Sven-Göran Eriksson became the first non-Englishman to take up the position of England manager when he was recruited by the FA from Lazio in February 2001. His five-year contract began in the best possible fashion with wins in each of his first five games, culminating in the magnificent 5-1 win over Germany in Munich that will remain in every England fan's memory for generations to come. These heroics led to automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup in the Far East where Sven led England to another historic win over a traditional nemesis. Who can forget the day when David Beckham's penalty conquered the Argentineans?! Sven's boys battled bravely on to the last eight before bowing out to eventual World Champions Brazil. Prior to coming to London, Sven had coached Lazio to their first Italian title in 26 years and had won enormous respect for his successful work in Italy, Portugal and his native Sweden. |
