Nils Liedholm

1943/46 IK Sleipner (SWE) 60 matches, 24 goals

1946/49 IFK Norrköpping (SWE) 48 matches, 22 goals

1949/61 AC Milan (ITA) 394 matches, 89 goals

(Italian Championship: 359 matches, 81 goals)

(Italian Cup: 3 matches, 1 goal)

(European Champion Clubs' Cup: 18 matches, 2 goals)

(Latin Cup: 9 matches, 3 goals)

(Franco-Italian Friendship Cup: 5 matches, 2 goals)

With the National Team :

23 caps, 12 goals

(Friendly matches: 12 caps, 4 goals)

(World Cup Qualification: 1 selection, 1 goal)

(World Cup: 5 caps, 2 goals)

(Nordic Championship: 5 selections)

1st selection: June 15, 1947 against Denmark (4-1)

Last selection: June 29, 1958 against Brazil (2-5)

B: 1 selection

Nils Erik Liedholm

Born October 8, 1922 in Valdemarsvik (SWE)

Died on November 5, 2007 in Cuccaro Monferrato (ITA)

Swedish, Attacking Midfielder, 1m82

Nicknames: “Il barone”, Lidas, “Il Conte”

Nils Liedholm was a tall, elegant, durable player with exceptional technical quality. He was also known for his great passing skills, but also for his very strong physique. Nicknamed "Il Conte" or "Il Barone" by Milanese fans, in the 1950s with Gunnar Nordhal and Gunnar Gren he formed the first trio of world-class foreign footballers for AC Milan, the "Gre-No"Li, one of the most legendary trios of all time.

Initially an excellent player of Bandy, a variation of ice hockey, Nils Liedholm chose to move more seriously into the world of football. He did his youth classes in the Waldemarsviks SI club then joined IK Sleipner then IFK Norrköping. In Sweden, he plays in this central attacking midfielder position where he excels with his incredible vision of the game. In total, he plays 108 professional matches in Sweden for 46 goals. While still at IFK Norrköping, he played in the 1948 Olympic Games which he won in London with players like Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl at his side. This is the birth of the incredible Swedish golden generation and the trio "Gre-No-Li".

After the Second World War, Italy, which was at its lowest point, had to recruit big names in football for its image. Liedholm was perfect, after all, he had been named 'player of the millennium' by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. The future of calcio required an influx of talent.

Liedholm therefore joined the legendary AC Milan team in 1949 as an indisputable starting player. Liedholm was known for his professionalism, having been a great runner in his youth, competing in 500 and 3000 meter races. He had also tried shot put and javelin throw. These techniques allowed him to develop a very rare characteristic, he made hand throws which could go from the touchline to the penalty area.

The Swedish player had such quality that it is said that once against Juventus, he missed a pass and the public laughed, applauding for 5 minutes, laughing at this missed pass, such a rare occurrence for the player. Immensely revered by fans, he remains a legend at two giants of Italian football: AS Roma for his unprecedented success as a coach, and AC Milan for his finest days on the pitch and his brutal style in out.

With AC Milan, he will dominate Italy with 4 Italian champion trophies: 1955, 1957, 1958 and 1959. But there is also the disappointment of the 1958 Champions League final lost 3-2 against Real Madrid in overtime. This year 1958 was the saddest for him, in addition to losing this Champions League in the final, he also lost the World Cup final against Brazil and a very young Pelé.

At the end of his career, while he was in good shape at the age of 37, “Il Barone” suffered serious food poisoning. Simple seafood that almost cost him his life and forced him to cut short his playing career. In all, the most Italian of the Swedes played 359 league matches with AC Milan, scoring 81 goals. . Died in 2002 in Piedmont, Nils Liedholm leaves the lasting memory of a player focused on technique and a technician focused on the game. A man of rare character, passionate and exciting. “Football coach is the best job in the world, too bad there are matches.” A sentence which clearly illustrates his love for the game which took precedence over the harsh law of results.

- Voted best player of the 20th century in a poll by the Swedish newspaper "Aftonbladet"

- Inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame

- Inducted into the AC Milan Hall of Fame

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