2024-08-27 04:55:38
The long-time England international bids farewell to his former coach with moving words and shares a special memory with the public.
The football world is mourning the loss of Sven-Göran Eriksson. The long-time star coach succumbed to his serious cancer on Monday. Eriksson was 76 years old.
There is great sympathy for the Swede’s death. Now world football star David Beckham has also spoken out – and said goodbye to his former coach in a moving post on Instagram (read more reactions here).
The former England international posted a short video of his last meeting with Eriksson. Both walk a few steps together on a paved path between manicured green areas before both turn to the camera.
It is not mentioned when exactly the video was recorded. Beckham wrote: “We laughed, we cried and we knew we were parting ways… Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been.”
Beckham then said: “Passionate, caring, relaxed and a true gentleman.” He was “forever grateful that you made me captain (Beckham was captain of the “Three Lions” during Eriksson’s tenure as England coach from 2001 to 2006, ed.).”
But: “I will never forget the memories of that last day with you and your family. Thank you, Sven, and in the last words you said to me: Everything will be fine.”
The player/coach duo reached the quarter-finals with England at the 2002 World Cup, where they were eliminated by eventual world champions Brazil. They were also eliminated in the round of the last eight at the European Championships two years later (7:8 on penalties against Portugal) and at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 (1:3 on penalties against Portugal).