Sven-Goran Eriksson will this afternoon speak to the media from the AXA Training Centre ahead of taking charge of Liverpool Legends in their match against Ajax Legends at Anfield on Saturday (March 23).
The former England manager revealed in January that he had terminal cancer. At the time he said his biggest regret was not managing Liverpool during his illustrious career. Eriksson is a lifelong Reds supporter, like his father.
A campaign gathered pace to give the 76-year-old the chance to stand in the home dugout at Anfield. Current Reds manager Jurgen Klopp said: “Sven, you are invited from the bottom of all our hearts to come here and you can have my office, you can lead a session if you want. That’s all no problem.
“Open arms. Come over here and let’s have a few great hours together.”
And in February it was confirmed that Eriksson would be granted his dying wish and that he would take charge of Liverpool Legends against their Ajax counterparts at Anfield in the annual LFC Foundation Charity match. Eriksson’s squad includes Reds great Steven Gerrard, who he managed for England.
The Swede, who also managed the likes of Roma, Lazio and Manchester City, will be joined at today’s press conference by Liverpool icon John Barnes, who will be part of his coaching staff on Saturday, and by Matt Parish, the CEO of the LFC Foundation.
Theo Squires, our Liverpool FC reporter, will be at the AXA Training Centre to provide live updates from the press conference, which is scheduled to start at 4pm.
16:44Theo Squires
That’s your lot
That’s it from Sven and John Barnes. Thanks for joining us!
16:40Theo Squires
Sven on managerial idol
There are so many. I had a lot of fights with Sir Alex, but I still admire him. Liverpool has a brilliant manager in this moment. He is doing great. I don’t know him, I never met him. But I think he’s a great motivator.
16:38Theo Squires
Sven on England invite
The England game is tomorrow against Brazil. It is difficult to see both so I won’t see that game. I’m not going to see that (Belgium game). I have to go back.
16:37Theo Squires
Sven on Anfield as an away manager
I think it is the best atmosphere in the world. Part of that is the song. That makes me tingle even today. I’ve seen it live so many times. The atmosphere is incredible.
16:36Theo Squires
Sven on why his dad supports Liverpool
Good question, I don’t know! I just always know he was a Liverpool fan. He called me the other day because he couldn’t find the right channel on the television! This game is going to be live on television in Sweden, so he will see that game. That’s how big Liverpool is. He will not miss one game when Liverpool is playing.
16:32Theo Squires
Barnes drops team hint
We’ve put 45 minutes on people, but we’re going to have problems getting some people to come off!
16:31Theo Squires
Barnes on Gerrard/Torres
Fernando has been in the gym! Managing Liverpool in Liverpool is different. They’re competitive animals. Those two coming back together, it’s going to be a fantastic occasion.
16:30Theo Squires
Sven on Liverpool fans
You see the power of football, the power of Liverpool. A friendly game and 60,000 people. Amazing.
16:29Theo Squires
Sven on Anfield
You’ll Never Walk Alone is magic. I’m looking forward to it. It’s important if we win, but not that important. I’m very honoured and thankful to Liverpool that they gave me this opportunity.
16:27Theo Squires
Sven on Klopp
That was a surprise for me! I haven’t spoken to him, but he was very kind of him to invite me. One day I will come. He’s doing a great job. I am sad that he is going to leave. I don’t know (if he will win the treble). I think Liverpool will win the league. Play good football, good young players coming up.
16:26Theo Squires
Matt Parish speaks on LFC Foundation
Before John Barnes details how the foundation works with Forever Reds to support former Liverpool players.
16:23Theo Squires
Sven on if he misses management
If I said no, I would lie. At my age, I shouldn’t be manager. This will be the last game.
16:22Theo Squires
Sven on Gerrard
It will be very nice to see him. With his mentality, he can move mountains.
16:22Theo Squires
Barnes on Sven relationship
I’ve known Sven for many years. We share an agent.
16:21Theo Squires
Barnes on LFC Foundation
John Barnes speaks passionately about the charitible work the LFC Foundation does.
16:19Theo Squires
Sven held talks to become Liverpool manager
It’s like a dream. I always dreamt of Liverpool. There were discussions once. Many years ago. It never happened. When they asked I thought it was a joke. Of course, I would come to Legends.
16:17Theo Squires
Sven on Liverpool connection
My father is a Liverpool fan so it came from there. I wrote to the club to see if I could see a training session. They answered I saw a game. I was honoured to go inside the boot room.
16:07Theo Squires
10 minutes to go
We’ve just been told everybody has arrived and that we’ll be getting underway in 10 minutes or so. Stay tuned…
16:01Theo Squires
Hello everybody!
Hello everybody! I’ve just taken my seat at the AXA Training Centre ahead of this afternoon’s press conference.
John Barnes arrived at the AXA the same time as me. Unsurprisingly, he got a much warmer welcome!
15:47Paul Wheelock
Greetings from the AXA Training Centre
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the Liverpool Legends press conference, where we’ll be hearing from the Reds’ manager for the day, the great Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
