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Sven-Goran Eriksson has been hailed as a “true gentleman of the game” as the Prince of Wales led tributes to the former England manager, who has died at the age of 76.
Eriksson, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, managed England from 2001 to 2006 and the Swede was the first foreign manager of the English national side.
His death on Monday morning was confirmed by his family after Eriksson revealed in January that he had “at best a year left to live”.
In a tribute posted on Twitter/X, Prince William, who is a patron of the Football Association, said: “Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
“I met him several times as England manager and was always struck by his charisma and passion for the game. My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman of the game. W.”
The head of the FA, Mark Bullingham, said Eriksson will be remembered when England play Finland in a friendly at Wembley next month.
Bullingham said: “This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories. No one can ever forget the 5-1 victory in Munich against Germany under Sven’s guidance.
“Sven will be rightly recognised and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his wider contribution to the game.
“On behalf of my colleagues at The FA, past and present, our thoughts are with his friends and family today. He will be much missed, and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.”
A number of Eriksson’s former clubs, including Manchester City and Benfica, also paid tribute, while Uefa said: “On behalf of the European football community, everybody at Uefa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sven Goran Eriksson.
“A beloved figure in the game, Sven was a Uefa Cup winner as coach of IFK Goteborg in 1982 before leading Lazio to the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999. Rest in peace, Sven.”
A statement from Eriksson’s children, Lina and Johan, said they hoped their father would be remembered as the “the good and positive person he always was both in public and at home with us”.
They said: “Dad told us at the beginning of this year about his serious illness and received an amazing response from friends and football fans around Europe. He was invited to several football teams in England, Italy, Portugal and Sweden.
“They shared their love for football and for dad. It was unforgettable for both him and us. He expressed his appreciation and joy and stated that such beautiful words are usually only uttered when someone has died.
“We have shared his gratitude and got to experience the wonderful meetings between him, football and all his friends. We thank everyone for these positive memories and your support during his illness.”