Former England coach Eriksson says he has cancer and less than a year to live

Swedish soccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said he has cancer and might have less than a year to live.

The former England coach told Swedish Radio P1 he discovered he had cancer after collapsing suddenly. He said in February last year that he was reducing his public appearances because of health issues.

“Everyone understands that I have a disease that is not good, and everyone guesses that it is cancer and it is,” Eriksson said in an interview published yesterday.

Eriksson said he has pancreatic cancer and that it is inoperable.

“At best I have maybe a year, at worst maybe a little less,” he said.

The 75-year-old said he is trying to think positively.

“I could go and think about it all the time and sit at home and be grumpy and think I’m unlucky and so on,” he said. “I think that is easily done, that you end up there.

“No, look at things positively and don’t wallow in adversity. Because this is, of course, the biggest setback.”

Eriksson was England’s first ever foreign-born coach from 2001-06 after making his name winning league titles at club level with Lazio in Italy, Benfica, and IFK Gothenburg in his native Sweden.