David Beckham among mourners at funeral of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson

Service takes place in Swedish coach's hometown of Torsby in Sweden

An image of Sven-Goran Eriksson on display at his funeral service at Fryksande church in Sweden, on September 13, 2024. Reuters

Former England captain David Beckham arrives at the funeral service for his former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. AFP

People watch the funeral service of Sven-Goran Eriksson on a big screen outside Fryksande church in Torsby, Sweden. AFP

A member of the church leads the funeral service for Sven-Goran Eriksson. EPA

Inside the church at Sven-Goran Eriksson's funeral. AFP

A person wearing a IFK Goteborg football kit pays respects outside the funeral service of Sven-Goran Eriksson at Fryksande Church in Torsby, Sweden. PA Photo

Nancy Dell'Olio greets Sven-Goran Eriksson's son Johan on the steps of Fryksande Church. PA

David Beckham greets Nancy Dell'Olio at the funeral service for Sven-Goran Eriksson. Reuters

Sven-Goran Eriksson's daughter Lina greets guests. PA

Sven-Goran Eriksson's father Sven arrives at the church. PA

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Sven-Goran Eriksson at Fryksande church. Reuters

David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the mourners who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager's small hometown of Torsby.

Eriksson's wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.

“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Alvskog, told those in attendance.

Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson's 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.

Eriksson became England's first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.

Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on August 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.

Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent.

The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson's wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where dozens more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.

The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church on Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby – a town of about 4,000 people, about 310km west of Stockholm.

Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by Fifa and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.

The ceremony began with sombre piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song Candle In The Wind and then My Way in a duet with Johan Birgersson.

Beckham had visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach's longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson's agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.

After Friday’s church ceremony, a musical procession was set accompany the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” would be given.

The local football club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”