“You’ll never walk alone” – Liverpool FC’s emotional credo has rarely been so fitting.
Today (4 p.m.) a legendary team from the Reds will meet a selection from Ajax Amsterdam. The game is full of big names: Jerzy Dudek (on his 51st birthday), Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres will be on the pitch. Former Bundesliga star Rafael van der Vaart (152 games for HSV) will lace up the kicking shoes for Ajax.
But the focus is on the man on the Liverpool sidelines: Sven-Göran Eriksson (76). Shortly before his death, the Swede, who was terminally ill with cancer, had a coaching dream come true.
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Terminally ill Sven-Göran Eriksson sits next to Klopp today
For Eriksson it could be the last game of his long career. In January, the trainer made his illness public: pancreatic cancer. In the best case scenario, he might have another year to live, said Eriksson.
The trainer also revealed which goal he had NOT achieved in his long career. “I’ve always been a Liverpool fan,” Eriksson told Sky News at the time. “That’s why I’ve always wanted to coach Liverpool, but that’s definitely not going to happen now.”
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The diagnosis caused great consternation in the football world. And it didn’t take long for Liverpool FC to react. LFC coach Jürgen Klopp (56): “Sven, we wholeheartedly invite you to come here. You can have my office, you can run a unit, no problem.”
Today is the day. Eriksson sits on the Reds bench in the charity match between Liverpool and Ajax. And coaches alongside Jürgen Klopp.
Proceeds from the game will be donated to the LFC Foundation. Previous legend games brought in around six million euros. 54,000 tickets were sold for the Ajax game.
Klopp and Eriksson met in the team hotel of the legends teams before kick-off
Photo: Liverpool FC
During his long coaching career, the former defender had coached numerous clubs, including Benfica Lisbon, AS and Lazio Rome and Manchester City, as well as the national teams of England, Mexico, the Philippines and Ivory Coast. Now his favorite club is added. If only for a game…
Eriksson spoke to the official Swedish Liverpool fan club in advance: “First and foremost, of course, I feel incredibly honored. It will be wonderful and exciting. I can’t wait to lead the team in You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
2024-03-23 12:30:36
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