Eriksson, Sven-Goran (1948- )

Swedish football manager, known for his calm and intelligent football mind. He managed Gothenburg 1979-82, winning the Swedish championship once, before moving to Portugal to manage Benfica 1982-84, and later 1989-92. He has also managed the Italian clubs Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and Lazio. In October 2000, he was appointed as the first-ever foreign manager of the national team in England.

After an undistinguished playing career as a semi-professional, he took charge of the Swedish Third Division club Deghefors in 1976, guiding them into the top division with consecutive promotions. After winning two Portuguese championships with Benfica, in 1984 he became manager of Roma in Italy, taking the team to second place in 1986. Sacked the following year, he moved to Fiorentina, before returning to Portugal in 1989. After three more successful years with Benfica, who never finished lower than second, he returned to Italy to manage Sampdoria for five seasons. In 1997, he switched to Lazio, who finished second in 1999, and won the league title, for the first time in 27 years, in 2000. Within a year of becoming England manager, he had ensured their qualification to the 2002 World Cup where they went out in the quarter-finals to Brazil. He guided England to the 2004 European Championships in Portugal where they lost to the host nation on penalties, again in the quarter-finals.

Eriksson was involved in several tabloid newspaper scandals during his time as England manager, the last of which, in 2006, led to him declaring his intention to quit his post two years early, immediately after the 2006 World Cup in Germany.