The Swedish Connection

Sweden is famous for its high quality of life, sustainable living practices, innovative design aesthetic with brands such as Volvo and IKEA, its numerous islands, lakes and forests, its köttbollar (meatballs), Astrid Lingren, Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman,  Alfred Nobel, Greta Thunberg, Bjorn Borg , Armand Duplantis and much more but also for its football.

Sweden have participated in 12 World Cups, their best result being runners up in their home tournament in 1958. They have taken part in 7 European Championships, reaching the semifinal in 1992. At club level the Swedes have won 2 UEFA Cups with IFK Göteborg (1982, 1987). Sweden's top players in their history include; Johan Gunnar Gren, Nils Gunnar Nordahl, Nils Liedholm, Kurt Hamrin, Hans Jeppson, Lennart Skoglund, Fredrik Ljungberg, Henrik Larsen and Zlatan Ibrahimović.

The Swedish domestic league is called the Allsvenskan and the most successful clubs are: Malmö (24 league titles), IFK Göteborg (18), IFK Norköpping  (13), AIK (12), Djurgårdens (12), IF Elfsborg (6), Helsingborgs (5), Halmstads (4).

Sweden are currently ranked 28th by FIFA.

Here are some Swedes who have played in Italy and for Lazio.

1950's and 60's

• Åke Hjalmarsson - midfielder - Torino 1949-50 and 1951-52 (39 league games and 10 goals)

• Johan Gunnar Gren - midfielder (Milan 1949-53, Fiorentina 1953-55, Genoa 1955-56, 217 league games and 45 goals with 1 Scudetto)

• Nils Gunnar Nordahl - forward (Milan 1949-55, Roma 1956-58, 291 league games and 225 goals with 2 Scudetti and a record 5 times top Serie A scorer)

• Nils Liedholm - midfielder (Milan 1949-61, 359 league games and 81 goals with 4 Scudetti)

These first three made up the formidable and unforgettable Gre-No-Li trio.

• Stig Sundqvist - midfielder (Roma 1950-53, 78 league games and 20 goals)

• Karl Lennart Skoglund - forward (Inter 1950-59, Sampdoria 1959-62, Palermo 1962-63, 235 league games and 70 goals)

• Hans "Hasse" Olof Jeppson - forward (Atalanta 1951-52, Napoli 1952-56, Torino 1956-57, 158 league games and 81 goals)

• Bengt Lindskog - midfielder (Udinese 1956-58, Inter 1958-61, Lecco 1961-64, 211 league games and 69 goals)

• Jan Aronsson - midfielder (Vicenza 1956-58, 63 league games and 16 goals)

• Bengt Gustavsson - defender (Atalanta 1956-61, 145 league games)

• Kurt Hamrin - forward (Juventus 1956-57, Padova 1957-58, Fiorentina 1958-67, Milan 1967-69, Napoli 1969-71, 400 league games and 191 goals, with 1 Scudetto, 1 European Cup and 1 Cup Winners Cup with Milan and 1 Cup Winners Cup and 2 Coppa Italias with Fiorentina)

• Rune Börjesson - midfielder (Juventus 1961, Palermo 1961-63, 38 league games and 10 goals)

Arne Selmosson - forward- Lazio

Source Wikipedia

Arne Selmosson arrived at Lazio from Udinese in 1955. He stayed three seasons with the Biancocelesti.

In 1955-56 the manager was first Luigi Ferrero and then Jesse Carver and Lazio finished 3rd. Selmosson played 34 league games with 10 goals (Padova, Atalanta, Inter, Triestina, Bologna, Inter, SPAL, Juventus, Pro Patria, Genoa).

In 1956-57 the manager was Carver and Lazio finished 3rd again. Selmosson played 34 league games and scored 12 goals (Bologna, Atalanta, Triestina, Padova, Genoa, Torino, Palermo, Fiorentina, Bologna, Roma, Napoli, Torino).

In 1957-58 the manager was first Mirovan Ćirić and then Alfredo Monza. Lazio finished 12th and Selmosson played 33 league games and scored 9 goals (Bologna, Inter, Napoli, Atalanta, Napoli, Roma, Juventus, Torino, Verona). In the summer and autumn Lazio then won the Coppa Italia under Fulvio Bernardini but Selmosson had already left for Roma….

Lazio were in financial difficulty and had to sell but unfortunately Roma were the highest bidders so reluctantly the Swede was forced to cross the Tiber to the Giallorossi. It was a huge event in Rome as he was immensely popular. At Lazio he played 101 league games with 31 goals.

He then spent three seasons with Roma before returning to Udinese for another three.

"Raggio di Luna" (Moonbeam) as he was known played 295 league games in Italy with 93 goals. He is one of only three players to have scored for both sides in a Roman derby (with Pedro and Kolarov). He was a great success in Italy.

