GUNNAR NORDAHL

Played in the Swedish clubs Degerfors "and" Norrköping "Italian clubs AC Milan and AS Roma. In the years 1945-1949 had 33 matches for Sweden.

Nordal, Gunnar, who was born in a small town in northern Sweden Hornefors - one of five brothers, each of whom was a football player. All of them played in the amateur club of his hometown, once constituted almost polkomandy. In his free time playing brothers helped the father, hereditary blacksmith. This profession is in the family Nordaley passed from father to son for several generations, but Gunnar, the middle brother, the first change of tradition and in 1940 at the age of nineteen, he moved to larger cities Degerfors, where he became a fireman. At the same time he played in local club Degerfors.

The Second World War did not touched Sweden, faithful to its neutrality. So here peacefully continued to play football, when the Nazis invaded neighboring Norway and neighboring Finland fought on the side of Germany. Speaking of "Degerfors, firefighter Nordal quickly became its leading scorer, earned the nickname" Bison. " It is well suited to his appearance - Nordal differed impressive height and weight, and easily made their way through the opponents defenses, but not through force, but by a peculiar and unexpected rivals for the treatment technique with the ball. However, it is excellent to work with partners, cleverly choosing a position to get a sharp transfer.

The fame of his extraordinary abilities goalscorer came, finally, to an even larger city - Norrkoping, where he was no longer an amateur and a professional football club. In 1943 Gunnar signed my first professional contract, quit his job and moved to a firefighter club Norrköping. Here he soon showed, and the partners and supporters, was capable of.

After the first season with Nordalem in the attack "Norrköping" became a champion of Sweden, and then repeated this success is the four seasons in a row. In 1945, one of the matches Nordal scored seven goals - since the championships in Sweden, an achievement no one has yet surpassed. Just after the match, the first time he was invited to Sweden.

During these years, "Norcheping" efforts of the coach - the Hungarian Lajos Cheyzlera there was a great trio, which apart from Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordalya included and Nils Liedholm. Nordal acted on the tip of the attack, Gren and Liedholm a little behind. They had an absolute understanding, it seemed, they can find each other on the field with his eyes closed.

Photo — «Gunnar Nordahl»

This trio has been played so that the fans began to call her in one word - Gre-No-Li.

Together they have played in the Swedish team, which in 1948 achieved the highest for that period of success, winning the XIV Olympic Games in London. It was the first Olympics since 1936. In the final, the Swedes beat a strong team of Yugoslavia. It is curious that, apart from the shock triple Gre-No-Li in the Swedish team at the Olympics have also played two older brothers, Gunnar - Knut and Bertil.

That's Gunnar Nordal top scorer final Olympic tournament, scoring 7 goals, and indeed the years of speeches in the Swedish team has shown unprecedented results, scoring in 33 games 44 goals.

No wonder that after the Olympics to an outstanding Swedish striker, as other players against Sweden, became examine renowned clubs in Europe. Wanting to try out a strong Italian championship in 1949 Gunnar was in Milan. Along with him on the peninsula and moved two of his brothers: Knut at AS Roma, and Bertil at Atalanta. But the brilliant success in Italy was destined to achieve only Gunnar.

In January 1949, he spent over AC Milan their first match. Until the end of the season, to the delight of fans, the Swede scored 16 goals. However, the game did not suit the other strikers hosts AC Milan, and, on the advice of the Gunnar Nordalya, they bought out at "Norrkoping" Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm, and at the same time invited to the Milan and Swedish club coach Lajos Cheyzlera. From now on, a bunch of Gre-No-Lee again played together, inducing awe at all the other Italian clubs.

In the season 1949-1950, the Gunnar Nordal was top scorer in Italy, scoring 35 goals - the result, remains a staunch record of the Italian championships. The spring of 1951 AC Milan became the champion - the first time in more than four decades, and Nordal was again the winner in a dispute scorers, scoring 34 times this ball. In the next four seasons, he has thrice been the best scorer. He scored 27 goals in season 1954-1955, when he was thirty four years.

Some football exploits, Gunnar Nordalya now remembered in Italy as a legend. Once in the game with Napoli defender grabbed his jersey, but Gunnar dragged him along for nearly two dozen feet and scored a goal. In the match against Fiorentina in the goalmouth on his shoulders drooped just three, and Nordal and crossed with them - and with the ball! - The goal line.

But with his extraordinary power of "Bison" to distinguish between good manners and generosity.

Photo — «Gunnar Nordahl»

In one of the matches with Juventus defender Carlo Parola, exhausted devastating raids Nordalya to his goal, eventually broke down and openly hit on the Swede's feet, for which he was immediately removed from the field. The first who began to comfort him, was the victim . . .

Alas, all these years, a great trio Gre-No-Li never more has not played for Sweden. The fact that the Swedish Football Federation has decided not to engage in the national team, all who spoke to foreign clubs. This rule was abolished in 1958, just before the World Cup, which was to be held in Sweden, and the owners certainly do not want to lose face in the dirt in front of other teams. But by that time Nordal has ended football career and was not included in the list of candidates. And both of his fellow Gren and Liedholm, together with the team even reached the final, where the Swedish team lost to the Brazilian national team, then became the first world champion.

Milan Nordal left in 1956 following two seasons spent in the "Roma", having scored 15 more goals. February 23, 1958 the great Swede had played for AS Roma last match, scoring the last minute of his last goal against Genoa.

Unfortunately, being good and generous, Nordal was, however, very impractical person. He was unable to use his great footballing glory, earning, for example, on advertising and opening up a solid bank account or investing in their businesses. Therefore, further life Nordalya was not too happy.

He was returned to Sweden, where some time was a player-coach of the club, "Karlstad", then in Italy, worked with the youth team AS Roma. Without much success coached several teams, but coaching career at Nordalya obviously did not work.

In the end, even in advanced age, the great footballer he worked in the Swedish travel agency, excursions accompanied the group on trips to Italy. When they are in Milan, certainly went to the restaurant, which opened its much more prosperous clubmate Nils Liedholm. True, the legend of football club AC Milan Gunnar Nordalya in the city will never forget. Often he was invited to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza "in the box for the guests of honor.

And he died Nordal also in Italy - in the small town of Alghero in Sardinia, where he brought another group of tourists from Sweden. Had a heart attack in his hotel pool "Oasis".