Patric Hamsch

Report from Torsby. As Fryksande Church filled with Sven-Goran Eriksson’s family and 600 guests, the elegant 300-year-old building he knew so well filled with music. Eriksson’s funeral service today echoed the man himself: serene, musical, and with some quirky humour such as when the lady priest Ingela Alvskog burst into song with all the panache of a veteran jazz singer. The pianist played “Wonderful World”. Sven would have loved it. His coffin, surrounded by wreaths from clubs and countries he served, including England, was flanked by six candles. The soloist Charlotta Birgersson walked solemnly across the transept, stopped close to the casket and sang a haunting “Candle in the Wind”, with lyrics tweaked to “goodbye our hero”. All around were distinguished figures from the game including: Glenn Stromberg, the Swedish great who played for Eriksson at IFK Gothenburg and Benfica; Roy Hodgson, whose friendship with Eriksson dated back to his days coaching in Sweden, and David Beckham, Eriksson’s England captain. Beckham arrived early and quietly, embraced members of Eriksson’s extended family, including Eriksson’s 95-year-old father. It hardly needs re-saying but Beckham really is a magnificent ambassador for both English football and for the country. Beckham took his pew next to Tord Grip, Eriksson’s old assistant, now 86. Time melted and the years rolled back to the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. On the flights back from those frustrating quarter-finals, Grip would bring out his accordion to lighten the mood. Eriksson and Grip would often turn to music. As family and friends did here. The congregation sang “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art” in Swedish. “My Way” and “Volare” followed before Eriksson’s son, Johan, and seven other pall bearers bore the casket back down the aisle. It was then transported in a white hearse to an amphitheatre in a clearing in the woods by Lake Fryken, not far from Eriksson’s home, near where his ashes will eventually be scattered. Mourners followed through the streets in a procession, led by a brass band playing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, celebrating Eriksson’s love of Liverpool from boyhood. Villagers from Torsby thronged the amphitheatre with the guests and the rain obligingly held off. Tributes were paid, poems read, and then a rockabilly band thundered out songs which all the Swedes seemed to know the words to. It was a service full of sombre notes in readings and eulogies and high notes in the tributes and tunes. “When my father was coaching Sampdoria, he had the honour of attending the funeral of the Sampdoria president (Paolo) Mantovani (in 1993),” his daughter Lina recalled on stage. “It was a grandiose celebration with a procession and musical band that paraded through the streets of Genoa celebrating him. Our father was so impressed by the beauty and joyfulness of the ceremony that from an early age he always said he wanted a similar ceremony to commemorate his life. He didn’t want a sad funeral, he wanted people to gather to celebrate his life, full of joy, music and happiness.” Lina and Johan followed their father’s request perfectly. Today was a celebration of a life as well as a committal ceremony. Sven's children did him proud. They were grieving but thought only of others. The night before, Lina and Johan travelled around the hotels on the shores, welcoming guests who had flown in from all over. Everyone noticed in the early evening that the rain swept across the lake, the sun then emerged and then a rainbow. In his dying days, Eriksson spoke of the power of nature and how he wanted his ashes scattered in this beautiful, remote part of Sweden because it “feels like home”. Watching that rainbow stretching across the lake towards Eriksson’s old house it felt like nature was acknowledging him back, even taking him back. Eriksson enjoyed his life and he handled with typical grace and stoicism his leaving of it. A group of us, including Hodgson and FA executives past and present like Adam Crozier, David Davies, David Dein and Mark Burrows, as well Lina and Johan, met up last night and talked about this wonderful man. Nancy Dell’Olio arrived in style, hugged everyone and joined in the reflections of Eriksson’s life. What a life! Two fine children. So many friendships. So many experiences. Sven loved and was loved. And so many successes in club football. England was ultimately a disappointment but as the party agreed, there were some majestic moments: the 5-1 in Munich, Beckham’s free-kick against Greece, the emphatic defeat of Denmark in 2002 and the taking apart of Croatia at Euro 2004, a tournament England might have won had Wayne Rooney not succumbed to injury. Wembley stood in salute of Eriksson before England played Finland on Tuesday. The public loved Eriksson because of his calmness in adversity, making light of criticism, because he lived such a full life. In his final months, Eriksson managed to say farewell to so many places and people that were special to him. He travelled to Rome, Lisbon, Genoa Gothenburg, and also to Liverpool. And he finally came home to Torsby. As a rainbow fell across his lake and the music played on in his memory. “He continues to live on in all of us, in our hearts, in our memories, and the stories we will continue to tell,” Lina added. “In dad’s own words, don’t be sorry, smile, take care of yourself and take care of your life, and live it, because life is beautiful.”