 Liedholm with AC Milan in 1959 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nils Erik Liedholm | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1922 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Valdemarsvik, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 November 2007 (aged 85) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Cuccaro Monferrato, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1938–1942 | Valdemarsviks | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1942–1946 | Sleipner | 60 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1946–1949 | Norrköping | 48 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1949–1961 | AC Milan | 359 | (81) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 467 | (127) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947–1958 | Sweden | 23 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1963 | AC Milan (assistant coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1966 | AC Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1968 | Verona | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1969 | Monza | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1971 | Varese | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1973 | Fiorentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1977 | Roma | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1979 | AC Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1984 | Roma | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1987 | AC Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Roma | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Verona | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Roma | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nils Erik Liedholm (pronounced [ˈnɪlːs ˈlîːdhɔlm]; 8 October 1922 – 5 November 2007)[2][3] was a Swedish football midfielder and coach. Il Barone (The Baron), as he is affectionately known in Italy, was renowned for being part of the Swedish "Gre-No-Li" trio of strikers along with Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl at A.C. Milan and the Sweden national team, with which he achieved notable success throughout his career.
Liedholm was an intelligent and technically gifted offensive playmaker who was renowned for his range of passing and his elegant style of play; he is regarded as one of Milan's and Sweden's greatest ever players,[4][5] and considered one of the best players of the post-war era.[6] At the end of the 20th century, Liedholm was voted the best Swedish player of the millennium by the readers of Sweden's largest newspaper, Aftonbladet.
As a coach, he was in charge of several teams in Italy, managing for nearly four decades, and was known for using a zonal marking system; he is regarded as one of the most successful managers in Italian football history.[7]
- ^ Hart, Jim (8 December 2015). "NILS LIEDHOLM: THE SWEDE WHO CONQUERED CALCIO". thesefootballtimes.co. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Addio al Barone Liedholm" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2007.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Nils Liedholm". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
- ^ "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Nils Niedholm" (in Italian). A.C. Milan. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "10 Best Swedish Soccer Players of All Time". Soccer Mavericks. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Nils Liedholm". The Telegraph. 7 November 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ Glanville, Brian (6 November 2007). "Nils Liedholm". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2015.