Sven-Goran Eriksson is relishing the opportunity to manage Liverpool in a legends match following his terminal cancer diagnosis.
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Eriksson receives terminal diagnosis Set to manage Liverpool Legends vs Ajax LegendsOpens up on dreamWHAT HAPPENED?
The 76-year-old former England boss described the opportunity of managing Liverpool Legends against Ajax Legends at Anfield on Saturday as a 'dream' come true. Eriksson has been given just a year to live after receiving a terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis earlier in the year. The problem was first discovered when he collapsed on a run in 2023. After being checked by doctors, they discovered he had not only suffered a stroke but also had cancer.
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The game between the two sides – which will feature familiar names such as Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jari Litmanen – will raise funds for the LFC Foundation. A sell-out crowd of 59,655, which will include all of Eriksson's family, will be in attendance to watch the fixture. Liverpool fan Eriksson now gets his chance to fulfil a lifelong ambition of taking charge of the club.
WHAT ERIKSSON SAID
“It is like a dream,” Eriksson said, as quoted by . “I could never have dreamt about that but when I was a manager I always dreamt about Liverpool.
"It was close once, there were some discussions, many years ago. It never happened, but now it happens. When they asked me I thought it was a joke.”
Talking about the atmosphere at Anfield, he added: "You’ll Never Walk Alone is magic. It (Anfield) must be the best atmosphere in the world. Part of it is the song when the players come out. It makes me like this (points to goosebumps on arm) even today and I’ve seen it live so many times on the television. The atmosphere is incredible.”
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ERIKSSON?
The game will be the last of Eriksson's managerial career, which spans all the way back to 1977, when he first took charge of Swedish side Degefors IF.
“Of course you miss it (managing), but I realised that I am of a certain age and at my age you should not be managing," he said. "It’s ok, what I have done, I have done. Now it’s over, almost – this will be the last game I suppose, so that’s great.”