For obvious reasons, Swedish football occupies a special place in the hearts of many Lazio supporters. This bond was forged thanks to the heroics of one man. Of course, we’re talking about legendary manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Sadly, the iconic manager has recently lost his battle with cancer. Nevertheless, his absence would do little to hinder his undying memory among Biancocelesti supporters. While mourning the late coach, Lazio President Claudio Lotito described him as the greatest manager in the club’s history. And with a Scudetto title, two Coppa Italia trophies, two Italian Super Cups, a UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup and a UEFA Super Cup to his name, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
But while Eriksson remains the most famous Swede to leave his mark at the Stadio Olimpico, he wasn’t the first one to do so. In fact, the club’s Swedish connection dates all the way back to the 1950s.
And with Swedish football continuing to produce talented stars – the likes of Dejan Kuluseveski and Alexander Isak – perhaps Lazio will manage to poach the services of a Blågult in the future, says author Mikael at spelbolagutansvensklicens.co. For more information about Swedish football, visit spelbolagutans
So let’s take a closer look at the three Swedish players who represented Lazio during their playing days.
Sigvard Löfgren
Sigvard Löfgren was born in Ronneby and started his career at his hometown club before moving to Helsingborg. Nevertheless, the midfielder hit the peak of his stardom while plying his trade in Italian football, particularly his Lazio stint between 1951 and 1955.
The Swede made 62 appearances for the Italian capital side, contributing with ten goals. He then spent another year in the Peninsula at SPAL before making his way back to his native country. Löfgren had another spell with Ronneby before ending his career at Salto BK in 1965. The midfielder passed away in April 1996.
Arne Selmosson
After parting ways with Löfgren, Lazio immediately brought in a new Swede in the shape of Arne Selmosson. The latter signed for the Aquile in 1955 following a brief spell at Udinese and remained until 1958. The attacker made 101 appearances for the Biancocelesti, scoring 30 goals in the process.
At the end of his three-year stint, the Gotene native became one of the few players in history to make the cross-city switch from Lazio to Roma. The Swede passed away in 2002, aged 70.
Kennet Andersson
To this day, Kennet Andersson remains the last Swede to don the Lazio jersey. The striker signed for the Italian capital side in the summer of 1999, completing a loan switch from Bologna. However, the big bomber only made a couple of appearances for the club before returning to the Renato Dall’Ara in the middle of the season.