Gunnar Nordahl

Born October 19, 1921.
Died Sept. 15, 1995.
Country Sweden.
Position center forward
Clubs: "Hernerfors" (1938-39), "Degerfors" (1940-43), NorrkцІping (1943-48), AC Milan (1949-56), Roma (1956-58).

Gunnar Nordahl was born in a large family in a small town in northern Sweden and was the third of five brothers Nordahl, all as one began to players. That of the offshoots of hereditary blacksmith Nordahl was the backbone of the local amateur team. Gunnar the first of the brothers changed the profession, inherited, becoming the first fire, and then a professional soccer. Nickname "Bison" firmly prikipela to him as soon as the game became the property of the broad masses. Powerfully built Nordahl was quite atypical for football at the time - with the growth of 180 centimeters, he weighed 95 kg and had a bust of 105 centimeters. With such parameters, . as well as the ability to choose the position, . uncharacteristic and extraordinary productivity of the equipment, . He rapidly became superbombardirom first in a modest "Degerfors", . then "NorrkцІping", . which has signed a professional contract,
. From basic civil profession had to leave, but before the end of a football career, he was with a light hand "tifozi" and remained "Pompiere", which in Italian is just means "fire".

. With Nordahl in the attack "NorrkцІping" a year later won the Swedish championship and the four seasons in a row did not yield the highest podium
. During this period, and formed the shock triple attack, which consisted of our hero, his namesake, Gren and Nils Liedholm.

In 1945, in a match with "Landskrona" Nordahl scored seven goals, setting a national record, which is not broken yet. It was after the match he received his first invitation to the national team of Sweden. The four years of speeches in the "Tre Krunur" he has lamented rate - 43 goals in 33 matches. In 1948, the Swedish team won the Olympic Games, held in London, and Nordahl than the gold medal won the title of top scorer soccer tournament.

First laid eyes on Nordahl Juventus of Turin. The Swede, of course, agreed to move to Italy. But "Old Signora" was already famous for its remarkable ability to divert capable players from under the noses of competitors. The eve of signing a contract with the Swede emissaries "Bianconeri intercepted at Milan some Dutch striker Plegera, around which in the late 40-ies also have a hefty buzz. Scandal - emissaries "Bianconeri lifted Pyaegera almost from the train when he arrived in Milan. The boss of Juventus' Avvocata "Agnelli, apparently, felt slightly guilty conscience, and as compensation gave way to AC Milan, Nordahl - in fact, why he now needed a Turin?

. Time has shown how miscalculated "Juventus" and his boss - Pleger never played, and his name now, perhaps, even to specialists says nothing
. But Nordahl demonstrated his ability bombardirskie full! Appearing in Milan on Jan. 22, 1949, he was a half season chop 16 goals and thus was literally doomed to become a cult figure in the club.

But the presence of precast Swede has not withdrawn from the agenda the theme of strengthening the line of attack "Milan". At the end of the season the club owners refused service Icelander Gudmundsson and the Englishman Sloan and, . consultation with Nordahl, . bought from "NorrkцІping" Gren and Liedholm, . but at the same time coach - the godfather of the magnificent trio of Hungary Lajos Cheyzlera,
. Interestingly, at the same time, the Apennines, began to play and two older brothers Nordahl - Knut and Bertil, also Olympic champions, but in games for AS Roma and Atalanta are nothing special themselves have not shown. In the vast expanses of Sweden got lost football and the fate of the remaining brothers Nordahl. On the football firmament remained only Gunnar.

. Once again, AC Milan hit the bull's-eye thing! With the usual partners Nordahl played even better, and, frankly, quite difficult to understand - who is still in this magnificent Trinity played the role of first violin, and who stole the piano
. Maybe you dare to define?

Whatever it was, now a bunch of Gre-No-Li has become a standard, the subject of imitation and envy. Elderly by the standards of football players for many years set the tone of the game team, their devastating raids causing panic in the camp of the opponent.

Even in the first season with Nordahl AC Milan scored a historic victory over Juventus on a visit - 7:1. Exhausted and embittered defender Bianconeri Carlo Parola, unable to stand, frankly Nordahl stabbed in the legs and was immediately banished from the field. And the Swede went from the lawn and ... began to console password - say, okay, next time do it! Karlett tears ... For Nordahl, incidentally, was in the order of things to beat a rival, seated him on the fifth point, and then give him a hand and help to rise from the lawn! In order of things, repeat!

. In 1950, AC Milan lost the first place in the struggle for the Scudetto, but it was clear that the championship "red-black" is not far off
. It happened in 1951 when AC Milan celebrated the first after 43-year hiatus, winning the championship in Italy. As you guessed, or seen in the dossier, Nordahl merit in this victory was more than great.

