Prince William, David Beckham pay tribute to UK footy legend Sven-Göran Eriksson
Prince William has shared an emotional tribute following the death of Sven-Göran Eriksson, England’s top soccer boss.
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Prince William has paid a touching tribute to Sven-Göran Eriksson after the former England manager died at the age of 76.
The Prince of Wales, 42, took to social media to express his condolences.
He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Göran 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.”
Sad to hear about the passing of Sven-Göran 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 Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) August 26, 2024
Prince William is currently president of the Football Association and was seen excitedly sharing his enthusiasm for the sport with Prince George at the Euro 2024 final last month.
Eriksson passed away at the age of 76, eight months after revealing he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Tributes have flooded in from all over the world for the Swede, who managed England’s ‘Golden Generation’ between 2001 and 2006.
Soccer great David Beckham has also shared a heartbreaking tribute video. A caption read: “We laughed, we cried & we knew we were saying goodbye …
“Sven thank you for always being the person you have always been, passionate, caring, calm & a true gentleman …
“I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family …
“Thank you Sven and in your last words to me, ‘It will be ok’.”
The touching video captured the moment Beckham visited his old boss earlier this year at his farm in Sweden and enjoyed a special meal with lots of wine.
The Sun reports Eriksson said of the visit: “He came with six litres of wine from dates that were important to me.
“He had wine from 1948 - the year I was born, very nice of him. He is genuine, he could have been a big diva, but he is quite the opposite.
“He ate herring and potatoes and elk meat.
“The previous day he had sent a chef who fixed the food, and then he came and was here for a day. We sat chatting, a lot about football.”
Eriksson’s family confirmed the sad news of his passing in a heartbreaking statement which read: “After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Deeply saddened to hear that Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away.
“He will be remembered for his tremendous contribution to English football which brought joy to so many over the years.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action charity posted: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of former England manager and football figure Sven-Goran Eriksson, who bravely shared his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Sven.”
Eriksson was the first foreign manager of the English national side, taking charge of 67 matches from 2001 to 2006.
He led England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments in succession, including the World Cups of 2002 and 2006.
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