- published: 24 May 2007
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Sven-Göran Eriksson (Swedish pronunciation: [svɛnˈjœː.ˈran ˈeːrɪk.ˈsɔn] ( listen); born 5 February 1948), in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish former football manager.
Eriksson won 17 major trophies as a manager, with a variety of league clubs in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, between 1979 and 2000, and became the first manager to win league-and-cup doubles in three different countries. He later managed the national teams of England, Mexico and Côte d'Ivoire, and three clubs in England.
Born in Sunne and raised in Torsby, in Värmland, Eriksson had an unremarkable playing career playing as a right-back in the lower divisions of Swedish football. The highest level he played at was Division 2 with Karlskoga, where he met Tord Grip, before being forced into an early retirement owing to a knee injury in 1975 aged 27.
Having retired as a player, Eriksson received an offer to become Tord Grip's assistant at Degerfors. A year later, Grip was appointed assistant manager of the Swedish national team, and Eriksson became Degerfors' manager, winning promotion to Division 2 in 1978.