Sven-Goran Eriksson will form part of the management team for a Liverpool club legends’ match against Ajax legends after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Last month, former England manager Eriksson estimated he had “about a year” to live after being diagnosed with cancer and said “he always wished to be the manager of Liverpool”.
Following an interview with Sky News where the 75-year-old said he had always been a Liverpool supporter, calls grew for Eriksson to be named as manager for an upcoming legends’ game.
Liverpool said: “We are delighted to confirm Sven-Goran Eriksson will be part of the LFC Legends management team for the game against Ajax Legends at Anfield, on 23 March.
“The former England boss will join a dugout of LFC greats, including Ian Rush, John Barnes and John Aldridge, for the annual LFC Foundation charity match.
“All connected with the club and LFC Foundation look forward to warmly welcoming LFC fan Sven and his family to Anfield – and seeing him in the dugout on the day – for a fantastic fundraising occasion.”
A Liverpool Legends XI face their Ajax counterparts at Anfield on March 23, during the men’s international break, in a charity match. Robbie Fowler, who has played for Liverpool in several similar matches before, previously said the call had “gone in” regarding Eriksson managing the side.
“My father is still alive and is still a Liverpool supporter, and I’m a Liverpool supporter as well, I’ve always been,” Eriksson told Sky News in January.
“So I always wished to be the manager of Liverpool, and that will not happen for sure, but I’m still a Liverpool fan.”
Asked about the possibility of managing the Liverpool Legends, Eriksson said on ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I would accept of course, that’s been my dream.
“There would be a lot of good football players, That’s always been my dream but I’m not complaining. I had a lot of good football teams, national teams and the clubs so I’m happy anyhow.”
When Liverpool announced the Ajax game in November, it had been confirmed that Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush would again lead their team.
Liverpool’s previous legends’ games against Manchester United and Celtic have raised £1.45million ($1.84m) for the LFC Foundation.
Eriksson managed the England men’s team from 2001 to 2006, reaching the quarter-finals at three major tournaments. Before taking that job, Eriksson had managerial jobs across Europe in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, including at Roma, Lazio and Sampdoria, as well as two stints at Benfica.
The Swede was appointed Manchester City manager in the summer of 2007 but lasted only one season into a three-year contract before being sacked, having guided the club to a ninth-placed Premier League finish and UEFA Cup qualification.
Following spells with the Mexico and Ivory Coast national teams, as well as Leicester City, Eriksson spent four years managing Chinese clubs between 2013 and 2017, before ending his final role with the Philippines from 2018 to 2019.
(Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)
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