Nancy Dell’Olio broke down in tears on Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain whilst paying tribute to her former partner, Sven-Göran Eriksson, who died of pancreatic cancer on Monday aged 76.
The Italian lawyer, who was in a relationship with the Swedish football manager from 1998 to 2007, was recalling her final conversation with Sven when she became teary.
“He was trying to make an effort when we were speaking on the phone to say that he was fine because most of the time he was not answering or he said he was going to have some treatment,” the 63-year-old told hosts Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins via a video call from her home in Puglia.
“It’s hard pretending that you don’t know that he was about to die,” she continued, holding back tears. “I never thought about that. This is the thing about life, you always believe that there would be a miracle.”
Breaking down, Nancy added: “I thought at the beginning that the doctors had made a mistake,” prompting Charlotte and Richard to promptly bring the interview to a close by thanking Nancy for appearing on the programme.
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While on the show, Nancy hailed Sven as “very kind” and “generous”. “He was quite different from me in the sense that he was more reserved,” she added.
The media personality also spoke about their relationship, which she said was “quite intense“. “There were bad moments and fantastic moments,” she explained.
Nancy also opened up about standing by Sven following his high-profile affairs with TV personality Ulrika Jonsson and Football Association secretary Faria Alam.
“I made an important choice,” she said. “I didn’t want to regret the decision I made. I knew it was right and he was the right person to be with.
“I stood with him because I know, from him as he admitted himself recently, that he had been very stupid. He told me immediately that it meant nothing to him,” she explained.
On Tuesday, Nancy paid tribute to Sven with a heartfelt post on Instagram.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my ex-husband, Sven,” she began.
“Though our relationship had its ups and downs, I choose to remember the good times we shared and the moments that brought joy to our lives.
“I will always hold onto those cherished memories and extend my deepest condolences to his family, as well as his beloved children, Lina and Johan.
“When you love someone, that love never truly fades. Rest in peace, Sven. You will be missed.”