Nils Lidholm One of the best Swedish football players of all time Date of Birth: 08.10.1922 Country: Sweden

Biography of Nils Liedholm

Nils Liedholm, born on October 8th, 1922 in Valdemarsvik, Sweden, is regarded as one of the greatest football players in the history of Sweden. He was a prominent member of the legendary Swedish trio Grena-Nordahl-Liedholm, which shined at AC Milan in the early 1950s. Liedholm played as a midfielder and his career spanned over a quarter of a century.

Early Career and Club Achievements
Liedholm started his career at Sleipner and Valdemarsvik in Sweden before joining Norrkoping in 1946. In 1949, he made a move to AC Milan in Italy, where he played until 1961. During his time at Milan, Liedholm won four Serie A titles, becoming a key figure in the team's success. He played a total of 407 official matches for Milan, scoring 103 goals.

International Career
Liedholm represented the Swedish national team in 23 matches between 1947 and 1958, scoring 10 goals. He also played a crucial role in Sweden's success at the 1948 Olympic Games, where they won the gold medal.

Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Liedholm embarked on a successful coaching career. He served as the head coach of AC Milan on three different occasions (1964-1966, 1977-1979, 1984-1987), leading the team to two Serie A titles and three Coppa Italia victories. He also coached several other Italian clubs, including Verona, Monza, Fiorentina, and Roma. Liedholm achieved great success with Roma, guiding them to their first Serie A title in 1983.

Personal Life and Legacy
Off the field, Liedholm was known for his intelligence, elegance, and gentlemanly demeanor, which earned him the nickname "Barone" (Baron). Interestingly, he was not only known as the Baron but was actually a genuine baron. Liedholm married the Piedmontese baroness Dona Nina, which granted him an aristocratic title.

Liedholm's coaching methods were characterized by his innovative use of zonal defending, which he developed from his background in bandy, a popular winter sport in Sweden. He believed in the importance of teamwork and collective play in football.

Nils Liedholm's long and successful career as both a player and a coach played a significant role in shaping the history of Swedish and Italian football. His contributions to AC Milan and Roma, as well as his impact on the development of zonal defending, cemented his status as one of the greatest figures in the sport.