Sven-Goran Eriksson to get wish of managing Liverpool at Anfield

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will be part of the LFC Legends management team for their upcoming fixture against Ajax at Anfield, the club have confirmed. 

Eriksson, 76, revealed last month a terminal cancer diagnosis, disclosing to Swedish media that he had at best a year to live. 

In the days following the news, he stated to the press that he was a lifelong Liverpool supporter and "always wished to be the manager of Liverpool", a destiny that sadly looked to remain unfulfilled. 

Liverpool fans began to ask the question whether or not the club’s Legends team would accommodate Eriksson, and grant him his wish of managing Liverpool in the Anfield dugout. 

Jurgen Klopp, the current Liverpool manager, was broadly in favour of backing Eriksson for the honour, telling the media last month that his counterpart was “absolutely welcome” to take his seat. 

"I heard for the first time about his admiration or love for Liverpool and that he was a fan for his whole life," he said. 

"I heard now about the Legends and stuff like that. I'm not in charge of that.

 "The only thing I can say is absolutely he's very welcome to come here and he can sit in my seat in my office and do my job for a day if he wants. That's no problem. 

"Being on the sideline might be a little bit more difficult. To have him here and show him everything and how this wonderful club developed over the years, I think that's definitely something we will tell him. 

"He can come over and have a few wonderful hours here, I'm sure."

The Liverpool Legends’ management team on the day, March 23, will include Eriksson and Reds favourites Ian Rush, John Barnes and John Aldridge. 

Players already slated to take part in the game are Jerzy Dudek, Sander Westerveld, Martin, Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio, Gregory Vignal and Djibril Cisse. Ryan Babel, a veteran of Liverpool and Ajax, meanwhile, will play for each club in the fixture. 

“Liverpool FC is delighted to confirm Sven-Goran Eriksson will be part of the LFC Legends management team for the game against Ajax Legends at Anfield on March 23. The former England boss will join a dugout of Reds greats, including Ian Rush, John Barnes and John Aldridge, for the annual LFC Foundation charity match,” a statement read on the club’s website. 

100 percent of the proceeds of the game will go towards funding the LFC Foundation and its charity partners. The last two legends games - versus Manchester United and Celtic - raised over £1.45 million and helped support work in Liverpool and beyond.

Sven's history at Anfield

It won’t be Eriksson’s first time on the sidelines at Anfield. In the 1983-84 season, he brought his Benfica side to Merseyside for a European Cup quarter-final first leg. Liverpool won, 1-0, thanks to a Rush goal. Liverpool won 4-1 in the second leg, going on to win the cup against Roma in the final. 

Ex-England manager Eriksson also took charge of the Three Lions three times at Anfield, winning all three matches. His England side beat Finland, Paraguay and Uruguay in those matches, spanning 2001 and 2006. 

He also took his Manchester City side to Anfield for a Premier League match in 2008, losing 1-0. 

The successful Swede was a Serie A winner with Lazio and also claimed the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with the Rome outfit. He also won a UEFA Cup with Gothenburg among other honours. With England he was a serial quarter-finalist, reaching the last eight of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as at Euro 2004.