Sigvard Löfgren - midfielder - Lazio

Source Lazio Wiki

Sigvard Löfgren, known as "Sigge", arrived at Lazio from Helsingborg in 1951. He stayed four seasons.

In 1951-52 the manager was Giuseppe Bigogno and Lazio finished 4th. Löfgren played 20 league games with 7 goals (Lucchese, Atalanta, Bologna, Milan, Triestina, Inter, Triestina). A good first season.

In 1952-53 Bigogno started but was replaced by Alfredo Notti after 25 games. Lazio finished 10th and Löfgren was out all season due to injury. With Roma back in Serie A Lazio won both derbies.

In 1953-54 Mario Sperone started as manager but was replaced by Federico Allasio after 24 games. Lazio finished 11th and Löfgren played 18 league games with 1 goal (Triestina).

In 1954-55 Allasio started but was replaced by George Raynor after 7 games. Lazio finished 12th and Löfgren played 24 league games with 2 goals (SPAL, Genoa). Lazio won another derby 3-1 and also beat Juventus 2-1 and Inter 3-2.

He then left Lazio after 62 league games and 10 goals.

He spent one more season at SPAL. He played a total of 85 league games in Italy with 19 goals.

1980's

• Glenn Strömberg - midfielder (Atalanta 1984-92, 219 league games and 18 goals)

• Glenn Hysén - defender (Fiorentina 1987-89, 61 league games and 1 goal)

• Robert Prytz - midfielder (Atalanta 1988-89, Verona 1989-93, 152 league games and 22 goals)

1990's

• Tomas Brolin - forward (Parma 1990-95, 1997, 148 league games and 20 goals, 1 Coppa Italia, 1 Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 UEFA Super Cup)

• Klas Ingesson - midfielder (Bari 1995-98, Bologna 1998-2000, Lecce 2001, 177 league games and 16 goals)

• Stefan Schwarz - midfielder (Fiorentina 1995-98, 78 league games and 2 goals, 1 Coppa Italia and 1 Supercoppa Italiana)

• Jesper Blomqvist - midfielder (Milan 1996-97, Parma 1997-98, 47 league games and 2 goals)

Kennet Andersson - forward - Lazio

Official SS Lazio photo

Kennet Andersson arrived at Lazio from Bologna on loan in 1999. The manager was compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson but Andersson did not get much playing time, faced with competition from Marcelo Salas, Alen Boksic, Simone Inzaghi and Roberto Mancini. In November he returned to Bologna after playing only 2 league games. In Bologna he continued to do well. In Italy before Bologna, he played at Bari for a season and when he left for Turkey in June 2000, he had played 149 league games and scored 45 goals.

2000-2024

• Zlatan Ibrahimović - forward (Juventus 2004-06, Inter 2006-09, Milan 2010-2012 and 2020-23, 283 league games and 156 goals, 5 Scudetti, 3 Supercoppe Italiane)

• Olof Mellberg - defender (Juventus 2008-09, 27 league games and 2 goals)

• Dejan Kulusevski - midfielder (Atalanta 2018-19, Parma 2019-20, Juventus 2020-22, 94 league games and 15 goals, 1 Coppa, 1 Supercoppa Italiana)

• Emanuel Ekong- forward- Empoli 2021-23 (2 games), Perugia 2022-23 (9 games), Empoli Aug 2023 (2 games), Empoli 2024-Jan 2025 (18 games, 2 goals)

• Jens Cajuste- midfielder- Napoli -2023-24 (35 games)

• Zinedin Smajlović -  defender- Lecce 2023-24 (0 games), Lecco 2024 (0 games)

Sweden also had two highly successful managers.

Sven-Göran Eriksson (Roma 1984-87, Fiorentina 1987-89, Sampdoria 1992-97, Lazio 1997-2001). He won the Coppa Italia 4 times (2 with Lazio), the Supercoppa Italiana twice (both with Lazio), a Cup Winners Cup (Lazio), a European Super Cup (Lazio) and above all a historic Scudetto with Lazio in 1999-2000.

Nils Liedholm (Milan 1964-66, Verona 1966-68, Monza 1968-69, Varese 1969-71, Fiorentina 1971-73, Roma 1973-77, Milan 1977-79, Roma 1979-84, Milan 1984-87, Roma 1987-89 as technical director, 1992 Verona, 1997 Roma). He won the Scudetto twice (Milan, Roma) and the Coppa Italia 3 times plus a Serie B championship with Varese.

In 2024-25 there were 11 Swedes in Serie A; Emil Holm (Bologna), Jesper Karlsson (Lecce), Pontus Almqvist (Parma), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Amin Sarr (Verona), Alieu Njie (Torino), Arvid Brorsson (Monza), Joel Voelkering Persson (Lecce), Jonas Rouhi (Juventus), Jacob Ondrejka (Parma), Jesper Karlstrom II (Udinese).

In Serie B Alexander Jallow (Brescia).

In C Riccardo Gagliolo (Ascoli), Peter Amoran (Perugia).