Sven-Goran Eriksson is one of the most decorated manages in European football. With over 30 years of experience at fourteen different clubs and countries, he has amassed 17 major trophies across the continent and was the first person to win the league-and-cup double in three different countries.
As early as the 1980’s he was winning trophies. Guiding IFK Goteborg to the Swedish Cup in his first full season and completing a league, cup and UEFA Cup treble in 1982. He continued his success at Benfica, winning two titles and the Portuguese Cup in two seasons and during four years at Lazio he won Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup twice, the Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and Serie A, only Lazio’s second Scudetto.
He has managed at some of the biggest clubs and his reign as England manager was consistent and competitive, a vast improvement on the current set up. But in recent years the cool, calm and collected Swede looks to have become complacent and laissez-faire to the game.
Since June 2008 he has been with four clubs as manager or director of football and has been relatively unsuccessful. And after being sacked by moneybags Leicester City following an unimpressive start for the promotion favourites, Sven’s passion for the game must come into question.
The start of this decline in interest can be pinpointed to Spring 2008 when former City owner Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed he would be getting rid of Eriksson after just one season at the club due to some poor results. Despite protests from the fans and the prospect of a strike, the former Thai PM could not be dissuaded and following an 8-1 humiliation by Middlesbrough, the Swede departed the club, even though he had beaten Manchester United twice that season and guided City to their biggest Premier League points total at that time.
With that decision, he seemed to lose all interest in the game and from then appeared to give up on the tradition of trophy chasing in football. After that apparent lack of respect from City chiefs, Sven has seemingly been on a mission to create a footballing legacy, taking on projects rather than management jobs.
His first port of call was the Mexico national team, who he hoped to turn into a North American superpower, where he battled rumours of division within the squad and the wrath of the fans who were upset by his appointment. In seven competitive matches he won only once, with a draw against Canada being followed by losses to Jamaica, USA and Honduras on two occasions which ultimately cost him his job after less than a year.