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Sven-Goran Eriksson RIP: Our Two Interviews With Ex England, Man City, Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina & Sampdoria Legend (Ep. 450)
1.8k Plays1 year ago
Sven-Goran Eriksson sadly passed away yesterday on August 26th 2024 after succumbing to pancreatic cancer.
As a tribute to the legendary ex England, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Roma, Lazio, Benfica and IFK Gothenburg manager, The Italian Football Podcast today republish our two interviews with him, where he graciously takes on a trip down memory lane detailing his extraordinary career. From the highs to the lows and back again.
The first interview was our second ever episode published on September 17th 2020, and the second interview was almost exactly a year later on September 16th 2021.
Timestamps:
00:00 Eulogy RIP.
06:03 First ever interview episode of The Italian Football Podcast with Sven-Göran Eriksson.
46:02 Second interview with Sven-Göran Eriksson.
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Transcript
Introduction & Tribute to Sven-Göran Eriksson
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Hello everybody and welcome back to a another edition of the Italian football podcast. This is a very special edition, of a very somber edition, which we had not planned to do, which we never wanted to do.
00:00:19
Speaker
But when we were when yesterday, on Monday the 26th of August, we were reached we reached, we, like all of you, were reached by the sad news of the passing of Swenyarani Ericsson, we thought that we had to do something and we wanted to do a podcast too tribute to pay tribute to him.
00:00:44
Speaker
um And the idea that I came up with and Carlo quickly agreed very quickly agreed, or actually Carlo was the one who sent me the message saying, where maybe we should release the two podcasts we did with him um as a tribute. and And it kind of went from there because When we started this podcast in 2020, in september um the seventeenth of September, on the of September 2020, we released one of our very first interview episodes we did was with Sonya Rani Ericsson. We were just, we just started the podcast. We had absolutely no, we barely had an audience. um There was no one there.
Eriksson's Early Career Highlights
00:01:27
Speaker
and We just rebranded myself, John and Carlo and
00:01:32
Speaker
We were looking to bring someone on ah someone big on, and I managed to get in touch with Sven, and he, of course, said yes, because he was very kind, um and very which which you know which again speaks to the kind of person he was. He treated everyone the same. He didn't care that an independent journalist who you know just started his podcast contacted him and wanted to do an interview. It was more about how you presented yourself and if you were professional, he was he you know he would be he would he was very kind to you and professional back, which he was. um and so For us, and for us and particularly you know for us it's very very it becomes particularly emotional because we spent an hour with him on that first time on that very very first interview. ah one of our very I think it's the very first interview we did with anyone in football for the Italian football podcast.
00:02:27
Speaker
um where we spoke at great lengths about his career, a full career, you know, basically run down from when he joined IFK Gothenburg to how he came to Benfica, what the success he had there. Italy Roma is, you know, the success he had there when he wasn't allowed to coach on the sidelines because Italy didn't allow foreign coaches.
00:02:52
Speaker
to to be on the sidelines. The problems he had with with that aging team, and especially Bonniak, who was, according to his words, was negative, to leaving Roma, coming back to Italy, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and then obviously Lazio, was very close to winning the Scurretto with Roma, finally winning it with um with Lazio, winning trophies with pretty much every club he ever managed, um is um is is is is is it true was was a truly, truly interesting, fantastic interview and we we feel honoured that we were able to to the he to to to ah to take up so much of his time and he detail everything he remembered from his fantastic career.
00:03:39
Speaker
And then fast forward almost a year exactly later, 2021, 16th of September, we published an interview with him where he where we spoke more about maybe perhaps his time at England, um but also focused more on more um current events by, you know, he revealed to us that he'd heard that Allegri doesn't believe that Akolosovsky can read the game very well.
00:04:06
Speaker
um We spoke of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his return to the Seria, Mancini and so on and so forth.
Special Interviews with Eriksson
00:04:13
Speaker
um So, yeah, um we decided that we were going to reproduce or republish these two interviews. The first one is from the 17th of September 2020. The second one, which follows it, is um the sixtyth it was published on the 16th of September in 2021. So after this introduction, um you you will start with the one in 2020.
00:04:41
Speaker
And then after that finish finishes, it will willll go segue to the pod from 2021, the 16th of September 2021. We'll put timestamps down in the description so you can easily go between them.
00:04:58
Speaker
But ah we on yeah i hope you will hope you enjoy them and hope you share and find um the memories and these interviews as as as warm as we find them, especially now when one of the most beautiful and kind gentlemen that football has ever seen um has left us. So rest in peace, Sven. Thank you for everything and thank you for the memories ever and hope you all enjoy the two podcasts, starting with the one in 2020 now.
00:06:04
Speaker
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Italian football podcast and welcome to the very first interview episode of the Italian football podcast. We are very, very, very excited during these weekly interview episodes. We will be bringing you a special guest from the couch show world. And for our very first one, we have a very big one. We're starting it off huge.
00:06:25
Speaker
We are very pleased to welcome Sven Gorin, Ericsson, the former manager of Lazio, Fiorentina Roma, the English national team. Before we bring him on though, if you would like to gain access to all episodes of the Italian football podcast, you can go to patreon dot.com slash T-I-F-P. Again, that is patreon dot.com slash T-I-F-P. So without any further ado, we are proud and honored to welcome managerial legend Sven Gorn-Eriksen to the Italian football podcast. Sven, how are you doing? First off, thank you so, so much for joining us because this is a massive honor. How are you doing? I'm fine. It's a pleasure to be in with you. I'm fine. Thank you. Even if it's Corona times.
00:07:11
Speaker
yeah Yeah, you're not joking. It is absolutely a very delicate, awkward moment for everybody. But again, I hope you're doing well. So let's just start with the beginning of your career, particularly the beginning of your career in the CDR. So you arrive at Roma in the summer of 1984. This is following successful stints at IFK, Gothenburg and Benfica.
00:07:36
Speaker
So with Roma, you won the Copa Italia, you fall just short of winning the Scurrato in your second season, despite being level with Juve with just a couple of matches to go. So what are your memories from your first job in Italy and that title race particularly? Is there anything that you remember that stands out above the rest? Well, of course, I remember a lot of things. I came to a team who has been very successful for during and the year before I arrived there. and They've been winning the league two years before and the year before I arrived they played Champions League final against Liverpool at home and they were losing penalties.
00:08:21
Speaker
and I struggled the whole first year, a lot. With the mentality, I had a very good team, but a very old team and a very not hungry team because they had Bruno Conti, Roberto Crutso, Graziani. They were all big, big, big, big stars. They were kings in in
Challenges in Rome & Coaching Baggio
00:08:51
Speaker
in Rome.
00:08:52
Speaker
and to do what I asked them to do, to run a lot, to come on time. They didn't really like that. So I struggled. Then during my whole first year, I was not allowed to sit on the bench. I had to sit on the and the stands and I couldn't go into the dressing room in half time either. So many times during my first year in Roma, i yeah I regret that I left Ben Pica, really.
00:09:21
Speaker
But second year was much better and and we should have won the league. We second game from the We only had to beat Lecce and Lecce was over in Serie B and we didn't, so we we would have won the league then, but we didn't.
