Sven-Goran Eriksson was England manager for five years and oversaw the national team’s progress at three major tournaments – before he was replaced by Steve McClaren
Sven-Goran Eriksson has recalled an awkward exchange with England successor Steve McClaren that stuck long in his memory.
Eriksson’s England tenure ended after the 2006 World Cup, two years earlier than planned given he was due to coach the team through to Euro 2008. But before he officially stepped down, a handover took place in front of the England squad as he passed the torch to McClaren.
It was during this exchange that ex-Middlesbrough boss McClaren made a clumsy comment that left a lasting impression on Eriksson, who revealed his terminal cancer diagnosis this past January. And it wasn’t a positive imprint.
“The last day [as England coach], I [gave] a small speech to the players, and everybody knew Steve McClaren would take over,” said Eriksson on the new Amazon Prime Video documentary ‘Sven.’ “He talked after me.”
McClaren thanked Eriksson for his work and added: “Don’t be sorry, we will invite you to the final [of Euro 2008] in two years’ time.” Eriksson responded with a simple “Thank you” but didn’t appreciate the line as much as McClaren might have thought.
“I will remember that,” added the Swede regarding that memory. “I don’t think it was the right moment to talk about that.”
McClaren’s England squad infamously failed to reach the Euro 2008 final in Vienna; they didn’t even qualify for the tournament. This period is often viewed as one of the darkest in the team’s recent history, their qualification hopes ending with a miserable 3-2 defeat to Croatia at Wembley.
After just 18 games, McClaren was dismissed from his role, marking the second-shortest tenure of any permanent England manager. Eriksson may have found some satisfaction in how his successor’s reign ended, particularly due to that parting comment.
“That’s the most difficult defeat I had in my life,” added Eriksson concerning his departure from the England helm. “Because you cannot do anything, it’s done. You cannot redo it, and that was sad. Very, very sad.”
Despite ongoing debates about Eriksson’s time as England manager, he remains one of the nation’s most successful coaches at major tournaments. Gareth Southgate has since surpassed his achievements, but for a while, the Swede set the standard among modern England coaches.
The same cannot be said for McClaren, who perhaps was overly confident when he took over in early 2008. It’s possible some arrogance in the role contributed to his short time in charge collapsing in such spectacular manner.
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