In his first Italian Shoulder season Gunnar was too late to be included in bombardirskuyu race. But in the six subsequent seasons, he won it five times! Moreover, the results in 35 and 34 goals to this day are the best achievements in bombardirskimi Kalchiev. Playing side-by-side with such aces as his fellow Swedes, Nordahl scored a lot. 210 goals in 257 matches - the best bombardirsky figure in the history of Milan! Occupying second place Gianni Rivera has "only" 122 goals ...

. The exploits of "Buffalo" entered the history of football in Italy, and legends about him, until now, sorry for the template, transmitted from generation to generation
. Nordahl was no trouble to drag on the shoulders of a few tens of meters tightly clinging defender (and even a couple) and calmly goalscoring. Despite the cavalier attitude of the defenders, Nordahl never responded to the coarseness. Usually after he joined partners, and the offer personally to settle accounts with the abuser Nordahl replied that he plays soccer, not boxing!

. While his partners settled in luxurious villas on the outskirts of Milan, Gunnar lived in a modest city apartment with his wife, Irma, and children - a daughter, Anna, Carla, and son Tom (son of late 60-70-ies
. became famous footballer, playing for Belgium's Anderlecht, on several occasions defended the team colors of Sweden). Nordahl and did not want to take advantage of its football glory. Who else in his place would be snatched from the full program, exploiting his fame ... But he failed. Or did not want. Already understand why tifozi Milan is not just adored the imperturbable Swede, and worshiped him, turning the passing Scandinavian "buffalo" in the Italian "Good buffalo"?

. Great playing for AC Milan, Nordahl, together with his friends was out of the national team
. The fault entrenched in the national football federation cretins all the Swedish players, speakers abroad, but also professionals, were excluded from the first team of the country ... So officials have been erased from the history of Swedish football a whole generation (by the way, not only Sweden has suffered a similar moronity - witness the example of the legendary goalkeeper Bert Trautmann and team Germany. Another thing is that it is stronger than the other suffered Sweden - after the failure of OI-48 Italy, or rather, its clubs have bought eight players Scandinavian team, thus turning it into a European mediocrity).

. And Nordahl could easily claim to be the most tragic figure in this list ..
. Idiotic rule was abolished before the world championship in 1958, when the Swedish national team - the owner of the championship - the time required to collect the most powerful team. But Gunnar had already finished his career and the list of candidates missed. He left Milan in the summer of 1956. With the aged "Pompere" decided to leave in order to buy popular at the time forward Karlett Galli.

Last two seasons of the Italian "Dobry Bison" held in Rome, adding to his record 15 more goals scored in 34 matches. Thus, it became bombardirsky assets comprise 225 animals. On average, came 0,773 goals per match! This is the highest rate among all scorers, zabivshih in the series "A" not less than 100 head. In the Italian "Club 100" Nordahl ranks second behind Silvio Piola. by Piola chop their 290 goals overlong career, . which stretched almost a quarter of a century, and consisted of 565 matches, . whereas Nordahl gave their goals for 10 seasons, . of which only 8 were complete! When you put performance in the championship Sweden, . "Milan" and "Rome", . get, . that Gunnar scored 376 goals in 463 games-x,
. From these figures Nordahl is an honorable 10-th line in the list of scorers in the national championships of all time!

. Having played the last match for the "Roma" 23 February 1958 and scored his last goal in the final minute at the gate "Genoa", Nordahl has left a big football
. Later, he tried his hand at coaching career. In 1959-61 he was a playing coach in Karlstad, speaking in a regional Swedish league. With a little work with a youthful composition of the "Roma". Without much success coached other teams - not all be Beckenbauer and Liedholm!

Financial impracticality Nordahl haunted him and poslefutbolnoy life. Sometimes he had odd jobs, sometimes assisted by old friends with money. When he was well over sixty, Nordahl settled tours to the tourist company - accompanied by wealthy Swedes in Italy. While in Milan, has always led his compatriots in a restaurant owned by a prosperous pilsu Liedholm, and in his spare time must attend the San Siro when I played AC Milan. In 1992, the "red-black" met in the Champions League with Malmo, and on such over-powerful Silvio Berlusconi invited to the VIP-bed of the once famous Swedes - including Nordahl. In the game Marco Van Basten hardened guests four goals (AC Milan won 4:0), and Signor Berlusconi turned to the man sitting next to a veteran: "Do not be angry, Gunnar, but Marco is greater than you ...". Swede sigh ... no answer. On the account of the Dutchman will be only 90 goals for Milan! Nordahl died Sept. 15, 1995 in the small town of Alghero in Sicily. He caught a heart attack at a time when he was in the hotel pool "Oasis". There he often stayed on duty ... Red with black vertical stripes bathing suit, in which he was found dead in the pool, became a symbol of loyalty to AC Milan.