00:09:41
Speaker
As a follow-up to that, though, can you discuss how difficult it is to work in the city of Rome? People such as Fabio Capello have been very outspoken about this. It's a difficult environment with a very particular set of supporters. Is that something you agree with? You agree that this city is quite challenging to work in? I totally agree. I mean, the teams winning ah the big titles, Scudetto and Europe and so on, and Copitalia.
00:10:10
Speaker
That is you, Milan and Inter. Historically, I think rarely another team will win the the league, very, very rarely. I don't have any percentage and a statistic, but and that that's a three big teams. And if you can win the league with ah one of the other teams, like ah in Rome or Verona or something like that,
00:10:38
Speaker
That's great. that That's big, big. But the interest of football in Rome is incredible. They have their own, more or less their own newspaper coming out of Rome, Correia della Sport. And that covers Rome and Lazio. Mainly, more than half of the paper is full of Rome and Lazio. They have, I guess, four or five radio channels in in the city of Rome.
00:11:08
Speaker
And they're talking four hours, not even four hours aroma every day, seven days a week. So it's, beautiful. If you're successful, it's very tough. If you struggle, uh, winning games. I just wanted to ask you quickly, you said you weren't allowed in the dressing room and and you weren't able to coach in in the first year on the bench or or near the team. Why was that? What was the reason for that?
00:11:35
Speaker
Because they didn't allow foreigners to sit on the bench. Really? Yeah, but then in second year, they allowed foreigners, but you had to work with the Italian, you had to sit on the bench with the Italian coach. Interesting. You know, ah before me, it was lead on. He is Swedish, but he didn't count as Swedish. right He had all his life, professional life in Italy, so he was good to see Italy hasn't changed much with these with these old rules. No, no, no, Italy is Italy. Yeah, it absolutely is. Okay, well, so so moving on, after Roma, you you took over at Fiorentina, where you coached the young Roberto Baggio. So I would like to know what was it like coaching Baggio? And, and is he the best natural talent maybe that you that you coached in your career?
00:12:28
Speaker
For sure, it's one of the best. I had many. I had wine and Rooney. He was not bad neither. But you know, you know, Badu was fantastic when he came. He came with ah coming back from a bad knee injury. So in the beginning of the first season and there, he he was not really ready. He played, but he didn't play well and he couldn't train 100%.
00:12:57
Speaker
But you could already see at that stage that this this would be a big, big player. He had the more or less everything as a football player. He had the vision. He scored goals, he made assists, he could dribble. And physically he was not a mo monster, but physically he was good. He was a very strong, very, very strong legs. So he became better and better than I mean,
00:13:27
Speaker
second year we reached Europe and that was very much thanks to him and Dunga and Borgonovo. Yeah and he was my hero as ah as a kid. I used to i used to have his yellow Diodora boots and I used to want to have his ponytail but my mum wouldn't let me have it. Okay well so after Fiorentina you returned to Benfica and you enjoyed great success once again. But for for fans of Italian football, they most remember that spell at Benfica for the the European Cup final in 1990, where you lost to Riko Saki's and legendary Milan team, 1-0 in the final. what What do you remember about that final? And and and is that Milan team maybe the best side that you that you ever faced in your career?
00:14:13
Speaker
and Milan at that time was the best team in the world, the best club team in the world. No doubts about that. and I mean, if you if you only take the four engines, Gulli, Thru, Gulli, Fambastian Reicher, those, all over 190, all quick. good technique, a extremely good football player. Then you end half of the Italian natural team, or more to that, with Barrese, Acosta, Colton, Maldini, Ancelotti, Evane, Laimda. That was a great team, great great team. So, with Befica, we know that it would be extremely difficult to beat them. and And it was. I think we did, we, Befica, we did very well. We defended very well against them.
00:14:59
Speaker
But we couldn't get in behind Bariesi Kostakurta Maldini many times in 90 minutes. And you know how Milan with Saki they played. They played very, very short team. They played outside all the time, pressure on the ball. So it was very difficult to come in behind them. And we were not good enough to do that. We had maybe one chance in 90 minutes. so But we lost one in Milan. Well, nothing to say about it. They were better than me.
00:15:28
Speaker
To move on a little bit further after that, you came back to Italy, you came back to Sampdoria in 1992, and I find that part of your career, maybe some of the most fascinating work you did in your career, mainly because of the limited resources you had with the Blue Check Yati, and also the fact that you you were you worked with Roberto Mancini and Sinisa Mihailovic, two players which you had a very close relationship ah moving forward. I'm keen to hear what your first impressions ah impressions of them as people and and and players were,
Tenure at Sampdoria & Lazio Success
00:15:58
Speaker
and and how important do you think they were for the success you had later on in your career? Oh, it's a lot of things to say about that. You know, when I first heard from Sampdori, I was in Benvika. I got a phone call from someone. I don't think it was her owner, it was a vice-chairman, someone.
00:16:20
Speaker
And I was invited to Monte Carlo to have a talk about moving because my contract with ah Benfica finished. This was at the Eastern time before I started the work. I arrived there to a very nice hotel in Monte Carlo, a private plane. And I met in that hotel, the owner, the president, Montalvani, with two players, Mancini and Lialli.
00:16:49
Speaker
the And I was surprised, what what are they doing here? I thought, when you're going to ne you negotiate to with a new coach. And he presented himself, the the chairman said, ah I have heard your name, he said, but I don't really know a lot of football. So I don't really know if you're good or not, he said. to me But these two guys here, probably you know them, he said.
00:17:18
Speaker
they have put into their head that the only codes they want for the next time, next years in Santori is you. So that's why you are here, he said. So I was chosen by Viale and Mancini, I would say. it made a we We made a contract and I stayed in Santori for five years. and Unfortunately, before I started there, Mantovani phoned me and said,
00:17:46
Speaker
mr i have I cannot compete any longer with Milan, Juventus, and Italy economically. So I had to sell Riale before you start and he sold it to Juventus. So I never was a coach of Riale, even if he chose me.
00:18:01
Speaker
that's ah But yeah, it was a great time because Sampdoria was a very familiar with club and we had good scouts, bought Uh, young players like Karen burr, see door of the dome who later became great, great football players were among the best in the world. And, uh, as you said, Mancini, of course, Mancini, he was, uh, some story. He was coach. He was kids, man. He was fixing the, the food. He did everything. that He was a president as well, I think. And the captain, of course.
00:18:45
Speaker
And I met Mihailovic there, of course. Mihailovic was on loan from Roma and he was a left winger. And after some months, I told him, Sinisa, you are not a winger. He said, you are a defender. I said, no. He said, I'm not a defender. So we started to put him as a left defender. But after a while, I said, no, Sinisa, you are a central defender. And he protested. He didn't want to play there.
00:19:16
Speaker
So after some weeks, I forced him, you have to play that in another way on the bench. And he was furious. And he did the first game very, very well. And then he became one of the best in the world. He came and hugged me after every every goal he scored. And that's a minimum he could do because I saved his football life economically and by years by far.
00:19:46
Speaker
well yeah also These two players, of course, i when I went to Lazio after that, these two plus Sebastian were on these three, I wanted to take with me. Then, then obviously, Lazio, as you mentioned, too mentioned and and you got the goal i mean the the real golden age of your Italian career, where you won won pretty much everything there was to win, and another UEFA Cup final, which you lost, but you won the Cup and his Cup after that.
00:20:12
Speaker
I mean, I mean, aside from the financial backing, what do you think was a secret to this fantastic success that you had at Lazio in Rome, a city that you yourself you see yourself earlier said today in this interview, you said that it's it's a very difficult place. It's a very it's a it's a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker. That's a good expression.
