Sven-Goran Eriksson was as famous for his complicated love life as he was for coaching the best soccer team in the world.
The Swedish former England manager, who tragically died aged 76 after being diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer, said he had “at most a year left” to live by early 2024. He shared the devastating diagnosis with his fans, confirming it after he collapsed while jogging last year.
Shortly before his death, he made a new documentary about the ups and downs of his extraordinary life, which aired on Prime Video last week. In the film, he recorded an emotional “final farewell”, but chose to do it alone in a room without a cameraman, leaving the film crew in tears. ‘It was so important to him that he didn’t want to be just a crybaby. I’m dying. He wanted people to enjoy the fun of life too.'” During his time as manager of the ‘Golden Generation’, it was clear that Sven enjoyed his free time away from the pitch, and his romances often made headlines. His high-profile relationship with attractive lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio often attracted attention, as did his relationships with TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson and FA director general Faria Aram.
In the documentary, Sven said frankly: “She wasn’t married. I wasn’t married. Maybe I was stupid, but I don’t think I did anything criminal. I didn’t really bother anybody. “
The former coach’s love life has often taken centre stage, alongside his outstanding career as a club manager, which saw him win 18 trophies, including Manchester City, Roma and England, among his training grounds. Before Sven rose to fame in the sporting world, he married Anne-Christine Pettersson in July 1977, and they have two children. They filed for divorce in 1994.
Four years later, his trainer introduced him to 62-year-old Italian lawyer Nancy DeOlio, and the pair began dating. However, things changed when he moved to London three years later for a job in the UK and began his infamous affair with model and TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson in early 2002.
Nancy initially denied the rumours, insisting that the couple were more “united” than ever. “We’ve talked a lot in the last few days and a lot of nonsense has been written. Sven will talk and deny everything,” she said, adding, “It’s all just a PR attempt on her part.”
The two women had a public spat, to which Ulrika responded: “Sven is behaving like a lying scoundrel. He promised me he was over with Nancy but now he goes to dinner with her and doesn’t even call me.”
Ulrika’s nanny even claimed to have seen the pair in bed together, with Sven finally confessing in his 2013 memoir, “I didn’t know anything romantic had happened until we met at an event in Manchester. I was there with some people from the FA and for some reason Ulrika got invited too. We met in a hotel the night before and ended up spending the night together.
“Ulrika told me she was writing a book about her life. “Don’t worry, Sven,” she said. “You won’t be there.” After that, Ulrika and I met up whenever we could. Not every day, but every once in a while. Things were getting more and more serious. Nancy had no idea. She was traveling a lot in Italy at the time.”
He added that they planned to meet at Ulrika’s house, and that he “didn’t feel like he had to apologize for anything.” The affair lasted four months.
As for Nancy, she briefly broke up with Sven before taking him back again. In the Prime documentary, Nancy sheds light on her side of the affair and details why she stuck with Sven in the first place. Nancy explained: “We were Sven and Nancy since our first date. I am the First Lady of English Football and there will never be another after me.
“After Sven’s first scandal I wanted to break up with him. I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I might have made a mistake. That I had left him all to himself. The lawyers said I should give him another chance but think what you could get out of it.”
Just two years later he found himself caught in another love triangle, this time with the Football Association’s secretary. Faria Allam, 57, was also having an affair, in true soap opera style, with the Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Palios. One of the Swede’s other mistresses was billionaire Marisa Couch, who had a four-year relationship with the former Manchester City head coach.
She ended the relationship when she found out she was one of five other women in his harem. “I was with Sven for four years but he broke my heart. He told me he loved me and promised us to be together as a couple. In reality he was hiding secrets from me so he could woo other women,”
Eriksson also revealed in his 2013 autobiography that once he slept with a married woman on her couch when her husband came home and caught her. This revelation was eventually removed from the final version, but the note did not reach the Norwegian publisher, who published the uncut version.
“She hadn’t said anything about having a husband, and then all of a sudden the door opened and a big man came in and said, ‘Who the hell are you?’ I said, ‘You’d better go,’ and he replied, ‘I guess that’s for the best.'”
He finally split from Dell`Olio in August 2007. Eriksson later admitted he wasn’t ready for the public criticism of his relationship. “I thought I was ready for England, but I wasn’t ready for anything outside football, for my personal life.
“I’m probably not very proud of three of my fans, my ex-girlfriend,” he told the History Channel. “I don’t think it affected my football performances negatively, but it did damage my image outside football, yes.” My personal life in England was not very private.
“When the affair with the Swedish woman (Jonsson) came out in 2002, I asked myself what to say to the players. It had nothing to do with football, but I was their manager and we went to the World Cup. I said to them, ‘Sorry’, but one of the players stood up and said, ‘Welcome to England, boss’. And that was it.” It felt good. It’s over. ‘
Sven finally found true love in his devoted partner Yanises Alcides, who had previously worked as a dancer in Panama. The football manager spent the last few years of his life in love with Yanises, with whom he lived together.
‘s spacious property The star said of their shared home in the documentary: ‘I feel at home under the mountains, where my father grew up.’ The couple, who met when Sven was coaching the Mexican national team, have been together for over 15 years.
In his autobiography, Sven describes how a drink with a friend in Mexico City changed his life. “She told me her name was Yanises and that she worked as a dancer in a nearby restaurant and nightclub.
“She invited me to come and watch her dance,” Sven continued. “The next day I called Yanises and invited her to dinner at my apartment. Pablo (the housekeeper) made the food. Yanises was impressed.”
His family confirmed his sad death on Monday, saying: “Sven-Göran Eriksson has passed away. “After a long illness, the SGE player passed away this morning at home surrounded by his family,” the former England manager explained in the documentary before his death. “You have to pay for it.”
