Shortly before the European Championship final

Emotional message from terminally ill former team boss

Sven-Göran Eriksson is keeping his fingers crossed for England in the final.(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS, Krone KREATIV)

Emotional words before the final! Terminally ill soccer coach Sven-Göran Eriksson has sent a message to England team boss Gareth Southgate: "Dear Gareth, do it for me, Bobby Robson and England!"

After beating the Netherlands 2:1 in the semi-final, England can look forward to their first title win since the 1966 World Cup on home soil in the final against Spain in Berlin's Olympiastadion. Team boss Gareth Southgate issued the motto for the final after Wednesday's success in Dortmund: "One more! One more!", the coach shouted to the 20,000 cheering fans.

Gareth Southgate(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

"Nobody was closer"
Now Sven-Göran Eriksson, England team manager from 2001 to 2006, has also spoken out in a letter published in the Telegraph. "The job of England coach comes with enormous pressure. You hear so much about 1966 and Sir Alf Ramsey's team. You know how great the expectations are on you to end all those years of pain. I felt it. Sir Bobby Robson felt it. Any of the 13 managers since Sir Alf will have felt it," said the 76-year-old, who is terminally ill with pancreatic disease. "None of us made it, no one was closer than Gareth Southgate."

Just one more win to go. "You can't overestimate how important Sunday could be for the future of English soccer. For generations to come, young boys and girls will be inspired. This team has the chance to show the whole country that we are there," emphasized Eriksson.

Mental block solved
Southgate wants to make the most of the experience of losing the 2021 European Championship final against Italy at the second attempt. "Gareth has learned from our mistakes in the past. Especially the mental block on penalties - he's got further than any of us," Eriksson is convinced. Will the Swede be able to celebrate the long-awaited European Championship title with the "Three Lions" on Sunday evening?