’m in favor of. The question now becomes, with some of the most powerful people in Washington in the same room, including the most powerful person in the country, can anything get done, or will it be a circus? Will it be just another show?”

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban as Trump takes the stage to address graduating students at Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 01, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Trump’s order prohibits athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources. However, the order did not impose any restrictions on NIL payments to college athletes by third-party sources.

A House vote on the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements), which would regulate name, image, and likeness deals, was canceled shortly before it was set to be brought to the floor in December.

The White House endorsed the act, but three Republicans, Byron Donalds, Fla., Scott Perry, Pa., and Chip Roy, Texas, voted with Democrats not to bring the act to the floor. Democrats have largely opposed the bill, urging members of the House to vote “no.”

President Donald Trump looks on before the college football game between the US Army and Navy at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, on Dec. 13, 2025. (Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

The SCORE Act would give the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption in hopes of protecting the NCAA from potential lawsuits over eligibility rules and would prohibit athletes from becoming employees of their schools. It prohibits schools from using student fees to fund NIL payments.

Fox News’ Chantz Martin and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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Sports

Lakers hope comeback win over Pelicans gives the team a timely boost

Published

48 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Lakers hope comeback win over Pelicans gives the team a timely boost

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Lakers center Jaxson Hayes falls after Pelicans forward Zion Williamson commits an offensive foul as Lakers guard Austin Reaves watches at at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Matching the physicality of Pelicans forwards Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey was on the top of the Lakers’ scouting report. But the task is easier said than done.

Reaves admitted to being “terrified” of stepping in front of a driving Williamson to draw a charge. The 6-foot-6, 284-pound Pelicans forward is just as physical as he is athletic, creating a fearsome combination for defenders. Healthy for the first time in two seasons, Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting.

“We haven’t seen somebody like that in a long time, right?” Smart said. “[With] his ability. But [being] willing to put your body there, take a charge, take an elbow to the face, box him out, go vertical, is definitely something that you got to be willing to do, and not everybody’s willing to do it. And that’s the difference in the game.”

Center Jaxson Hayes was up to the task. He absorbed a Williamson elbow in the fourth quarter and ended up in the front row of the stands holding his jaw. But the knock was worth it for the offensive foul that helped maintain the Lakers’ 14-0 run that quickly erased the Pelicans’ eight-point lead. The scoring streak started immediately after Hayes subbed back into the game with 7:20 remaining after he scored on his first possession, cutting to the basket for a dunk off an assist from Doncic.

Hayes had eight points, six rebounds and two blocks, playing nearly 23 minutes off the bench in his biggest workload as a substitute since Jan. 20 against Denver. After playing with Hayes in New Orleans during the center’s first two years in the league, Redick lauded the seven-year pro’s improvement. Hayes is sinking touch shots around the rim now. He has improved his decision making in the pocket. After getting benched for his defensive lapses last season, Hayes has impressed coaches with his consistent ability to stay vertical while protecting the rim. And he still brings the same trademark athleticism that made him the eighth overall pick in 2019.

“He consistently injects energy into the group when he runs the floor, blocks a shot, or he gets those dunks,” Redick said.

Sports

Eileen Gu reflects on decision to leave Team USA for China: ‘A lot of people just don’t understand’

Published

12 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Eileen Gu reflects on decision to leave Team USA for China: ‘A lot of people just don’t understand’

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Eileen Gu released a statement on social media Monday, reflecting on her controversial decision to compete for Team China despite being born and raised in the U.S.

Gu’s statement tied the decision back to her passion for promoting women’s sports, and encouraging young girls to pursue sports.

“I gave my first speech on women in sports and title IX when I was 11 years old. I talked about being the only girl on my ski team, and, despite attending an all-girls’ school from Monday through Friday, becoming best friends with my teammates on the weekends through the common language of sport,” Gu wrote on Instagram.

Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos after the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo by Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images) (Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“At the same time, I was made painfully aware of the lack of representation – at age 9, I felt that I was somehow representing all women every time I stepped in the terrain park. Landing tricks was about more than progression … it was about disproving the derisive implication of what it meant to ‘ski like a girl.’”

Gu went on to express gratitude for the one season in which she did compete for the U.S.

“When I was 15, I announced my decision to compete for China. At the time, I had spent one season on the US team, and had been lucky enough to meet my heroes in person. I am forever grateful for that season, and continue to maintain a close relationship with the team. I had spent every summer in China since I was 8 setting up summer camps on trampoline and dry slope for kids and adults, ranging from 7 to 47 years old, so I knew the industry was tiny. I felt like I knew everyone,” she added.

“Skiing for Team China meant the opportunity to uplift others through the universal culture of sport, and to introduce freeskiing to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of it, especially with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics around the corner.”

Gu’s statement concluded by acknowledging that certain people “don’t understand” her decision to compete for China over the U.S., while insisting the choice maximized the impact she would have.

“I can look back now, at 22, and tell 12 year old Eileen that there are now terrain parks full of little girls, who will never doubt their place in the sport. I can tell 15 year old me that there are now millions of girls who have started skiing since then, in China and worldwide,” Gu wrote.

“A lot of people won’t understand or believe that I made a decision to create the greatest amount of positive impact on the world stage that I could, at this age, given my interests and passions. Three golds and six medals later, I can confidently say was once a dream is now a reality.”

Gu has become a target for global criticism this Olympics for her decision to represent China while remaining silent on the country’s alleged human rights abuses.

In an interview with Time magazine, Gu was asked her thoughts on China’s alleged persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

“I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media,” Gu answered.

“I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general. … So, it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, well, this must be the truth.’ I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary source people who are in a location and have experienced life there.

“Then I need to go see images. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books on how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search. It’s irresponsible to ask me to be the mouthpiece for any agenda.”

More controversy surrounding Gu erupted after The Wall Street Journal reported that Gu and another American-born athlete who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025.

Gu is the highest-paid Winter Olympics athlete in the world, making an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone due to partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China and western companies.

Her alignment with China prompted criticism from many Americans this Olympics, including Vice President J.D. Vance.

“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”

Later, when Gu was asked if she feels “like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics at the moment,” she said she does.

“I do,” she said. “So many athletes compete for a different country. … People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So, it’s not really about what they think it’s about.

“And, also, because I win. Like, if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Gu has claimed she was “physically assaulted” for the decision.

“The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed,” Gu told The Athletic.

“I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.