Hundreds expected at Sven-Goran Erikkson's funeral as ex-lover Nancy Dell'Olio invited by family

The former England manager will be given a New Orleans-style funeral procession on Friday, September 13. A brass band from the town will lead the procession, carrying Eriksson's coffin on a 700-meter walk from Fryksände church to the Kollsberg homestead in Torsby, Sweden. Friends, colleagues, and family members will gather there to pay tribute to the former football manager, who passed away last month.

Mourners will have the opportunity to place roses in urns set up outside the church entrance. The funeral service will be conducted by a priest who was a close friend of Eriksson and is returning to the town specifically for this occasion. To accommodate the large number of attendees expected, big screen TVs will be set up for those celebrating his life. Although the church can hold up to 600 people, many more are anticipated to attend.

These arrangements come two weeks after the former England manager died at the age of 76 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Eriksson led England in 67 matches between 2001 and 2006, reaching the quarter-finals of both the World Cup and the European Championships.

A family statement said: “Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness, he died during the morning at home surrounded by family.

“The closest mourners are daughter Lina; son Johan with wife Amana and granddaughter Sky; father Sven; girlfriend Yanisette with son Alcides; brother Lars-Erik with wife Jumnong. The family asks for respect for their wish to mourn in private and not be contacted.”

According to the Sun, Eriksson’s former lover Nancy Dell'Olio will also be attending the funeral, having been invited by the ex-England manager’s surviving family. It is likely that footballers who played under Eriksson will also attend, meaning the likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen and Gareth Southgate could also be there.