The 76-year-old former England coach described the opportunity to coach the legendary Liverpool FC team against the legendary Ajax Amsterdam team at Anfield on Saturday as a “dream come true”.
According to doctors, Eriksson only has a maximum of a year to live after he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer earlier this year. The disease was discovered when he collapsed on a walk last year. After the doctors examined him, they discovered that he had not only suffered a stroke, but also had cancer.
The game between the two teams, which will feature well-known names such as Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jari Litmanen, is intended to raise funds for the LFC Foundation. The game will be played in front of 59,655 spectators and is therefore sold out. Eriksson’s entire family will also be there. Liverpool fan Eriksson now has the chance to fulfill his lifelong dream and temporarily take over the club.
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Eriksson: “It’s like a dream”
“It’s like a dream,” Eriksson is quoted by The Athletic: “When I was coach, I always dreamed of Liverpool.”
“It was close once, there were some conversations, many years ago. It never happened unfortunately, but now it’s happening. When they asked me, I thought it was a joke,” said Eriksson.
Speaking about the atmosphere at Anfield, he said: “You’ll Never Walk Alone is magical. Anfield has the best atmosphere in the world. Part of it is the song when the players come out. It still gives me goosebumps today and I have I’ve seen it live on TV so many times. The atmosphere is incredible.”
The game is expected to be the last in Eriksson’s coaching career, which dates back to 1977 when he first managed Swedish club Degefors IF.
“Of course you miss being a coach. But I realized that I have reached a certain age and that I should no longer manage at my age,” he said: “It’s okay if I look back on my career. Now is “It’s almost over – this will probably be the last game so that’s great.”