Milan and Sweden mourn Liedholm
Monday, November 5, 2007
Article summary
AC Milan and Sweden forward Nils Liedholm, who won Olympic gold and four Scudettoes as a player before a successful career as a head coach, has died aged 85.
Article body
Former Sweden and AC Milan forward Nils Liedholm has died aged 85 after a long illness.
'Irreplaceable'
A Milan statement read: "Milan mourn the death of Nils Liedholm, the club's coach during their tenth Scudetto-winning campaign and an irreplaceable member of the legendary 'Gre-No-Li' attacking triumvirate. With him, we lose a huge chunk of our history, yet his memory will stay alive in the hearts of Milan fans and of all football lovers."
Olympic gold
Born in Valdemarsvik on 8 October 1922, Liedholm began his playing career with IK Sleipner before moving to IFK Norrköping in 1946. In three seasons with Norrköping he helped the team to two championships, and the tall and clever inside forward was part of the Sweden side that won Olympic gold in 1948. A year after that triumph he was transferred to Milan, where he formed the 'Gre-No-Li' trio with compatriots Gunnar Nordahl and Gunnar Gren.
Milan success
In 1950/51 they inspired Milan to their first Scudetto in 44 years, the Rossoneri's total of 107 goals that term being the last time any team reached a century of strikes in a Serie A season. Further titles followed in 1954/55, 1956/57 and 1958/59 – and in a decade when Milan announced themselves as a leading club, 'catenaccio' was developed to deal with their attacking prowess. In 1958 'Il Barone', Liedholm, captained Milan and Sweden in their debut finals in both the European Champion Clubs' Cup and the FIFA World Cup, having returned to the national side with the lifting of a ban on professionals representing the country.
Coaching career
Liedholm retired as a player in 1961 after registering 81 goals in 359 Serie A games. Following spells as a coach with Hellas-Verona FC, Varese Calcio and AC Fiorentina, he returned to San Siro to guide Milan to their tenth championship in 1979. Then, in 1983, he steered AS Roma to their first domestic crown since 1942 and the next year took them to the European Cup final where they lost on penalties to Liverpool FC. He remained in Italy in his later years, opening a family-run vineyard. He died in his adopted town of Cuccaro, in the northern Piedmont region, where his funeral will be held on Thursday from 11.00CET.