Gunnar Gren
Johan Gunnar Gren (pronounced [ˈɡɵ̌nːar ˈɡreːn]; 31 October 1920 – 10 November 1991) was a Swedish professional football player and coach. He is best remembered for playing for IFK Göteborg and A.C. Milan.
|
Gunnar Gren during the FIFA World Cup in Sweden in June 1958 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Gunnar Gren | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 31 October 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gothenburg, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 10 November 1991 (aged 71) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Gothenburg, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Silverkällans | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strix | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lindholmens | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1937–1940 | Gårda | 54 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1941–1949 | IFK Göteborg | 168 | (79) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1949–1953 | A.C. Milan | 133 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1953–1955 | Fiorentina | 55 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955–1956 | Genoa | 29 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1957 | Örgryte | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | GAIS | 22 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Oddevold | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 466 | (142) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1939–1956 | Sweden B | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1940–1958 | Sweden | 57 | (32) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1952 | A.C. Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1959 | Örgryte | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960 | IFK Göteborg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | GAIS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1966 | Värnamo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967 | Redbergslids | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1969 | GAIS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | Skogens | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Fässbergs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Oddevold | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
A creative forward, known for his technical skill, vision, tactical intelligence, and passing ability as a playmaker, he was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at Milan and the Sweden national team. He was also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, as an offensive–minded central midfielder, known as the mezzala role in Italian football jargon, or even as a striker.
A full international between 1940 and 1958, he won 57 caps and scored 32 goals for the Sweden national team. He was a part of the Sweden team that won gold at the 1948 Summer Olympics, as well as the team that finished second at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. In 1946, he was awarded Guldbollen as Sweden's best footballer of the year. Gren is considered to be one of Sweden's greatest and most prolific football players; a statue has been erected in his honor outside Gamla Ullevi stadium.