Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson loos around before the start of an exhibition soccer match between Liverpool Legends and Ajax Legends at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England. (AP)

STOCKHOLM, Aug 26, (Xinhua): Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who coached England from 2001 to 2006, died Monday at the age of 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. In January, Eriksson revealed that he is suffering from terminal cancer and has "at best case a year" to live. Eriksson made history in 2001 when he replaced Kevin Keegan to become the first foreign coach to take charge of the England team and he led them to two World Cup finals stages, in 2002 and 2006, with a historic 5-1 win away to Germany in September 2001, helping make him a very popular figure.

The football world paid tributes following his death. Many well-known football clubs, players, and journalists have posted condolences on social media platforms. UEFA, European football's governing body, said on X: "On behalf of the European football community, everybody at UEFA is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson."

"A beloved figure in the game, Sven was a UEFA Cup winner as coach of IFK Goteborg in 1982 before leading Lazio to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999. Rest in peace, Sven." The 76-year-old Swede coached in China for approximately five years. In 2013, he came to the Chinese Super League to coach Guangzhou R&F. In 2015, he became the head coach of Shanghai SIPG Club, and in 2017, he also coached for some time in Shenzhen.