Sven-Göran Eriksson’s fine tribute to Arne Hegerfors hits right in the heart of the entire Swedish people: “He could do everything”

Arne Hegerfors is dead, aged 81.
Now he is praised by Sven-Göran Eriksson, who was an expert commentator together with Hegerfors during the 90s.
– He knew everything, says Svennis.

Arne Hegerfors has been one of Sweden’s most popular television profiles for decades. He started at SVT in 1969 and it wasn’t long before he got the chance to comment on the biggest sporting events in the world, and for many years he was an obvious part of the box, as a guide to the viewers, when Swedish sporting history was written. Hegerfors commented extensively on the Olympics and the World Cup, in both football and hockey, and had a unique way of enthralling viewers.

Svenni’s fine tribute

In 1997, Hegerfors left SVT for Canal+, a job he held until 2012, when he retired. Since then, Hegerfors has had health problems. He suffered, among other things, a stroke and a heart attack, and also battled cancer. And on Monday, the news came that Hegerfors, after several years of fighting illness, had fallen asleep. And the tributes from some of Sweden’s biggest sports profiles could not wait.

Sven-Göran Eriksson, who himself is seriously ill with cancer and who said that he “at best has a year left to live”, was an expert commentator together with Hegerfors during the WC 1990, EC 1992 and WC 1994. He remembers, in addition to how Arne was as a commentator, what a nice person he was.

– An incredibly talented, very knowledgeable person who found himself in all situations with humor all the time. As a person, he was fantastically nice, says “Svennis” to SVT.

“He knew everything”

Svennis also remembers how incredibly well-read Arne Hegerfors was, and that this was his most important characteristic.

– He could do everything. He didn’t need lots of paper to sit and comment, it was in his head. He was great at improvising. One of the greats, says Sven-Göran Eriksson.

Lasse Granqvist grew up watching and hearing Hegerfors on television, and also got to work with Hegerfors later in his career. It was Lasse Granqvist who was the presenter during Arne Hegerfor’s very last broadcast on television, an all-Swedish match between GAIS and IFK Göteborg. He highlights Hegerfor’s unique timing.

– It is not so difficult to refer. It’s just about the right thing in the right tone, at the right time. It is, on the other hand, extremely difficult and Hegerfors mastered it by heart. He had it in his spinal cord, in his DNA. Then it will not only be brilliant commentary, but also entertaining, says Granqvist to Aftonbladet.