Sven-Göran Eriksson, former England and Lazio manager, has died at the age of 76.
In this tribute episode, Mehreen and Simon discuss the colourful life and career of the small-town Swede who shook up English football as the country's first foreign national team coach and electrified the British tabloids at the height of media intrusion into the private lives of celebrities.
Mehreen and Simon are joined by Olof Lundh, Swedish sports journalist, on how Sven's career went from managing part-time players with Gothenburg in the '80 and ended in ignominy after an elaborate fraud involving the ghost owners of Notts County and a trip to North Korea. He was a perennial nearly-ran with England's "golden generation" of footballers, was duped by a "fake sheikh", and led a financially-doped Lazio in their greatest years, winning seven trophies in three years.
This is the story of Sweden's greatest ever coach and a remarkable footballing life. RIP Sven.
Timestamps:
00:20 Introduction
07:44: Humble beginnings and discovering football
13:25: Breakthrough with Gothenburg
15:51: Moves around Europe
17:50: The first foreign England manager
25:20: A calm demeanour in the hysterical noughties media
31:37: An English culture clash
34:08: Love affairs and the News International phone hacking scandal
38:19: Flirting with other jobs and the ‘fake sheikh’
45:31: Simon’s take on interviewing Sven
49:35: Penalties misery and protection of players
52:58: The end of England
55:16: The Scam move to Notts County
57:43: Naivete and a move away from European football
1:02:05: Sven reveals he has cancer
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