Jasper said:
I have a user in both of them and I usually quote other pieces.
Good reading @XT -
http://www.xtratime.org/forum/showthread.php?t=70573
jasper you are a legend thanks for the link its just fucking awesome
for the info
one more article on the legendary swede trio
he year 1950 grants Milan with an historic win, in Turin, led by the Swedish Trio Gre-No-Li, the great protagonists. The victim is Juventus, thumped 7-1, at home, and above all their midfielder, Parola, sent off after kicking Nordhal. An ugly episode of the game, that however, would not compromise their friendship.
By Carlo Pellegatti.
An historic and unforgettable date, this far, very far day of 05 February 1950. The Milan of the Legendary Swedish Trio of Gre-No-Li beats Juventus 7-1 at the Stadio Comunale (Torino), thanks to a hat-trick from Nordhal and goals from Liedholm, Gren, Burini and Candiani. It's also in that day was born the Great Milan of the Swedish, that during the following season, would win, the fourth Scudetto of the History of the club, after a 44 years wait since the last title. Before starting relating that unforgettable game, let us spend some time understanding who were Gunnar Nordhal, Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm, the fantastic Swedish Trio, that the President Umberto Trabattoni wanted at all cost in his project for Milan, a project that would make the team win the Scudetto within a short period, the Scudetto, that the Rossoneri would win the following season.
The first to join Milan is Gunnar Nordhal, in 1949, a centre forward of a rare physical strength, devastating, who had just won, the year before, the London Olimpic games, with his National Team. And it is also Nordhal, that after the insistence of the Milan president, convinced his two other compatriots, Liedholm and Gren, to sign for the club. It is around these three, that team manager, Toni Busini, is trying to build a competitive team, whose bench was allocated to Lajos Czeizler and with a great champion in the net such as Lorenzo Buffon.
Gunnar Nordhal is among the strongest centre forwards ever seen in Italy. Legend has it that once, an opponent held his jersey in an desperate attempt to stop him, but he was simply pulled by Nordhal for over a good ten metres before finally scoring a goal. So powerful physically, yet such a fair play player. As a matter of fact, he was sent off only once, in Palermo, in 1952. His opponent Garioli, bruttalized him throughout the game until, at one time, the Swedish forward yelled at him to stop. The ref, being nearby, warned Nordhal to be careful with what he's saying, and the Milan forward asks the ref:"But can't you see that he's been continuously bruttalizing me throughout the game?". The answer of the ref, was a very harsh red card to the Swede, which caused the furious reaction of Gunnar Gren who broke everything in his path in the dressing room: lamps, doors, etc.. To this day, the Swedish forward still holds the record of goals for Milan in Serie A: 210 goals, an incredible amount scored in only 257 games, which will probably never be equaled.
If Nordhal is the strength, the power, Gunnar Gren is the class. When he arrived in Italy, he was already a mature player, at 29 years old. He was nicknamed "il Professore" (the Professor) as he was literally teaching football to his teammates, who were simply mesmerized by his stylistish prowesses. He was the only one able to juggle with the ball with the ball touching the ground, with both his head and feet three lapses around the San Siro. He could use with the same efficiency and ease either his right or left foot: a genius technically, but always at the service and disposal of the team.
Nils Liedholm is the youngest of the three. Tall and strong, typical of athletes from the North, he can invent a play at any given moment. He still holds an amazing record: he has never been yellow-carded. In those years, Milan will acquire their main characteristic: style and elegance, traits that will distinguish them for ever from then on.
Let us get back to that winter day of 1950. The Rossoneri only have one great opponent in that season, Juventus. And the rivalry was even more intense for the Gre-No-Li. Indeed, as the Scudetto was fought by two different schools of football, the Swedish one of Milan against the Danish of Turin, the great Hansen and Praest. Milan has been lately in great form: in the past 12 games that followed that astonishing 6-5 defeat to Inter, Czeizler's men went on to hot streak where they won 10 games, losing only once, in Roma against Roma and tieing 0-0 against Triestina, who were coached by a certain Nereo Rocco. The Milan attack has been in an extraordinary form: they scored 39 goal, bombarding the opposing defences with goals from everywhere. Among them, a 4-1 win against Fiorentina, a 5-0 against Genoa, an astonishing 9-1, at the San Siro against Bari, another 5 against Sampdoria, 4 to Como and 2 to the "lucky" Venezia.
It's the 4th day of the return games in the league. Juventus, strong with the presence of keeper Viola and of Piccinini (the father of the famous tv commentator of the tv show, "Controcampo"), Muccinelli, Parola and Boniperti, have a 3 pts lead over Milan in the Serie A standings. After a few minutes, the Torinesi take the lead thanks the Dane John Hansen, but within 26 minutes, reverses the situation and the first half ends with a 4-1 score for the Rossoneri, thanks to goals from Nordhal, Gren, Liedholm and Nordhal again. In the second half, Nordhal, Burini and Candiani seal the triumph with an emphatic and commanding 7-1 score, in Turin.
Let us allow Gunnar Nordhal, whom, in his autobiography "Oro e Campi Verdi" (literally Gold and Green Fields), has commented on that game. "This was the chef d'oeuvre, of the Gre-No-Li. The field was all wet due to the constant raining, our preferred type of field, and Juve were literally destroyed by our attacks. Everyone of us surpassed and transcended our performance in that game in which we came close to perfection in the play. It would be well worth the effort to do a cinematographic remake of that game in its entirety, a game which was a true benchmark of class, and the consecration of Gren's out of this world technical abilities and the sizzling accelerations of Liedholm.
In his memoires, Nordhal also remembers, another episode of that game. When the Juve defender, Parola, who was marking him during the game, loses his cool and literally kicks the Milan forward, causing the Juve player for an early shower. "He couldn't it - wrote Nordhal - because I know him and his character, which was a good and loyal guy, and I knew that this was mainly due to the pressure of the game. In the dressing rooms, we shook hands and to this day, we see each other with pleasure."
The reason of that great friendship is known to few people. It was in fact, Carlo Parola, that Gunnar had known during a friendly match with the Rest of the World in Glasgow, to ask him, for the first time:" Why don't you come to Italy"? The two met again, a few months later, where the team of Nordhal, Norkoeping, played on a cold Turin afternoon, Juventus. "The fable of my long Italian journey - recalls the Swede - really started after that phrase, that Parola said to me, in a snowy afternoon, in Turin".
Juventus - Milan 1-7
Turin, Sunday 05 February 1950.
Juventus: Viola, Bertucelli, Manente, Mari, Piccinini, Muccinelli, Martino, Boniperti, J. Hansen, Praest.
Coach: Carver.
Milan: Buffon, Belloni, Foglia, Annovazzi, Tognon, Bonomi, Burini, Gren, Nordhal, Liedholm, Candiani II.
Coach: Czeizler.
Goal scorers: J. Hansen 2' (Juve); Nordhal 15th, 26th, 49th; Gren 23rd, Liedholm 24th; Burini 70th; Candiani II 84th.
Referee: Galeati.