What defines a human being?
Is that what he does and accomplishes? Or is it who he is when the spotlight of his own winnings goes out?
I recently saw a TV feature with Svennis from Genoa in Italy. He was standing in the players’ tunnel when Alessandro Nesta (then coach of Reggiana, now Monza) came forward. Nesta looked like a little boy who gets to meet the greatest hero of his life.
“The hair on your arms stood up”
Svennis talked about how he made the hot-tempered Nesta captain of the Lazio that won Serie A in 2000.
But that was not what moved me the most.
It was when they both talked about each other as people that the hairs on their arms stood up.
When Alessandro is rated “Grande Uomo” by his old coach, he is devastated and begins to cry in front of the television cameras.
That says a lot about Alessandro Nesta. But that says even more about Sven-Göran Eriksson.
A few years ago, Studio Allsvenskan and I had an audience at Svennis’ house in Värmland. His low-key solidarity, his warmth, generosity and sincerity made an enormously strong impression on us all. In my book, that episode is the best we’ve ever done. All thanks to Svennis.
I remember when he came to Lazio. The night before the presentation, he had learned the first names of everyone on the staff. And the name of their wives. And their children.
He didn’t just learn all the names. He asked about their lives throughout his time as a time trainer. He is deeply loved in Italy. Of course for everything he accomplished. But even more for who he was as a person.
I am genuinely grateful for how the football world in unison let him understand how deeply loved he was everywhere; from Degerfors, via Gothenburg, in England, Portugal and Italy.
Sometimes it’s beautiful to be reminded of how great we humans can be when we show solidarity with those who truly deserve it.
“We knew he was going to die”
Svennis managed to understand (and maybe even appreciate, even if it didn’t come naturally to him) how enormously loved he was. As a human being. And as a football coach. In that order.
We knew he was going to die. Svennis knew he was going to die. The whole world knew it. But the last year’s unison celebration of his deed tells us the only thing we need to know today; Svennis is not dead.
He will of course live on forever.
At the same time, Nesta’s tears today are also mine. But we do not cry with sadness because he is dead, but because he touched our hearts, genuinely, close, real and heartfelt.
As a human being.
Thank you Mister.
You are eternal.