European football mourns Sven Göran Eriksson

Eriksson, who in 2001 became the first foreign manager of the England national team, enjoyed a long and successful coaching career in which he won national titles in his native Sweden, Portugal and Italy as well as two major European club prizes – the UEFA Cup in 1982 with IFK Göteborg and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999 with Lazio.

Overall, he led 12 club sides as well as the national teams of England, Mexico, Ivory Coast and the Philippines.

After beginning his coaching career aged 27 with Degerfors IF, ‘Svennis’ – as he was known in his home country – made waves across the continent when leading IFK to their 1982 UEFA Cup final triumph over Hamburger SV. It was the first major European trophy won by a Swedish club and it led to Eriksson’s first coaching job abroad at Benfica where, in his first spell from 1982-84, he won two league titles, the Portuguese Cup and reached the UEFA Cup final.

He then had spells in Italy with Roma and Fiorentina – winning the Coppa Italia with the former – before returning to Benfica where he led the Eagles to the 1990 European Cup final, losing 1-0 against AC Milan, as well as winning a third Portuguese title.

In the 1990s, Eriksson returned to Italy where he won the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria in 1994 and then, as coach of Lazio, led the club to their first European honour – the 1999 Cup Winners’ Cup, earned with 1-0 final victory against Mallorca. There were also domestic triumphs in the shape of the 1998 Coppa Italia and, crucially, the 2000 Serie A title – only the second in Lazio’s history.

Eriksson subsequently left Lazio to become the first non-British manager of the England team. An early high point of his reign was a 5-1 victory over Germany in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Munich in October 2001, and he subsequently took England to the quarter-finals of three successive tournaments: the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and EURO 2004.

After leaving the England role in 2006, Eriksson later managed English club sides Manchester City and Leicester City, as well as taking up a role as director of football at Notts County.

In January he announced that he had "at best" a year left to live after a cancer diagnosis and he subsequently visited some of his old clubs, including IFK who named a stand at their Gamla Ullevi stadium in his honour, Lazio and Sampdoria. As a Liverpool fan, he also took charge of a legends match at Anfield.

Announcing news of his death, his children Lina and Johan said in a statement: "Dad told us at the beginning of this year about his serious illness and received an amazing response from friends and football fans around Europe. He was invited to several football teams in England, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. They shared their love for football and for Dad.

"It was unforgettable for both him and us. He expressed his appreciation and joy and stated that such beautiful words are usually only uttered when someone has died. ‘'I get to hear it while I’m alive and I’m incredibly grateful for that. The heart beats twice and the tears come. I have had the best job in the world and I was happy every day for long periods. It’s been fantastic,' he said."

At IFK, the club where he made his name with that UEFA Cup victory at the age of just 34, they thanked him for his "huge impression on Swedish football" and added: "We remember Svennis for that, but we also remember him for his warmth, curiosity, openness and joy. Thanks for all the memories, Svennis. We will never forget you."

As a mark of respect, there will be a moment of silence ahead of each of this week's club competition matches.