00:20:34
Speaker
Yeah. The secret, one of the secrets, as you said, was that ah between Clagnotti and me we became professional friends but also personal friends and he did more or less everything I asked him to do by selling signori which was scandal according to to the Italian media at that time by buying more or less every player I asked for
00:21:11
Speaker
He should have bought Mancini, Mihailovic Ron the first year. I told him, buy these three plays and I guarantee you we win the league. put that He only bought Mancini and the second year he bought Mihailovic and third year he bought the Ron and then we won the league. So when we won the league, I told him you could have bought these two and we would have won three times.
00:21:40
Speaker
and there that minister it's enough with one it's good ah ah The only one he didn't buy, which I asked for, was Battistuta. And I can understand that he was extremely expensive and he was not young at that time when he played for Fiorentina. But he bought Alas instead, so it was not bad. Were you close to buying Battistuta? Because obviously he was going to Roma. I wanted Battistuta before he went to Roma. But at the end cryingno he said, no mister, we will never get any any kind of money back from that.
00:22:16
Speaker
so We found Salas and we bought him instead. Yeah and in you won, you finished in runners-up one year and then you won the the the year after that, after the most dramatic, I mean if we talk about dramatic squadetto deciders, you've against Perugia away, ah you winning and in Rome that that night, I mean it must have been crazy, I mean have you got any great stories to tell us from the celebrations that night because it must have been mad. The celebration was great but before that when you you finish your own game and you have done what you should do to to be able to win the league and it fell off game and finished. And then you sitting in the dressing room and I remember no player took the shower, no player changed position. They were sitting, just sitting for 45, 50 minutes waiting for the game in Parucha to finish. Parucha
00:23:11
Speaker
Juventus and it was stopped because of a heavy heavy rain coming and that's a very particular way to win the title because you sitting I couldn't sit I was moving all the time and and you cannot do anything you can only pray if you want a and hoping that Juventus will not score Perugia had scored and And that's what happened, but there were a long 45 minutes, extremely long, the longest in my life, I think. and But it's beautiful because I think the whole 70,000 at the Study Olympics stayed, more or less all of them, or extra for 45 minutes to wait and see what happened in Palucha. And when it was clear that we had won the league, that was that was a big party.
00:24:09
Speaker
Jews and half of the city, not the whole city, because half of Roma got crazy, absolutely crazy. And I lived it in the center of the city. And I should go home after hours. And it was impossible. And they recognized me. I had a Volvo and Often the traffic and I think 10 people fans were on the roof of the Volvo The police have to come take the phone and take take me by a police car is but Yeah, scary, but it was great and I think We deserve to win
00:24:52
Speaker
the league and we should have won it one year before. We didn't but as Cranotti said once it's okay.
00:25:02
Speaker
Well it was certainly an amazing achievement and and after Lazio you went to to take over as the manager of England and you know they were in a crisis when you I remember it well struggling to qualify for the World Cup And you immediately turn their
World Cup 2002 Reflections
00:25:19
Speaker
fortunes around. You thrashed Germany 5-1 in Munich, and which is a historic result. And then in the 2002 World Cup, got to the quarterfinals and and only went out to to that Ronaldinho goal, which was a bizarre goal, lobbing David Seaman from from miles out. What do you remember about that game? and And more importantly, I'd like to know, do you think Ronaldinho meant that, or was it a fluke?
00:25:43
Speaker
Every time I met Ronaldinho after that goal, I think for years in different locations football locations. I always told him, you didn't mean to score from there. And he always told him, yes, mister. I don't believe you. You're a liar. No, no, no, no, no. He said, ah of course he didn't want to score from there. That's impossible. And yeah, what I remember from that game We started very well, scored 1-0 and just one minute before half time they scored in the counter-attack, we lost the ball, we could have won it back once, twice in midfield. We didn't and they scored 1-1. Then they scored 2-1 and they got one man sent off as well. So especially what I remember was when they had 10 men and they didn't need to score a goal and we in 11, we couldn't take the ball from them.
00:26:41
Speaker
I was criticized the the whole team, but I especially was criticized in England said, why didn't you attack more? I said, bloody hand to attack. You have to have the ball. And if you can't win it from them, they, I mean, technically they, they were the best team and they were overhead, the best team and they won the World Cup. But When they just went on to keep possession, it was very, very difficult to get the ball from them. And we had to run from right to left, they changed side. And we got very, very tired. And when we got it, we didn't have the force to to attack as good as we should have done. But looking at that game, shame day, we lost it. And even today, Brazil brazil were better than we. we They deserved to win, and that's it.
00:27:39
Speaker
And you were unlucky with England. I mean, you you lost on penalties in Euro 2004 and then again um at World Cup 2006 in your last match against against Portugal, which is a game that's famous for the Rooney red card and and then Ronaldo's wink to the sidelines. we I mean, you obviously everybody knows you to be to to be a very calm,
00:28:01
Speaker
ah to have been a calm coach, a calm man, a gentleman, but a part of you must have been a little bit unhappy with with the role that, say, Ronaldo played in in the Rooney sending off. Well, roone Ronaldo was smarter than Rooney, but he was older as well, so more experienced. But what I really regret, regret what I Difficult to accept is that 2006, I think there were no better teams than England in the World Cup. I won't say that we were the best, but there were no better teams. Italy won it, but they didn't play brilliant football. Spain hasn't come to become the great team they were. Later, Germany was so-and-so, Brazil is so-and-so. No, I thought, and I think the players as well, they thought that we could reach the final 2006.
00:28:52
Speaker
And then once again penalty shootouts and of course you talk about luck. We are not very lucky because in that game we played one hour with the 10 men against the 11 and we we created chances against them and could have scored but...
00:29:09
Speaker
At the end it became as it became and what I regret there is that I didn't take in a mental coach or penalty shootout. I should have done that. But I thought the team I had was very experienced with Lampard, Jeddah, Beckham and so on and so on. But no.
00:29:26
Speaker
we came to penalties and we we we think I should have taken a mental coach for that and maybe the result would have been different, maybe the same, who knows. I just wanted to quickly ask you, speaking of Gerard and Lampard, that never-ending debate about why they you know whether they could play together or not, I've heard you say that you think they can play together and I i kind of agree with that, but why don't eat why do buy why don't you think it worked any better?
00:29:50
Speaker
well When you say that, I will put the question to you, same question as I sometimes put to the to the thermalist at that time. Okay, you do have Beckham, you have Lampard, you have Yedard and you have Skolz. You tell me, who do you put on the bench and who do you take in? That's a good question. Well, if you couldn't put any one of them on the bench and no one from the bench would even be close to the quality. These four players had different kind of qualities, but so that was for me, not even, I didn't even think about putting out one of them. Absolutely not. And for me, they could play together. And I mean, that they played, it was not the reason why we didn't win the World Cup, for sure. Final question on England. Looking back at your legacy,
00:30:45
Speaker
Do you do you feel you were treated a little bit unfairly by the British by the British press?
Media Treatment in England vs. Italy
00:30:51
Speaker
And and to follow up on that, how would you compare the British press to the to the Italian press? Because they're very, very different. Of course, I was not fairly treated by the English press, but also by the English, I think, because I was sacked because the fake shake in what they said at the end.
