Gunnar Gren

Gunnar Gren
Gunnar Gren.jpg
Personal information
Date of birth October 31, 1920
Place of birth Gårda, Sweden
Date of death November 10, 1991(1991-11-10) (aged 71)
Place of death Göteborg, Sweden
Playing position Forward
Youth career
Silverkällans IK
BK Strix
Lindholmens BK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1936–1937 Göteborgs AIK
1938–1941 Gårda BK 54 (16)
1941–1949 IFK Göteborg 168 (79)
1949–1953 AC Milan 133 (38)
1953–1955 AC Fiorentina 55 (5)
1955–1956 Genoa CFC 29 (2)
1956–1957 Örgryte IS
National team
1939–1958 Sweden 57 (32)
Teams managed
1952 A.C. Milan
1956–1959 Örgryte IS
1960 IFK Göteborg
1961 Juventus F.C.
1963–1964 GAIS
1965–1966 IFK Värnamo
1967 Redbergslids IK
1968–1969 GAIS
1970 Skogens IF
1973 Fässbergs IF
1976 IK Oddevold
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
Olympic medalist
Medal record
Competitor for  Sweden
Men's Football
Gold 1948 London Team Competition

Gunnar Gren (October 31, 1920 – November 10, 1991) was a Swedish football player and coach. He is best known for playing for IFK Gothenburg and AC Milan. He was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team. Gren has won numerous awards including an Olympic Gold Medal in 1948, Guldbollen in 1946, and was a part of the 1958 Swedish National Team that took second place. Gren is considered to be one of Sweden's most prolific football players and a statue has been erected in his honor outside of Gamla Ullevi stadium.

Contents

Early years

Gunnar Gren was born 31 October 1920 to parents Joahn Olsson and Gerda Maria Olsson. Gren, a son of a carpenter, grew up in Majorna, Gothenburg.[1] From a young age, Gren excelled in football. On October 7, 1934, Gothenburg Football Association President Carl "Ceve" Linde held a juggling contest. He won his first sporting prize - a bronze plaque. Göteborgs Sport Bladet wrote about 13 year old Gunnar's skills and how he outshone some of the big boy in the national league. The then, 13-year-old Gunnar played for Bollklubben Strix.[2] During his youth, he played for Lindholmens BK and GAIK before playing Gårda BK.

Club career

Garda BK

In 1937, he started playing for Gårda BK. He made his Allsvenskan debut on September 1, 1938 against Malmö FF which resulted in a scoreless draw. During his time there, he played a total of 54 matches scoring 16 goals.[3]

IFK Goteborg

In 1942, he was recruited by IFK Gothenburg. During that time, Gren won one national championships in the 1941/42 season and was top scorer in 1947. He won the first ever Guldbollen in 1946.[4] In August 1941, IFK played against Gårda BK winning 6-1 with Gunnar Gren scoring the first goal. His last game played was on June 6, 1949 verses IFK Norrköping at Gamla Ullevi in which IFK loss 0-1. He had played 164 matches for "Blue" and scored 78 goals.

AC Milan

On September 11, 1949, he made his debut for AC Milan against Sampdoria-Milan, 1-3. During his time with AC Milan, he became the 'Gre' part of the famous Gre-No-Li trio with his international teammates Gunnar Nordahl ('No') and Nils Liedholm ('Li').[5] He also earned the nickname the "Il Professore " which translates to the professor.[6] While at AC Milan, he won the League Title for the 1950/51 Season. He made 133 appearances in Serie A and scored 38 goals.[7] Gren also managed AC Milan in 1952 before moving to AC Fiorentina.

AC Fiorentina/Genoa CFC/ Örgryte IS

In 1953, Gren moved to AC Fiorentina where he made 55 appearances and scored 5 goals. Then in 1955, Gren moved to Genoa CFC here he made 29 appearances and 2 goals.[8] Tired of Italy, Gren decided to move back to Sweden. In 1956, Gren returned to Gothenburg where he played for Örgryte IS as player-manager. Gren left in 1959 and played for GAIS in 1963.[9]

International career

Gre-No-Li playing for AC Milan, 1950

Gren made his debut for Sweden on August 29, 1940 in the team's 3-2 win over Finland. His last cap for the team came on October 26, 1958 against Denmark in a 4-4 draw. At the time, Gren was 37 years, 360 days old. He was a member of the Sweden team that were runners-up in the 1958 World Cup. He is most remembered for his goal against West Germany during the 1958 World Cup semi-finals, which eliminated the defending champions from the tournament. In all, Gren made 57 appearances for the national team, scoring 32 goals. Gren was also a part of the team that won a gold medal in the 1948 Olympics in London.

