Lars Lagerback
SwedenBiography of Lars Lagerback
Lars Lagerback is a Swedish football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Nigerian national team, known as the Super Eagles. Lagerback is most famous for his tenure as the manager of the Swedish national team from 1998 to 2009, leading them to five consecutive championships. However, he left his position in 2009 after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.
Early Life and Playing Career
Lagerback developed a passion for football at a young age and played for the team Alby. At the age of thirteen, he was selected to play for the national youth team until the age of sixteen. In 1970, Lagerback left Alby and joined Gimonäs under the guidance of Calle Lindelöf. He played for Gimonäs until 1974.
In 1974, Lagerback enrolled in the Swedish School of Sport and Physical Education, where he studied alongside his current assistant Roland Andersson. In 1977, he was invited to join the senior team. Former teammate Kjell Petersson recommended him to Kilafors' agents. Lagerback played in the fourth division until 1982 before transferring to Arbrå in 1983 and then Hudiksvall in 1987.
Coaching Career
In 1990, Lagerback secured a job with the Swedish Football Association, starting as a coach for the junior teams. One of his protégés was Fredrik Ljungberg. He worked alongside Tommy Svensson and Tord Grip. In 1996, Lagerback was appointed as the coach of an additional Swedish national team and worked with them until 1997.
In 1998, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Swedish National Team by Tommy Söderberg. In 2000, Lagerback was promoted, becoming Söderberg's partner. Under Lagerback's guidance, the Swedish national team successfully qualified for Euro 2000, but unfortunately, they were eliminated in the group stage.
In 2002, Lagerback led Sweden to the World Cup, but they were drawn into the "group of death" and lost to Senegal. In 2004, Sweden reached the quarterfinals of the European Championship before being defeated by the Netherlands. In the same year, Söderberg left his position and Lagerback appointed Roland Andersson as his assistant.
In 2006, Sweden qualified for their fourth consecutive championship, the World Cup, where they were defeated by Germany. The fifth and final consecutive championship was the UEFA Euro 2008. However, Sweden failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2010.