00:31:12
Speaker
I was not sacked because football reasons and the making up of all that story was news of the world. And that was before World Cup 2006. So they did it on purpose, of course, because they didn't care about England and the World Cup. They wanted to sell and they wanted to scandal. And they knew that they wrote bad things and not true things. Later on, a year after, I won in the tribunal against them and I got right and I got wrong, but that was too late.
00:31:49
Speaker
But my my big this ah disappointment was that I was sacked by the FAA and I told the people in the FAA, so you are the same as news of the world. You let news of the world run the country and music you you You allow them to run the FA as well, because you know it's not true. Well, it it was a chance to sack me. I would have accepted to be sacked after after the last game in Germany against Portugal, because we didn't reach semi-final or final. That would have been better, because that would have been football reasons. And at that time, they would have sacked me.
00:32:27
Speaker
because of football reasons, because at that time, Porto Final was not good enough for the press or for the fans or for anyone. They wanted more. Yeah, and we all saw what happens to the news the world after. I mean, they they but they closed down, they they they they hacked phones, they, I mean, yeah, the legal stuff. on Yeah. No, ah but I mean, how they treated a lot of people, I suppose, I mean,
00:32:51
Speaker
yeah putting out a lot of money costing them for for making up the story and then they they destroyed a lot of lives they've destroyed a lot of a lot of a lot of people's lives and they they're listening to your mobile phone for years when yes that's that's not fair of course it's not but anyhow life goes on and that's That was England, and I don't know if it's the same today, maybe. maybe but if But if you compare that to the Italian press, how would you? No, the Italian press, they couldn't care about your private lives. And they would never, ever try to to make your private life difficult to have a story. no No, no, no, no. If you lose football games in Italy, they kill you. But that's fair. fair Because that's what i that's my job.
00:33:42
Speaker
That's my professional job. If I had don't do a good job, kill me then. But you could do whatever you wanted in your private life and no one would care about that. Absolutely. That's a big, big difference. belusconi He had done a lot in his private life. He certainly has. I wanted to ask you about a little bit general about this Italian team. You're Roberto Mancini, you're the guy who who was part of choosing EuroSantoria and portfolio Lazio. He's had a really good managerial career now and he's this Italian side that he's in charge of is looking really, really exciting. um How well do you think they can do at the Euros?
00:34:20
Speaker
Well, I saw part of the games, the game they played against, who was it? Against Holland. They played 1-1-0, and I think they did very, very well. I've seen some other games as well, and Bancini is doing a great job, and I think he hasn't lost one game so far in the qualification rounds and things for for the next Giro, it is. Well, it might be time for Italy again in the next big tournament. I wouldn't be surprised, and you know,
00:34:50
Speaker
Italy, normally they defend extremely well. They are very professional. They are also a little bit dirty if it's necessary. But they can defend one against one and as a collective. And then if they found, if they can find the gold scorers, gold scorers, they are very dangerous. So they have now the Lazio center forward and he's scoring goals for fun. So who knows?
00:35:18
Speaker
And that Panchini would be a great coach. That was, I was sure about it because he lives on football. He he thinks football, he dreams football and he's doing everything. As I said, well, in, in Santolia, he was Santolia.
00:35:39
Speaker
And to have him on the pitch or in the dressing room, it's always, he always wanted the best for the players and for the team, if it was Santoria or when he came to Latvia, they say, and he wanted to win. um I just, you know, being an Interista and also being from Sweden, I have a quick question here. How close were you to taking over the Swedish national team? And also, is there any truth that you were close to taking over Inter at some point in 2010 when Mourinho left, because there were rumours of this. No, Inter, no. I didn't have any... I had the possibilities to go to Inter when I was in Benfica in my second spell. The year before I arrived to San Toria, then I had but Benfica didn't let me go. Sweden, yes, it was close once when that must have been 2008, 2009 when I changed coach.
00:36:38
Speaker
But I have just signed another contract with another club, so I could do it. But at that time, i I should have done it. But I agree. I think you could have worked wonders with that generation of players, to be honest. I think you could do that now. I think I'm the only one, one of the few people who wants you to take over the Swedish national team now. Thank you. Right. as Speaking of Sweden, I mean, your strengths as a coach has always been to build a team out of strong individuals. Glenn Sternberg spoke of this, of having him as a coach. This is your ability to build
00:37:09
Speaker
And also Vieri, Christian Vieri saying you're the best coach he ever had, your ability to build a team out of strong individuals. Yeah, I've seen him say that. um And in Sweden, there's been this debate that the Swedish national team was a better team without Slatin Ibrahimovic, who was a strong individual technical player. What are your thoughts on that whole debate? Do you think Sweden or but were better without him or are better without him? Well, that's very, very delicate discussion you're coming with. yeah You know,
00:37:39
Speaker
Sweden has been successful, you could say, during the last years. And they have a collective a team. They defend extremely well in the set pieces and in the open game. And they work extremely hard. If you take the strikers, the German lost Toivonen and Beri, the lost tournament, they were defenders and attackers.
00:38:08
Speaker
And now Tovina is away, but the the other one, he runs the whole day. But you have always a bat. You don't have a Messi. You don't have a Ronaldo. You don't have a Slaton. You don't have a young Valley. You don't have a Brolin. If you talk about Swedish football in the team, you don't have that guy who can take the ball and dribble.
00:38:33
Speaker
once, twice, and put the ball in the net easily by himself. Because Sweden, it's collective work, hard work, good work, and they do it eat brilliant. So I can understand the coach. If he wants to play like that and be very democratic on the on the field, everyone's running like hell, you cannot take in Slaton. Because Slaton, I don't know if he can, but he would do that.
00:39:03
Speaker
you wouldn't run like in Michael's parry. That's impossible. But probably would score goals. And so it's, well, it's very difficult to say what's right, what's wrong. But Slaton is one of those players who can score a goal by himself. In Sweden, we really don't have those kind of players. He's coming, an interesting one now. He signed for Juventus. I think he will, he's only 19, 20 I think. yeah I think he has something who can do things for himself. He can decide a game for himself. And Sweden needs that. And Sweden always had that. But recently, no, we don't.
00:39:49
Speaker
but Anyhow, you cannot complain on the results. jan anderson on the coach stamp You cannot I mean, speaking of the uncle says Kenya and the show and slat on recently, ah as I'm sure you're aware, so I mean, in January, slat on him, which implied very strongly that young on the show had.
00:40:07
Speaker
Wasn't choosing players with an immigrant background. And then earlier this week, when we're recording this on on the 10th of September, ah earlier ah within the last week, it's not that went out on Twitter harshly criticizing Jan Anderson, saying it's further proof, you know, Kilosevsky not starting against France was further proof of racial bias ah implying that strongly. I mean, what are your thoughts on that whole debate? What what what do you think is going on here?
Zlatan's Role in Swedish Team
00:40:32
Speaker
first of all i don't want to be involved in that debate. I don't think it has nothing to do with racist more things like that. Absolutely not. I know Jan Andes from a little bit and no, no, it's not that. I think it's more about his philosophy that he trusts the players he had for many years and he's very loyal to them. And they are very loyal to the Swedish national team and to him. and As I told you, tactically, physically, all those players who play for Sweden, tactically and physically, it's very important that they do the job, that they know how to do the job. I know Basie is playing normally from start, they know it, and they do it. You can be sure that they do it if you wake them up in the middle of the night. They know what they will do on the pitch, defending and attacking, for sure.