Management

Whilst at AC Milan, Gren managed the team in 1952. Also, Gran managed both Örgryte IS and GAIS as player manager. After retiring as a player, Gren managed several teams. Gren became co-manager for Juventus for a brief period in 1961 along with Július Korostelev. Gren then managed for GAIS[10], IFK Värnamo, Redbergslids IK, Skogens IF, IK Oddevold and Fässbergs IF.

Retirement

Gren retired from football in the 1970s. He died ten days after his 71st birthday and is buried in Västra Kyrkogården (Western Cemetery), Gothenburg, Västra Götaland, Sweden.

Awards & Honors

Statue of Gunnar Gren outside of Gamla Ullevi stadium.

IFK Göteborg

AC Milan

Swedish National Team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/sport/guldbollen/1946.html
  2. ↑ http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/sport/guldbollen/1946.html
  3. ↑ http://www.gardabk.se/historia/spelare/g_gren.htm
  4. ↑ http://svenskfotboll.se/svensk-fotboll/historia/fotbollsgalan/guldbollen/
  5. ↑ http://www.acmilan.com/infopage.aspx?id=84909
  6. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0340177/bio
  7. ↑ http://www.enciclopediadelcalcio.com/Gren.html
  8. ↑ http://www.enciclopediadelcalcio.com/Gren.html
  9. ↑ http://www.gais.se/fotboll/gais.nsf/0/4E4928BCAD4F49D8C1256F16003A6357
  10. ↑ http://www.gais.se/Fotboll/gais.nsf/default

External links

Allsvenskan Top Scorers

1925: Johansson • 1926: Holmberg • 1927: Olsson • 1928: Holmberg • 1929: Lundahl • 1930: Lundahl • 1931: Nilsson • 1932: Holmberg • 1933: Bunke • 1934: Jonasson • 1935: Andersson • 1936: Jonasson • 1937: Zethlerlund • 1938: Hjelm • 1939: Andersson & Lindgren & Persson • 1940: Pålsson • 1941: Nyström • 1942: Jacobsson • 1943: Nordahl • 1944: Larsson • 1945: Nordahl • 1946: Nordahl • 1947: Gren • 1948: Nordahl • 1949: Franck • 1950: Rydell • 1951: Jeppson • 1952: Jacobsson • 1953: Jacobsson • 1954: Jacobsson • 1955: Hamrin • 1956: Bengtsson • 1957: Bild • 1958: Johansson & Källgren • 1959: Börjesson • 1960: Börjesson • 1961: Johansson • 1962: Skiöld • 1963: Heinermann & Larsson • 1964: Granbom • 1965: Larsson • 1966: Kindvall • 1967: Szepanski • 1968: Eklund • 1969: Almqvist • 1970: Larsson • 1971: Sandberg • 1972: Edström & Sandberg • 1973: Mattsson • 1974: Mattsson • 1975: Mattsson • 1976: Backe • 1977: Almqvist & Aronsson • 1978: Berggren • 1979: Werner • 1980: Ohlsson • 1981: Nilsson • 1982: Corneliusson • 1983: Ahlström • 1984: Ohlsson • 1985: Börjesson & Karlsson & Lansdowne • 1986: Ekström • 1987: Larsson • 1988: Dahlin • 1989: Hellström • 1990: Eskelinen • 1991: Andersson • 1992: Eklund • 1993: Bertilsson & Lilienberg • 1994: Kindvall • 1995: Skoog • 1996: Andersson • 1997: Lilienberg & Mattiasson & Sahlin • 1998: Stavrum • 1999: Allbäck • 2000: Berglund • 2001: Selakovic • 2002: Ijeh • 2003: Skoog • 2004: Rosenberg • 2005: Þorvaldsson • 2006: Ari • 2007: Berg & Omotoyossi • 2008: Ingelsten 2009: Hysén & Wanderson 2010: Gerndt
Guldbollen
1946: Gunnar Gren | 1947: Gunnar Nordahl | 1948: Bertil Nordahl | 1949: Knut Nordahl | 1950: Erik Nilsson | 1951: Olle Åhlund | 1952: Kalle Svensson | 1953: Bengt Gustavsson | 1954: Sven-Ove Svensson | 1955: Gösta Löfgren | 1956: Gösta Sandberg | 1957: Åke 'Bajdoff' Johansson | 1958: Orvar Bergmark | 1959: Agne Simonsson | 1960: Torbjörn Jonsson | 1961: Bengt Nyholm | 1962: Prawitz Öberg | 1963: Harry Bild | 1964: Hans Mild | 1965: Bo Larsson | 1966: Ove Kindvall | 1967: Ingvar Svahn | 1968: Björn Nordqvist | 1969: Tommy Svensson | 1970: Jan Olsson | 1971: Ronnie Hellström | 1972: Ralf Edström | 1973: Bo Larsson | 1974: Ralf Edström | 1975: Kent Karlsson | 1976: Anders Linderoth | 1977: Roy Andersson | 1978: Ronnie Hellström | 1979: Jan Möller | 1980: Rolf Zetterlund | 1981: Thomas Ravelli | 1982: Torbjörn Nilsson | 1983: Glenn Hysén | 1984: Sven Dahlkvist | 1985: Glenn Strömberg | 1986: Robert Prytz | 1987: Peter Larsson | 1988: Glenn Hysén | 1989: Jonas Thern | 1990: Tomas Brolin | 1991: Anders Limpar | 1992: Jan Eriksson | 1993: Martin Dahlin | 1994: Tomas Brolin | 1995: Patrik Andersson | 1996: Roland Nilsson | 1997: Pär Zetterberg | 1998: Henrik Larsson | 1999: Stefan Schwarz | 2000: Magnus Hedman | 2001: Patrik Andersson | 2002: Fredrik Ljungberg | 2003: Olof Mellberg | 2004: Henrik Larsson | 2005: Zlatan Ibrahimović | 2006: Fredrik Ljungberg | 2007: Zlatan Ibrahimović | 2008: Zlatan Ibrahimović | 2009: Zlatan Ibrahimović | 2010: Zlatan Ibrahimović
Sweden squad – 1948 Summer Olympics Gold Medalists
MC Andersson • AT Carlsson • DF Emanuelsson • AT Gren • AT Jönsson • MC Leander • AT Liedholm • G Lindberg • DF E. Nilsson • AT S. Nilsson • MC B. Nordahl • AT G. Nordahl • MC K. Nordahl • MC Rosén • MC Rosengren • G Svensson • Coach: Raynor
 Sweden
Sweden squad – 1958 FIFA World Cup Runners-up
1 K. Svensson • 2 Bergmark • 3 Axbom • 4 Liedholm • 5 Johansson • 6 Parling • 7 Hamrin • 8 Gren • 9 Simonsson • 10 Selmosson • 11 Skoglund • 12 T. Svensson • 13 Öberg • 14 Gustavsson • 15 Börjesson • 16 Haraldsson • 17 Håkansson • 18 Löfgren • 19 Källgren • 20 Mellberg • 21 Berndtsson • 22 Olsson • Coach: Raynor
 Sweden
A.C. Milan – Managers

