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Sven-Göran Eriksson left in debt after scam, family burdened by €10m loss

15. January 2025
Sven-Goran Eriksson (foto: Getty Images)
Swedish documents have revealed that former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson left behind €10 million in debt after a high-profile financial scam and years of unpaid tax.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, who passed away last August after battling pancreatic cancer, left an estate burdened by significant financial troubles. According to newly published documents from the Swedish Tax Authority, the former England manager had accumulated a debt of €10 million at the time of his death.

The inventory of Eriksson’s estate revealed that, despite having assets worth 66 million kronor, there remains a deficit of £3.7 million (51 million kronor). The largest portion of his debt reportedly stems from unpaid taxes in the United Kingdom, which total approximately £7.2 million (99 million kronor).

Eriksson, who enjoyed a long and lucrative career in football, suffered a massive financial setback over a decade ago after falling victim to a scam. In 2011, he sued his financial advisor Samir Khan, who had gained unrestricted access to Eriksson’s wealth and squandered £10 million on questionable investments, including risky property ventures.

Reflecting on the incident in 2013, Eriksson wrote, "I was not interested in the details: if he said that an investment was sound, I trusted him. I didn’t even read through the long contracts. Sometimes, he’d fax over just one page for me to sign. The truth is that I never cared about money. Not one bit. Suffice to say that Samir caught on pretty quickly."

It has been reported that Eriksson’s property in Bjorkefors, located on Lake Fryken in Varmland, has now been put up for sale to help cover the remaining debt.

Eriksson, best known for managing the England national team between 2001 and 2006, returned to England shortly before his death for a tour of some of his former clubs. He also managed his boyhood club, Liverpool, during a charity match.

In a heartfelt documentary about his life, Eriksson expressed gratitude and bid farewell to his fans. He said, "I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it for what it is."

He concluded with an emotional message: "Hopefully at the end people will say yeah he was a good man, but everyone will not say that. I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do.

"Don't be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it's been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it. Bye."

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