00:41:22
Speaker
Yeah, I completely agree. So last question here is fun. And again, thank you so, so much for your time. it is This has been great. we We truly, truly appreciate it. So our final question comes from our patron Luca over at Patreon, and I will bring him on now to let him ask you.
00:41:39
Speaker
Hello Sven, my name is Luca Criscuolo. During your career you coached some legendary Italians such as Roberto Mancini, Bobo Vieri, Roberto Baggio and a whole host of others. Of the Italians you've coached, which of these players do you think would have a spot in your England team and how would they fit in? If you if you have Baggio Mancini next time, that's difficult to put anyone on the bench. Baggio will score, Mancini will create things which nobody else normally could do. And Nesta is a defender. Well, you have to play three central defenders, I think. If you talk about these three players, they could play in any team when they were at their best. Absolutely, they could. And they did.
00:42:26
Speaker
And just to finish off, just for a bit of fun, and we like to play a quick game with you. It's a rapid fire game. So basically what I'm going to do is I'm going to go through um a very quick list and give you two options. And you have to tell us which of the two you like better. So to start off, are you Messi or Maradona? Maradona. Maradona. So Latin or Van Basten? Slathan because I'm Swedish. Good answer. Roma or Lazio? Lazio.
00:42:57
Speaker
Gerard or Lampard or Skulls? That's a draw, that's a draw. Pizza or pasta? Pasta. Sophia Loren or Anita Ekberg? Sophia Loren, the most beautiful woman in the world at that time. I agree. Nadal or Federer? I know Federer a little bit, so Federer. Finally, who's going to win the Scudetto this season?
00:43:22
Speaker
It's easy to say Juventus. Hopefully Lazio, because Lazio, before the coronavirus, they were playing the best football. They played better than Inter and better than Juventus. But after the coronavirus, I don't know what happened with Lazio. They lost everything. Next season, no coronavirus, Lazio. And they're coached by one of your former players, Simon Inzaghi, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:43:48
Speaker
What does the future hold for you now? I mean, we're hearing that you might be taking over national teams. ah What's happening? What can you tell us? Nothing. It's a lot of rumors, a lot of contacts with agents, some pre-contracts going here and there. and No, I don't know. And it's always like that when jobs coming up, agents contacts all the manager's coaches who's out of work. So I know that I'm not the only one they contact.
00:44:18
Speaker
it's a long long list so no nothing so far nothing would you be open to returning to italy yes but that would not happen you know i left italy 2000 2000 yeah 2000 2001 so that will not happen but yes of course i would and i think italian football is getting better and better italian football when i was there during the 90s that was the best best football in the world then primarily to go over and probably Premier League is the best football in the world today, the best league. But I think it Italy is on the way back, which will be very good. Yeah, yeah that's something we all hope for. we I'm sure most of us would love to see the city out return to even halfway to what it was in the 90s for those of us who remember. So I completely agree with you. Sven, this has been amazing. You've had an incredible career and it was absolutely fascinating.
00:45:14
Speaker
to have you share it with us. You have been far too kind with your time. We greatly, greatly appreciate it. Thank you so, so much. Please stay safe. And everyone again, thank you so, so much for listening to the Italian football podcast. Again, if you would like to get all of the episodes, patreon dot.com slash T I F P. So thank you all so, so much for listening. And until we talk again next time. but Bye bye.
00:46:03
Speaker
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another interview episode of the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Carla Garganese. And on today's show, we are absolutely delighted to welcome back the legend that is former Lazio Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Benfica, England and many more. um The manager of all these of all these teams Sven Gore and Ericsson. Sven, thank you so much for coming back. How are you doing? That's a pleasure. Thank you. I'm fine. Very good. Thank you.
00:46:33
Speaker
Well, hi Sven, this is Nima and thank you for joining us. um um I just wanted to start ah just wanted to start off by talking about the Serie A. Many of your player former players are coaching in the Serie A and one of them is Simon Inzagi and he's made a decent start at Inter despite losing his two best players, you could say, or Inter's two best players last season in Romelu Lukaku and Ashraf Akimi.
00:46:59
Speaker
um Do you see Unter as favorites to win the Scudetto? And one of our patrons Magnus Kaufmann from Oslo asks, did you expect Simone Nzagi to become a top coach during your time at Lazio? No, I didn't expect him to be a great coach, but he was very young when I had him, so he was not ready to take a big step like like this. But I must say the work he did in Lazio,
00:47:27
Speaker
the team during many, many years. That's great. I mean, Lazu, it's not a team who which invests a lot of money to try to win the league, but they were close many times with ah with with him, and he has done a great job there. Now he's taking a big, big step up where the pressure is much higher, where winning is almost normal for Inter Milan and Juventus.
00:47:57
Speaker
If you are in one of those clubs, you're expected to win something more or less every year. And if you don't do that, it's like a failure. So it's a big pressure on him. So we'll see how things will go. Do you think that there are the favourites to win the Scudetto?
00:48:17
Speaker
I think on the paper, I haven't seen all the games now and they just started, but I think on the paper it's one of them. and i mean They won last season, but as you said here before, they lost very important players and it's not easy to replace them. so I'm not sure Juventus, well Juventus lost from Aldo, but Milan looks rather strong. I saw them yesterday evening.
00:48:48
Speaker
in Champions League and they were almost almost beating Juventus away. They had 2-1 at a certain point. But to be fair, Liverpool, they were the better team. But anyhow, Milan will be dangerous, I think. I agree. I mean, speaking of Juventus, they only have one point from three games and Max Allegri Arba is back. But the club is, I mean, the team, that they're already in crisis. What do you think is going wrong at Juve?
00:49:20
Speaker
Well, it's very difficult to say. I mean, if Juventus is not the one numb one number one in the table, something is wrong. Juventus is a club. day They must win. If they don't win the league, they must win the cap or doing very well in Europe. So something for sure is wrong. Maybe they're changing the team. I don't know. I think to answer that question question you have to live together with them and see them training and playing every game. But it's not normal for Juventus and I can imagine inside the club with the family and nearly and so on. That's not good enough for them. I mean, speaking about a Juventus player, Dejan Koulousevski, he was tipped to become a big star when he joined Juva last year, but he hasn't really quite fulfilled expectations.
00:50:15
Speaker
um Why do you think that is? And do you think maybe, you know, do you think Juventus is the best place for him to develop? I heard something yesterday. Someone told me that the coach thinks that he can't read the game. We just can't read the game good enough. And I don't really know what that meant, but. Obviously something in the coach scene in that he doesn't trust him 100% or something like that, because with the talent Kultrzewski has and he can do things on his own. a It's strange that he doesn't play more or less every game and that he starts more or less every game. Do you think maybe they should they you that he should leave Juve then for him and Juve, that's the best thing? but i I think he shouldn't leave now, but if this goes on the whole season,
00:51:11
Speaker
that he's sitting on the bench coming on now and then, then I think he should leave because at his age and with his talent and so on, and also for the Swedish national team, he needs to play regular, if not regular 100%, but he has to play a lot. In other way, he will not go on being the great player we all hope that he will be.