Kilpin (1900–06) · Angeloni (1906–07) · Technical commission (1907–10) · Camperio (1910–11) · Technical commission (1911–14) · Moda (1915–22) · Oppenheim (1922–24) · Pozzo (1924–26) · Moda (1926) · Burgess (1926–28) · König (1928–31) · Bánás (1931–33) · Viola (1933–34) · Baloncieri (1934–37) · Garbutt (1937) · Felsner (1937–38) · Viola (1938–40) · Ara (1940–41) · Magnozzi (1941–43) · Santagostino (1943–45) · Baloncieri (1946) · Bigogno (1946–49) · Czeizler (1949–52) · Gren (1952) · Sperone (1952–53) · Guttmann (1953–54) · Busini (1954) · Puricelli (1954–56) · Viani (1957–60) · Todeschini (1960–61) · Rocco (1961–63) · Carniglia (1963–64) · Liedholm (1963–66) · Cattozzo (1966) · Silvestri (1966–67) · Rocco (1967–73) · Maldini (1973–74) · Trapattoni (1974) · Giagnoni (1974–75) · Trapattoni (1975–76) · Barison (1976) · Marchioro (1976–77) · Rocco (1977) · Liedholm (1977–79) · Giacomini (1979–81) · Radice (1981–82) · Galbiati (1982) · Castagner (1982–84) · Galbiati (1984) · Liedholm (1984–87) · Capello (1987) · Sacchi (1987–91) · Capello (1991–96) · Tabárez & Morini (1996) · Sacchi (1996–97) · Capello (1997–98) · Zaccheroni (1998–2001) · Maldini (2001) · Terim (2001) · Ancelotti (2001–09) · Leonardo (2009–10) · Allegri (2010–)
Örgryte IS – Managers

