Eriksson reveals in a new podcast how the coaches finally made peace
The system battle in Swedish football raged for several years in the 1970s and 80s.
Now Sven-Göran Eriksson reveals in a new podcast that Lars “Laban” Arnesson admitted 20 years later that he was wrong and apologized to “Svennis”.
– It was strongly done, says “Svennis” in the podcast
The systemic battle that took place during the late 1970s and early 1980s characterized Swedish football both then and for several years afterwards.
On one side: the national team captain, and former gold coach in Öster, Lars “Laban” Arnesson and his German-influenced football with a libero.
On the other: the Englishmen Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson, who led Malmö and Halmstad respectively to several golds, and later Sven-Göran Eriksson in IFK Göteborg who played 4–4–2 with a straight back line, pressure and support.
full screen Sven-Göran Eriksson. Photo: Simon Hastegård / Bildbyrån
Sweden’s best refused to play in the national team
The system battle takes center stage in a new podcast in three parts about IFK Göteborg’s UEFA Cup gold in 1982 – “The angels. Svennis, the super team and the golden year of 1982″ with Sportbladet’s employee Marcus Leifby – and describes the soccer ideological clash between the national team and Sweden’s best club team IFK Göteborg and the consequences it had, such as Sweden’s best player, Torbjörn Nilsson, refusing to play in the national team for several years because of Arnesson’s playing system.
It can be said that Svennis won this system battle over “Laban”.
In the podcast, it also emerges that Arnesson finally admitted this to Eriksson. Even if it took 20 years.
full screen Sven-Göran Eriksson and Lars “Laban” Arnesson together in Benfica 1984. Photo: Roger Lundsten / Schibsted
“You were right and I was wrong”
Eriksson says in an interview in the podcast that was done in September this year that when he was the national team captain in England (2001–2006) and sat watching a match with Arsenal, Arnesson suddenly came and sat down next to him.
– We sat there and watched and talked as usual. Right as it is, Laban says: “I owe you an apology”, says Svennis in the podcast.
– “What do you mean by that”, I said. “You were right and I was wrong about football,” he said. Then he’s talking about 20 years ago (laughs). But he said so.
Eriksson continues:
– “You don’t need to apologize for that, Laban. It was nice though,” I said. “Well,” he said. But it was strongly done, I think.
Arnesson died on October 1 this year, aged 87.
full screen Lars “Laban” Arnesson. Photo: Bildbyrån
2023-12-05 07:43:52
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