00:51:39
Speaker
I mean, speaking of the Swedish national team, a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic turns 40 next month, but he's still playing incredibly well. um I mean, can you remember, in your opinion, has there ever been an outfield player, not a goalkeeper, an outfield player in history who's ever played as well as Latin is at the age of 40? No, I don't think so. I can't remember it anyhow. I know that many, many years ago,
00:52:06
Speaker
a play called Biomagren, you don't remember him, you are too young, but you heard about him, I'm sure. yeah I think he played in Alsvenskam at that time, at the age of more or less 40. But on the level Slatman is playing, I never heard about it. The only one I heard about was Dean Soffel, which I had as a chairman in Lazio. I think he won the World Cup at 40.
00:52:33
Speaker
something like that but he was a goalkeeper that's totally different. We have to ask you about your former clubs Roma and Lazio where Jose Mourinho and Maurizio Sarri are and I mean they've both made good starts especially Mourinho's been an excellent start ah to life I mean you know Rome rome is a very unique place it's ah it's a very hot environment or piazza um Do you think that Mourinho and Sarri are the perfect kind of personalities to to manage the the the Piazza that is Rome?
00:53:07
Speaker
Well, first of all, I was very surprised that Mourinho took a Roma. Normally, Mourinho takes teams which can for sure win something. I'm not sure that Roma is good enough to win the Scudetto.
00:53:23
Speaker
I might be wrong there, I know them. But it was a surprise for me anyhow. I think Mourinho, as usual, will do very well, first year, second year, then we'll see what's happening. That's the story of Mourinho normally. And I'm quite sure that the place we like him, especially the first years, it's been like that wherever it's been, I think. And if someone can do something very positive during the first years now with Roma, I think it's Norwegian. So that shall be very, very nice to see. and But I'm not sure they they na Roma or Latio can compete with Milan. And normally, Juventus and Inter. In this case, it seems to be Milan and Inter, who's doing better than Juventus so far.
00:54:21
Speaker
I mean, just the final question on this year's Serie A, I mean, Napoli have started really well as well. And some people have them as an outsider to win the Serie A. What do you make of Spaletti's Napoli and their chances to win the Serie A? But I don't know where Spaletti's been during the last year if he has done something I don't know about or nothing. Holiday. Spaletti. He's been on holiday. yeah He's been on holiday in Tuscany. He has a vineyard in Tuscany that he's been staying at.
00:54:51
Speaker
Yeah, no, but I mean, as a coach, you can't he's a good coach. You can't say and anything other than that. He's been doing very well in Italy, in Russia, and so on. So I think it's a good choice. And I suppose he's very hungry to show that he still can do it. And yeah, hungry, a success, of course. and I mean, napolipoli very special team, a lot of emotions, a lot of feelings and things like that. And I mean, if you can make Napoli work and they play good football and do rather good result, life should be, life I suppose is beautiful in Napoli. It's like ah Rome, but even more I would guess in Napoli.
00:55:45
Speaker
Yeah, well, talking about beautiful things, your your former player and pupil, Roberto Mancini, he led Italy to the to the Euro European Championship title this this summer.
Mancini's Triumph at Euros
00:55:56
Speaker
and What did you make of the victory and and have you spoken to Roberto since they won the title? No, I left a lot of message to him. Congratulations, I haven't spoken to him. But that was very well deserved.
00:56:13
Speaker
because Italy, they were the best team in in in that tournament. I guessed before and during the tournament that everything was done for England. They played six or seven games at Wembley. I think they were lucky with some decisions from the referee and things like that. So I i thought they they would win it, but they didn't and that was fair.
00:56:41
Speaker
Italy, the best team, Mancini. I can, I can talk the whole day if you want about Mancini. And I mean, he, that he is a good coach. I knew that since 20, 25 years ago when he was a player, when I had him, he, if anyone will be a coach, a good coach, that will be him because he's thinking, he's living.
00:57:08
Speaker
Football is always in his brain. And it's been like that since he was 20 years old, I guess. And they played such beautiful footballs. That's not a surprise. and And that he plays good football with his teams. Yes, it's not a surprise because he is a... Manchin is a perfectionist, you say, in Swedish. In everything he's doing.
00:57:35
Speaker
He's dressing elegant, he's training his elegant, his way of playing football is elegant. It shall be good, but good with class as well. That's important for him. Yeah, it sure was. And that's what he produced in the Euro. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And Mancini's Italy staff had a lot of former players that you coached at Sampdoria, Lombardo, Evani, Nuchari, Tasto, Salzano. I mean, a part of you must feel responsible a little bit for for Italy's victory. Viali as well. Mangini is a very ah attacked attached fide that you say you need to tell and to his old teammates and he trusts them, he supports them. He's always been like that. Whenever he's gone, Lombardo's been with him.
00:58:32
Speaker
Ivan has been there and players, ex-players, he played with them he and I think it's a very good idea and it's very nice of him to remember his old mates and he's also to trust him and also Biale made part of it, so Biale and Nancini years ago that they were a legend, both of them in Zontoria. Yeah, absolutely.
00:58:57
Speaker
and Perhaps the biggest reason why Italy won the final was because they they dominated midfield and like Italy has this golden generation in midfield. ah England though, there um there's a lot of debate about this in England right now that they struggle to produce, I mean England has a good generation right now, but they still struggle to produce central midfielders who can you know dictate and control the game like a register type. you know They have runners defensive players like Declan Rice, Kelvin Phillips, but they don't have players like Giorginio, Verati, or, you know, Ajavi or Iniesta, these kind of players who are comfortable with that with the ball, they control the game. And I think it was probably the same, maybe a little bit, when you were England manager, you had world-class midfielders like Lampard, Gerrard, but these and these guys were not registers, they weren't the kind of guys that controlled the game. um So, you're probably are the best person to talk about. If you talk about it if you talk about
00:59:51
Speaker
Yeah, if you talk about number 10, maybe you don't find it in England. And I i really didn't have it. It was Rumi or Steven Gerardo Lampard or Paul Scalls, maybe was the closest to to be that guy who controlled the game and things like that. But unfortunately, during my time, after Portugal in 2004, he didn't want to play in the national team. and and That was a bit. But why Italy won it? Yeah, good players, of course. But I was happy to see that the style of Italy won the big tournament. And the style, when I say that, it was very good at keeping the ball, but they're playing very direct. When they win the ball, they attack, they attack, they attack. And I think like a symbol, a little bit of a symbol for
01:00:51
Speaker
how they was, how they played, was Kiesa. Kiesa, I mean, he he's not a brilliant tactical player, but he attacks all the time. He tries to take on players. He loses the ball. Next time he gets it, you think maybe he loses a little bit of confidence. No, he tries again and again and again. yeah And I like that by Italy, when they won the the ball, like They looked forward. They tried to get forward. It was not like seeing Spain. I mean, Spain, that's been number one in football for many, many years and Barcelona and the style and now Manchester City and so on. But it's good to see that it exists another way to play football and you can do it with style and you can do it with shots.
01:01:46
Speaker
And that's why I was very happy. One of the reasons I was happy that he really won it. So, yeah, they played both ways. And ah just final question on international football. Arsene Wenger revealed last week that FIFA is planning to hold the World Cup every two years instead of every four years. Our our patron Mesunique wants to know, is that something you support a World Cup every two years? so Well, it's a huge tournament, but I doubt it because In one way, that will kill the Jew. And I mean, the the Jew that we played in Jew, but they do it in Asia, they do it in America and Africa and so on. So I don't think you can take away that. And then, I mean, if the World Cup is every second year and you call it a collision with the Jew, you must have time to qualify for these big tournaments as well. I mean,
01:02:45
Speaker
and If you take away the qualification or things like that, a lot of countries losing Albania against Spain, for example. I mean, that's a dream for Albania. You cannot take away that from football. So World Cup every second year, I'm not quite sure about that.