King (1909–10) · Bunyan (1911–12) · Lindberg (1918) · Carr (1920) · Puddefoot (1927–28) · Friberg (1930–31) · Slade (1932–33) · Chapman (1933) · Rydell (1934–35) · Wiberg (1935–36) · Slade (1936–37) · Carlund (1937–38) · Billing (1938–40) · Zachrisson (1940–41) · Holmgren (1942–43) · Granath (1943–44) · Magnusson (1944–45) · Granath (1945–48) · Wampetits (1949–50) · Granath (1951–53) · Bengtsson (1953–54) · Magnusson (1954–56) · Gren (1956–59) · Adamek (1960) · Larsson (1961–63) · Probst (1964–65) · Larsson (1966–70) · Simonsson (1971–72) · Börjesson (1973) · Huntley (1974–75) · Wing (1976) · Hallén (1976) · Berghamn (1977–78) · Larsson (1979–82) · Simonsson (1983–86) · Houghton (1987–88) · Karlsson (1989–90) · Nilsson (1991–93) · Björklund (1994–97) · Backman (1998) · Hamrén (1998–2003) · Ikäläinen (2004) · Lukić (2005–06) · Börjesson (2006) · J. Carlsson (2007–09) · Hareide (2009) · Andersson (2009–)
IFK Göteborg – Managers

Bródy (1921–23) · Svensson (1924–29) · Hjelm (1930) · Svensson (1931–32) · Hjelm (1933–38) · Morris (1938–40) · Andersson (1941–42) · Svensson (1943) · Nagy (1943–48) · Mahon (1949–53) · Ohlsson (1953–54) · Probst (1954–59) · Stroh (1959–60) · Gren (1960) · Hansson (1961–62) · Brodd (1963–66) · Johansson (1967–70) · Karlsson (1971–73) · Hansson (1974) · Berghamn (1975–76) · Karlsson (1977–78) · Eriksson (1979–82) · Bengtsson (1982) · Westerberg (1983–84) · Bengtsson (1985–87) · Pettersson (1988–89) · Gustafsson (1990–95) · Jingblad (1996–98) · Almqvist (1998–99) · Lundin (1999–2002) · Gustafsson (2002) · Johansson (2003–04) · Erlandsen (2004–06) · Pettersson (2006) · Rehn & Olsson (2007–)
Juventus F.C. – Managers

Károly (1923–26) · Viola (1926–28) · Aitken (1928–30) · Carcano (1930–35) · Bigatto (1935) · Rosetta (1935–39) · Caligaris (1939–41) · Munerati (1941) · Ferrari (1941–42) · Monti (1942) · Borel (1942–46) · Cesarini (1946–48) · Chalmers (1948–49) · Carver (1949–51) · Bertolini (1951) · Sárosi (1951–53) · Olivieri (1953–55) · Puppo (1955–57) · Broćić (1957–59) · Depetrini (1959) · Cesarini (1959–61) · Parola (1961) · Gren (1961) · Parola (1961–62) · Amaral (1962–64) · Monzeglio (1964) · Herrera (1964–69) · Carniglia (1969–70) · Rabitti (1970) · Picchi (1970–71) · Vycpálek (1971–74) · Parola (1974–76) · Trapattoni (1976–86) · Marchesi (1986–88) · Zoff (1988–90) · Maifredi (1990–91) · Trapattoni (1991–94) · Lippi (1994–99) · Ancelotti (1999–2001) · Lippi (2001–04) · Capello (2004–06) · Deschamps (2006–07) · Corradini (2007) · Ranieri (2007–09) · Ferrara (2009–10) · Zaccheroni (2010) · Delneri (2010–)
GAIS – Managers

Holmgren (1938–40) · Holmgren & Holmberg (1940–41) · Holmgren & Liljebjörn (1941–42) · Liljebjörn (1942–43) · Jernsten (1943–47) · Raynor & Jernsten (1947–48) · Jernsten (1948–49) · Wolf (1949–50) · Wolf & Ekstrand & Jacobsson (1950–51) · Ahlström (1951–52) · Jacobsson (1952–54) · Hallberg (1954–55) · Hallberg & Rosenqvist (1955–56) · Rosenqvist & Grahn (1956–57) · Grahn (1957–59) · Thorstensson (1960–61) · Takács (1962) · G. Gren (1963–64) · Hansson (1965–67) · G. Gren (1968–69) · Hansson (1970–72) · Varszegi (1973–75) · Varszegi & Jingård (1976) · Lindqvist (1977) · Hedén (1978–79) · Lilledal (1980) · Nilsson (1981) · Falk (1982–90) · Falk & Kristesen (1991) · Falk (1992) · Strömberg (1993–95) · Strömberg & Falk (1996) · H. Gren (1997–98) · Ottordal (1999–2000) · Ottordal & Kierdorf (2001) · Ottordal (2002) · Jacobsson (2003) · Nilsson (2004–07) · Pehrsson (2008) · Axén (2009–)