Soccer

Three quarter-finals and 5-1 Germany win – Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England record

Eriksson was in charge for 67 games, winning 40 with only 10 defeats.

Sven-Goran Eriksson was one of England’s longest-serving managers
Sven-Goran Eriksson was one of England’s longest-serving managers (Martin Rickett/PA)
By Tom White, PA Sport Data Journalist

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died aged 76.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the Swede’s record as the first foreign manager to lead the national team.

Eriksson’s England record

Sven-Goran Eriksson enjoyed over five years in charge with Michael Owen, left, key to his successes
Sven-Goran Eriksson enjoyed over five years in charge with Michael Owen, left, key to his successes (Nick Potts/PA)

Appointed in 2001 as Kevin Keegan’s permanent successor, Eriksson led England to three consecutive quarter-finals at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro 2004.

He was in charge for 67 games, winning 40 (59.7 per cent) with only 10 defeats, though his 17 draws include games lost on penalties to Portugal at his last two major tournaments.

While Eriksson’s biggest win was 6-0 against Jamaica in a friendly ahead of the 2006 World Cup, by far the most memorable came in only his seventh game in charge as September 2001’s 5-1 success against Germany in Munich proved vital in securing automatic qualification for the following summer’s World Cup on goal difference.

His heaviest defeat was 4-1 in a 2005 friendly against Denmark, while Eriksson lost only three competitive matches in addition to the two Portugal shoot-outs.

Michael Owen was his leading goalscorer with 28, including a hat-trick in that win over Germany. David Beckham scored 16 with Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney the other players to reach double figures under Eriksson. He used 72 players and gave debuts to 41.

How he compares

Fabio Capello is the only other foreign manager to take charge of England
Fabio Capello is the only other foreign manager to take charge of England

Eriksson ranks fifth in terms of games as England manager. Walter Winterbottom, appointed in 1946 as England’s first official manager after the pre-war years were overseen by a Football Association committee, tops the list with 139 games.

Two other managers reached a century, World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey with 113 games and Gareth Southgate taking charge of 102 before his resignation after defeat in the Euro 2024 final. Sir Bobby Robson managed 95.

Eriksson is sixth by win percentage, excluding caretaker managers and Sam Allardyce’s one-match reign as “permanent” manager.

At 59.7 per cent, Eriksson is just 0.1 behind Southgate with Ron Greenwood at 60 per cent.

Glenn Hoddle won 60.7 per cent of games in charge and Ramsey 61.1 per cent including the biggest game of all in 1966, while the highest winning percentage belongs to Fabio Capello at 66.7.

Only Ramsey, Southgate and semi-finalists Robson and Terry Venables have taken England deeper in a major tournament than Eriksson’s run of quarter-final finishes.

Compared to Capello, England’s only other overseas appointment, Eriksson has 25 more games and 12 more wins to his name. Capello reached only the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup and resigned ahead of Euro 2012.

Career overview

Eriksson managed three other national teams – Mexico, the Ivory Coast and the Philippines – and clubs in five countries.

Beginning in his native Sweden he managed Degerfors and IFK Gothenburg before leaving in 1982 for the first of two spells at Portuguese side Benfica.

He managed Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio in Italy’s Serie A, Manchester City and Leicester in England and Guangzhou R&F, Shanghai SIPG and Shenzhen in China.

Eriksson won the Serie A title with Lazio in 1999-2000 to add to the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup the previous season, also twice winning the Coppa Italia which he had previously lifted with Roma and Samp.

His time at Benfica brought three league titles, a domestic cup and two European finals and he led Gothenburg to UEFA Cup glory in 1982.