01:03:07
Speaker
Yeah, no, but I can understand people because that's money. money But I yeah know I would think twice about that people would say yes.
01:03:20
Speaker
but Just one final question on Italy. um I mean, one of the biggest talking points in in Italian football the last few years has been the lack of a number nine, a lack of, you know, the, you know, like someone like Mancini themselves during his playday playing days or Luca Toni or Philipo Inzaghi, the lack of a natural number nine that can score goals. Bellotti and Ciro Immobole obviously not functioning that well. I mean,
01:03:44
Speaker
What do you think Italy's Mancini should do? Do you think he should maybe go to a false nine and play maybe Zagnolo there? What's your thoughts on that? Well, he tries to be morbidly very much during the tournament and I don't know how many goals he's scored, not many. Two, yeah. Two, okay. Maybe not good enough for a team like Italy to have one in a big tournament only scoring two goals.
01:04:12
Speaker
But i if when you are then the of a national team, you cannot go out by a number nine. So you you have to trust what the club's coming with. And I don't know Italian people that well, so I don't know under 21 and so on if they have someone coming. In other way, I mean,
01:04:38
Speaker
He did it without the big, great number nine in the youth, so why not go on with it? and um i mean during your During the height of your career, you were one of the best coaches in the world. Which coaches impress you the most today?
01:05:00
Speaker
um which which coaches impress you the most today
01:05:06
Speaker
Well, one of them, I must say, Mancini, because I think yeah before the EU has started, I don't think many would say yeah Italy will win it. Maybe some people. But so I'm impressed of what Mancini has done with Italy. And if you see the statistic, that's incredible. Then, of course, if you want to follow the flu,
01:05:33
Speaker
it's Guardiola back in Guardiola back Guardiola and he's the best but if you're the coach of Barcelona by Munich and Manchester City with all the money you have it's easier to win than Italy winning the euro so it's very difficult to say who is the best coach and and things like that. then so So sorry Sven. So Mancini, you say he should win the Coach of the Year when they decide it at the Ballon d'Or or the FIFA Awards. he should He should win Coach of the Year this year. I think he he will be a very strong candidate to do that. Absolutely. Because that city wins the league or Barcelona when they were at e the peak. I think
01:06:28
Speaker
it's more easy not to win the league and to win it. to
01:06:34
Speaker
Yeah, um as you mentioned, ah Italy and Germany, um they they're probably the best countries in the world in producing top class coaches. And although Gareth Southgate is doing very well with England and don't forget Portugal. Yes, absolutely. I was. Yeah, you're right. Portugal as well. Absolutely.
01:06:51
Speaker
um um but and ah And if we look at, I mean, Gareth Southgate is doing well with England, and he did really well with the English under 21s as well before that. But there aren't really that many English coaches, top coaches. In fact, an English manager has never won the Premier League in in the years of its in all the years of its since it's been in existence. um In fact, not even an English manager has finished second in 25 years. That's not a good result. um Why do you think that England doesn't produce any top managers anymore?
01:07:23
Speaker
I know what you you're talking about, and I think the last one winning the first edition, that was before Premier League, that was Howard Wilkinson, he won it with Leeds. And that must be 1992.
01:07:39
Speaker
yeah ninety nine ninety yeah And that's amazing if you think about it, because you should not mention that to the English coaches.
01:07:50
Speaker
I worked with a lot of them with the national team and also in city and so on. But that's a fact and I can't explain it. Why? It is like that. It's it's very strange. And when you see a small country today like Portugal, I mean, when Mourinho started his career, he went to Inter and then to Chelsea, it seems like they're coming new new new Portuguese coaches and they got in top jobs around the world and they didn't very well. Of course, Spanish coaches, they are all over as well. So it's i can't find this I can't explain why English coaches is not are not that understand successful.
01:08:38
Speaker
yeah um Two final questions. First of all, there's been a big debate um about the European Super League um and your former player, a certain Roberto Bajo, He said last week that he supported a change in the structure of football, given the financial dominance and monopoly that the Premier League and PSG have. um Is this something you support too?
01:09:02
Speaker
No, as it was presented as Super League yeah in Europe. Absolutely not. I don't support that because that would kill football in many ways. and I mean,
01:09:17
Speaker
Brescia against Juventus or whatever, Enpoli against Juventus or whatever it is. Atalanta, I mean Atalanta doing very well now and and so on. I mean, there must be those matches when Juventus coming, wherever Juventus goes or if it's Milan or into whatever it is or Manchester City or Barcelona. I mean,
01:09:46
Speaker
for many players for the clubs it's money it's it's a highlight you want to beat Barcelona when you're a small team and if you take away that from football you take away a lot of things and I think that for football itself it would be very very bad and I was very happy to see when this came out that a lot of football players in important teams, even players in those teams who should take part of that new Super League went against it. They said, hey, no, no, no, we cannot do like that. And yeah, I'm very against that. I think you can always make it better, and maybe more teams in the Champions League or do something
01:10:36
Speaker
but keep the structure of the football and give the chance to every small team to beat Barcelona, to beat whoever it is. So, no, no, don't take away that. Well, I mean, but the the reason I think many people, myself included, us have been positive towards the European Super League is because, you know, you have state actual states owning football clubs like PSG and Man City. I mean, shouldn't do you believe that? Shouldn't that be banned as well, that actual countries and states and governments own football clubs?
State Ownership in Football Debate
01:11:14
Speaker
Well, maybe you're right. But then who who shall who shall which organization, which company, which private person shall be able to buy a football club or not?
01:11:29
Speaker
So, I mean Paris Saint-Germain, they didn't win yesterday. They made a draw in Champions League. With all the players and all the money they had then, that Manchester City is one of the richest clubs in the world. Everybody knew that, but it's not a guarantee that they will win the Premier League, the Africa for the Champions League. So I think what we're talking about is Shall you be able to buy all the best players in the world? Maybe. But no, don't put any restrictions. Let it go for a while still and we'll see what's happening. yeah bitter league I think it's it's it's fantastic because if you want to put 100 Swedish crowns or 100 euros, who is going to win Premier League this season? If you and me and 10 or 100 other people
01:12:29
Speaker
I think it will be very divided. It will not be one team who sticks out completely, yeah even with all the money a City has. It's not sure if City will be in the league. No, no yeah you're right. um Just before we let you go, we're we're just going to race through some questions from our from our listeners. um So and to start off with, Robin Baerner asks, which player playing today would you pay the biggest transfer for transfer fee for?
