Roger Magnusson

Roger Magnusson was born on March 20, 1945, in Mönsterås, Sweden. He began his football career as a right winger for Åtvidabergs FF in the Swedish second division when he was only 15 years old.

He stayed at his first club for five years, building a solid reputation throughout the country and even abroad. In his modest team, he was by far the best player, and it is said that he provided fewer than 90 assists in the 97 matches he played. He also scored 40 goals—incredible statistics.

In the summer of 1966, he was spotted by Juventus, who saw him as a tremendous talent. But the transfer was ultimately aborted due to Italy's humiliating World Cup elimination against North Korea. He then joined FC Cologne, where he spent one season before finally joining Juventus.

Italy, which had passed a law banning foreign players from playing on Italian soil, did not allow him to play, and he had to settle for a few away matches in European competitions. With the Italian team, he reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Not content with his playing time, he joined Olympique de Marseille, where he would experience the finest period of his career. Welcomed as one of the greatest players on the European continent, he quickly became the idol of a club, the idol of a league. On his right flank, he brought crowds to their feet with his brilliant dribbling.

In his first match with Olympique de Marseille, he scored his first goal. Technically, he's not above the competition, there is no competition, quite simply, he has no equal in the French league in this regard; he is by far the best dribbler in the league.

Very fast, he dribbled constantly, skillful with both feet, he could easily go in one direction and then change direction with incredible ease. Capable of easily eliminating three or four players in almost every match, he lived up to his nickname, the Swedish Garrincha.

Adored by Marseille fans, he arrived on loan and was finally permanently recruited by the French club in 1970 after being voted the French league's Foreign Player of the Year in 1969 for his first season. In 1970, he notably refused to join the then-great club Feyenoord Rotterdam, one of the best in the world, in order to stay in France, at the club he particularly loved.

Alongside Skoblar, he formed one of the best duos in the history of the French league and one of the best in Europe in the 1970s. His dream of winning a trophy with Olympique de Marseille finally came true in his first season with the Coupe de France, which he won again in 1972. He also won the French championship in 1971 and 1972. He also won the Challenge des Champions in 1971.

Despite his incredible talent and the love he received from Marseille fans, Magnusson was relegated to the bench when Salif Keita joined the team. This was due to the rule prohibiting French clubs from fielding more than two players of foreign origin. Reluctantly, he decided to join Red Star at the age of 29.

But his team's results were disastrous, and he was relegated to the French second division. From then on, his brilliant career at the highest level ended. The player decided to return to Sweden, where he played a few matches and scored a few goals before retiring in 1980 at the age of 35.

A Swedish international since the age of 19, the dynamic winger played 14 times for his country between 1964 and 1969, scoring three goals. Unfortunately, he was never able to showcase his talent in a major international tournament with Sweden.

- Voted Foreign Player of the Year in the French league in 1969

- Inducted into the Swedish Football Hall of Fame in 2012

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