Sven-Göran Eriksson has trained some of the world’s best players.
But there is one person who is closest to his heart: Torbjörn Nilsson.
– The best forward I have ever seen, says “Svennis in “Soccer’s history”.
On Tuesday evening was the premiere of the new television program “Footbollens historia” on SVT. First up was the Swedish big team IFK Göteborg and their fantastic way to write Swedish sports history in 1982.
Svenni’s success
The key figures were of course the coaching icon Sven-Göran Eriksson and the legendary striker Torbjörn Nilsson who left such a big mark on the 80s Blåvitt. And they both had a very special bond between them during their successful careers.
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“Svennis” had great success with Degerfors before he moved to Gothenburg in 1979. The team already included Nilsson with bruised self-confidence, after an unsuccessful professional adventure in PSV Eindhoven.
Paying tribute to Nilsson
Together, they would accomplish great things together at IFK Göteborg in just a few years with a SM gold won, double cup titles and then the unforgettable victory in the Uefa Cup in 1982. Svennis would also change Torbjörn Nilsson’s entire football life.
– He was outstanding in training, perhaps the best forward I have ever seen. But in matches he never succeeded, because he was too afraid that he would get kicked or that it would be a fiasco. He was worried and anxious during the matches, says the Swedish coaching icon in the SVT program.
– He could dribble off the whole team, but in the matches it didn’t work.
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Svennis enlisted the help of a psychologist to overcome Nilsson’s mental barriers that prevented him from reaching his full potential. And that changed everything.
– I think I have some kind of artist’s soul in me, I played at my best when I was allowed to be free in my thoughts. And Svennis managed to bring that out all the time, that I got to be myself all the time, says Torbjörn in Fotbollens historia.
READ MORE: When “Svennis” named his dream eleven for the whole of England – the Swede’s participation makes everyone drop their jaws
Even though Sven-Göran Eriksson has coached some of the world’s best soccer players around Europe, he still sees Torbjörn Nilsson as one of his absolute favorite players. The Värmlander takes every chance he gets to pay tribute to him with beautiful words.
– For a few years he was, for me anyway and probably for many others, Europe’s best forward, says Svennis in the TV program about his favorite player.
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