TORSBY.- David Beckham and former England manager Roy Hodgson were among those mourning Sven-Göran Eriksson’s funeral on Friday in the former Swede’s home town of Torsby.
Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles accompanied by other floral arrangements at the start of the ceremony at Fryksande church.
“It is a day of mourning, but also a day of thanksgiving,” said priestess Ingela Älvskog to the 600 people in attendance.
Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Sven’s 95-year-old father and other family members with hugs.
Eriksson became the first England manager not to be born in England and led the team from 2001 to 2006, when Beckham became captain.
Eriksson, who also won club trophies in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on August 26 at the age of 76, eight months after announcing he had pancreatic cancer and had one year to live.
About 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church built in 1898 were reserved for family, friends and former players, his agent confirmed. The remaining seats were opened to the public, in accordance with Eriksson’s own wishes. A screen was also put up outside for the hundreds of people who gathered to watch the funeral, which was also broadcast online by some Swedish media.
The ceremony began with sombre piano and organ music, but later became more lively with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson singing Elton Johnson’s “Candle in the Wind” and a duet of “My Way” with Johan Birgersson, who then sang “Volare” as the family gathered around the coffin to lay flowers.
After the funeral, the coffin was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. Mourners then walked in procession and accompanied the coffin to a museum where some people gave messages on a stage outside.
Worthy of a great one
Hodgson, who managed England and Liverpool after starting his coaching career in the 1970s in Sweden – where he faced Eriksson on several occasions – said the funeral was “a fitting tribute to Sven-Göran”.
“It really reminded us all of how he lived his life,” Hodgson said. “It was typical of how he lived his life, with dignity, courage and the ability to make childhood dreams come true.”
