 Gren during the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Gunnar Gren | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 31 October 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gothenburg, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 10 November 1991 (aged 71) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Gothenburg, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Silverkällans | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strix | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lindholmens | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1937–1940 | Gårda BK | 54 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1941–1949 | IFK Göteborg | 168 | (79) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1949–1953 | AC Milan | 133 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1953–1955 | Fiorentina | 55 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955–1956 | Genoa | 29 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1957 | Örgryte | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | GAIS | 22 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Oddevold | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 466 | (142) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1939–1956 | Sweden B | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1940–1958 | Sweden | 57 | (32) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1952 | A.C. Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1959 | Örgryte | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960 | IFK Göteborg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | GAIS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1966 | Värnamo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967 | Redbergslids | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1969 | GAIS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | Skogens | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Fässbergs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Oddevold | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Johan Gunnar Gren (pronounced [ˈɡɵ̌nːar ˈɡreːn]; 31 October 1920 – 10 November 1991)[1] was a Swedish professional football player and coach. He is best remembered for playing for IFK Göteborg and AC Milan.
A creative forward, known for his technical skill, vision, tactical intelligence, and passing ability as a playmaker, he was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at Milan and the Sweden national team. He was also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, as an offensive–minded central midfielder, known as the mezzala role in Italian football jargon, or even as a striker.[2][3]
A full international between 1940 and 1958, he won 57 caps and scored 32 goals for the Sweden men's national team. He was a part of the Sweden team that won gold at the 1948 Summer Olympics, as well as the team that finished second at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. In 1946, he was awarded Guldbollen as Sweden's best footballer of the year. Gren is considered to be one of Sweden's greatest and most prolific football players;[4] a statue has been erected in his honor outside Gamla Ullevi stadium.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
srwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Gunnar Gren". A.C. Milan. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Mura, Gianni (7 March 1997). "EFFETTO SIMONI 'SONO DI MODA MA NON VECCHIO'". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "10 Best Swedish Soccer Players of All Time". Soccer Mavericks. Retrieved 2 January 2024.