Tribute to Sven Goran Eriksson: the cult phrases

The biggest barrier to success is the fear of failure. Football is much more difficult if you don't have the ball. The only true failure in life is not trying. We need goals when the score is 0-0. The only way I will leave this job is because of the results. I'm too stubborn to leave because of criticism, too stubborn. To be England manager you have to win every game, do nothing in your personal life and hopefully not earn too much money! David [Beckham] should think that talking is silver, but keeping quiet is gold. Whatever country you are in, if you lose matches you are criticized. Only when it comes to England it's like a new world war. Whatever country you are in, if you lose matches you are criticized. Only when it comes to England it's like a new world war. Not looking for work. You don't phone 10 clubs and say: "Here I am". You are offered the job. I was at Benfica many years ago. I was leaving the training ground and a car was chasing me. This went on for 10 minutes. Anyway, he stopped, I stopped and he said to me: “I'm from the Italian embassy”. Oh yes, and what does he want? I want your phone number because Roma want you as coach for next season. Three months later I was sitting on the Roma bench. I don't think the rest of working society works like football. He has many qualities as a prince, but he is not a surgeon. I've always said Crouch is special. He is tall and this makes him special, but it is also because he has good feet." Scholes was England's best footballer. It was impossible to take the ball away from him and he never missed a pass. It was amazing for me to see the cheers and applause and made me realize that maybe not everyone wants me out of a job! He was magnificent, very intelligent and with exceptional technique. He could pass the ball five meters or fifty; he had a great vision of the game and put his teammates in a position to play well; he knew how to shoot and score goals. If you gave me Paul Scholes and ten others, I would be happy. I would tell them to give him the ball and we would have a good team. I'm sure they're a little angry, they want revenge. I think they want it from Monday morning. They can't wait to play, they've been waiting for several days, so the players will react very well. I had a good life, yes. I think all of us are afraid of the day when it ends, when we die. But life is also about death. We must learn to accept it, to understand what it is. Hopefully in the end people will say, “Yes, he was a good man.” But not everyone will say that. I hope you remember me as a positive person who tried to do everything he could do. Don't be sorry. Smile. Thanks for everything: coaches, players, fans. It was fantastic. Take care of yourself, your life and live it. Goodbye