David Beckham among soccer dignitaries attending ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s funeral

TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson are among the soccer dignitaries attending the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson 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 Älvskog, 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, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76.