01:13:01
Speaker
Well, I've always been a huge fan of Messi. I mean, Messi, when he's at his best still, even with the age he has, that's art. When he gets a ball and he turns and he dribbles and no space and he has four players around him and he comes out with the ball. So that's one of them. but he his teammate and Baté, I always thought that he will have a great, great future. he He's great, but will he be a Pelé, will he be a Ronaldo, Messi? I'm not sure about it, so I don't know. I should put a lot of money on Kane, because Kane is not a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant football player, but he's a very good football player and then he's a good goal scorer. And that's what you need. yes He's a guarantee of his
01:13:54
Speaker
15-20 goals in Bernoulli. Yeah, and that's what Inter were lacking last night against Real Madrid, a goal scorer, creating chance that you got gotta to put the ball in the net. I'm a little bit bitter at today as an Interista for that loss, but anyway, let's move. Aniruddha Nagarayan asks, how do you look back on your Roma experience now, almost 40 years later? um Was it a great learning experience? It was a great learning experience and but I I think I came to Roma not in the exact right moment because Roma have been very, very successful with lead on. yeah They've been winning the league and they played the final in Champions League the year I came. But it was a player, rather old players, and they were a little bit spoiled. They were old, they were not hungry. I talk about Bruno Konté,
01:14:55
Speaker
Roberto Troopso, Graziani. We, we bought Boneyak and he was not hungry at all for success. So I had difficulties to make them be a fighting team, to be a unit team. It took me more than one year before we started to play really good football. So Lidon did great with them and he took out most of the everything we've done and then I came and I was I was suffering the whole first year but secondly I was a great year with Rome and of course the supporters of Rome and things like that that's absolutely incredible. Peter Nicolaitis asked what was it like coaching El Commandante Gary Neville?
01:15:52
Speaker
and and well Well, Gary Neville is a professional mourner in everything. And Beckham told me one of the first training we had, he said, boss, don't listen to him. He's born like that and he will die like that. But he's a good man, he said. He doesn't really mean.
01:16:23
Speaker
it's all No, General is very, very professional in what he's doing, but has that that he has to say his opinion always, and especially if it's something negative. But he was very, very much respected of all his teammates, and everybody knew how he was, and nobody listened to him. No one listened to him. It was
01:16:50
Speaker
Costa says which Serie A player that you've coached was the worst that follow in your tactics on match day? No, I had a long career and most of the players, and especially the big players, were great.
01:17:03
Speaker
and and Take Mancini, take Roberto Falcaro and so on. But I had some players and one of them was Ciri Bognac. He and me, we we didn't we didn't became friends, professional friends. we had different opinions about how you should be in a triple team. and And so that was the main reason why I left Roma. And we were not on good sides. We were fighting a little bit because of how to play and how to act and things like that. So sometimes it happens that, yeah.
01:17:48
Speaker
So um yeah ah Mark Moriale asks, he says, with the advance of high press in football or high press football, I consider Sven to be a vanguard of this exciting form of football. um I want to ask you, what are you seeing as a problem in modern football? For example, do you see that players length of careers can be shortened due to increased injury?
01:18:14
Speaker
No, high press. I mean, that's normal today. When I was in Gothenburg, we did that. That was 1982. That's why we won the title in Europe, because we did things that was not normal. And we could beat Spanish team and German teams very much thanks to that, to be aggressive and to keep the team very short and things like that. Today, everybody.
01:18:42
Speaker
knows that and it's nothing new. Everybody are aggressive. And I mean, if you take 20 years ago, a strike, it was a strike defending that, that was a job for other people. Yeah. Today, everyone has to defend. And at the same time, everyone is attacking as well. and You have a probably only two two or three players, a goalkeeper, and the two centre-halves not taking that part of the taking, but full-backs or wing-backs or whatever you call them. They are wingers. So football has changed. For sure. Dieter van Hucht asks, what was the proudest moment in your career as a manager?
01:19:36
Speaker
Well, to win with Gothenburg, I guess, it was one of them to win the league with the team in Italy, which is not Milan in Tejuventos. That's great. And with that, you we did it. And also silent and signing for England. That was a great moment. And and the first time you hear the national team of England when you're standing on the bench. That was that was beautiful. Yeah, sure was. OK, last few questions and then we'll let you go. And you had you had Andre Barry Lara says you had some wonderful players on your Lazio team. Who had the best left foot in your in your career that you coached? Well, I think I've been lucky. I had maybe the best left foot in the world and I have been maybe the best right foot in the world.
01:20:36
Speaker
the right foot was back and the left foot was Nihailovic. No doubts about that. yeah You can take Roberto Carlos, of course, and you can take a lot of right footed players, but that backhand and Nihailovic had something special with the right and left foot. That's absolutely but the best free kick taker as well, Nihailovic, maybe ever. Absolutely. Both both of them are incredible.
01:21:03
Speaker
um Mohammed Bin Shams asks, ah What is your prediction for the top four ah in the Serie A? So like from one from place one to four, what's your prediction?
01:21:15
Speaker
oh
01:21:17
Speaker
Milan, let's hope. I think Juventus more or less are among those for sure. And number four, one of the road teams from Roma.
01:21:32
Speaker
oh Now I forget about Atlanta. They are doing very well. But the three big will be there and one team from Rome. Yeah, that's fair enough. OK, penultimate one question. Basel Barakat, this is an interesting one. He says, should a manager have a way of playing that he sticks to wherever he goes? So I guess somebody like Pep Guardiola or should a manager always look to tailor the best suited approach depending on the squad that he he has available to him?
01:22:03
Speaker
Well, I think the best thing looking at that is when you take a national team where you cannot buy players to suit in. It's not like having Barcelona or having Manchester City. You buy the players you want for the money and you can buy whatever you want more or less in the world. So that's that's easy then to to play the way you want as a manager to any cost.
01:22:32
Speaker
But if you're in a smaller team or a national team, you have to think twice before you say, I want to play this way and it must be this way. Because if you don't have the players to do it, then you shoot yourself in your foot for sure. I remember when in San Toria, we bought Clarence Siegel from Ajax and he was 18 years, I think at that time.
01:23:02
Speaker
When he came, he said, he came from Ajax. He came into my office and said, we can't play like this. We are too defensive. We have to play like Ajax. And I told him, Clarence, next Sunday, we're going to play Juventus away. And if I put up Santhoria, if you put up when you play for Ajax, we will lose eight middle, for sure. So here it's Italian football. And if we don't,
01:23:32
Speaker
We had to defend when we go up there and then we might have a chance to beat them. And I met Sidot many, many times and ah he said that was a big lesson for him, that football is not only the way Ajax played football at that time. They won the Champions League and they played brilliant football, attacking, attacking, attacking. But the reality is that you cannot do that with it.
01:24:01
Speaker
anything you like. No, you can't. James asks, and is in your 15 years in the Serie A, what was your approach to managing different personalities of both player and club hierarchy?
Serie A's Golden Era Reflection
01:24:12
Speaker
Well, it was great, I think, and I was lucky to be in Italy when Serie A was the best league in the world. Every football player wanted to come to Italy. It's not like that today. Today, everyone wants to go to the Premier League, where the best players are, where the biggest money is, and so on.
01:24:30
Speaker
So when you're in the big league and you're taking in players like the team I had in Latvia, for example, that was absolutely world class. And I had very few problems with the players there because they were winners, they were champions. They were very, very professional. They helped each other. So more or less,
01:24:52
Speaker
Happy time in Italy, very happy. Thank you so much for coming on Sven and I also want to let our listeners know that and during this year's soccer aid for UNICEF, this it took place on September 4th and it was broadcast live on ITV, STV and the ITV Hub, they raised a record-breaking £13 million pounds for the UNICEF which you took part in. So that that's fantastic job on that and thank you so much for coming on. Thank you, thank you.