Former Sweden midfielder Klas Ingesson mourned

A FIFA World Cup bronze medal winner with Sweden in 1994, midfielder Klas Ingesson is being remembered with immense fondness by former colleagues and team-mates after his death on Wednesday at the age of 46 following a long illness.

Tommy Svensson, who coached Ingesson with Sweden, said: "He was a fantastic human being and friend. He symbolised the team of '94. A fantastic person who always did his best and made others better." International team-mate Patrik Andersson added: "He fought this illness for years. That was the Klas that I know – he never backed down and always led the way on the pitch. It's incredibly sad."

Swedish Football Association (SvFF) president Karl-Erik Nilsson said: "It is a day of sadness for Swedish football when one of our great personalities and World Cup heroes leaves us. He was a great fighter, on and off the pitch, but in the end this fight was too difficult even for 'Klabbe'. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and with his friends at Elfsborg and the team of '94."

"Our thoughts are foremost with his wife and children, who were with him to the end at home in Odeshog," read a statement from IF Elfsborg, the side he coached from 2013 to 2014, with similar messages appearing on the official websites of the clubs Ingesson represented during his 15-year playing career.

Ingesson at the 1990 World Cup finals©Getty Images

The midfielder started his career with IFK Göteborg, and played abroad with KV Mechelen, PSV Eindhoven, Sheffield Wednesday FC, AS Bari, Bologna FC, Olympique de Marseille and US Lecce. He scored 13 goals in 57 games for Sweden, representing his country at the 1992 UEFA European Championship as well as the 1990 and 1994 World Cup finals.

"During my playing days, I bought a forest property," he told UEFA.com. "It was my little dream: to make enough money from football to buy my own forest and work there." He did that for several years before coaching Elfsborg's youth team and senior teams from 2011 despite being diagnosed in 2009 with myeloma, a cancer that attacks plasma cells in the blood.

Elfsborg midfielder Anders Svensson spoke of his immense admiration for his former coach. "He had an incredible energy – a drive and a fighting spirit that others can not even come near. Klas was a wonderful person. It was a privilege to get to be close to him for a year. I would have wished to have worked with him longer but will always remember what he taught me as a person. It's something I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

Aad de Mos, former PSV Eindhoven coach
He was a box-to-box player, something we had not seen yet at that stage. He was a long way ahead of his time. But the most important thing is that he was a fine human being; he was such a pleasant lad – in every squad he was loved.

Michele Paramatti, former Bologna FC team-mate
We have lost a real friend – one of the most loyal people I have ever met. He set a huge example to the whole world of football. He was an iconic figure who could transmit his great strength, his never-give-up approach, to the entire team.