Gunnar Nordahl
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Nordahl was a Swedish
football
player, best known for his play in AC Milan
1949-1956.
. He won four Swedish championships with Norrköping and once scored seven goals in one game. During his time in Swedish clubs, Nordahl scored 149 goals in 172 matches.
and Nils Liedholm
to form the renowned Gre-No-Li
trio. In his eight seasons with AC Milan, he was Serie A's
top-scorer five times. Nordahl is AC Milan's all-time top-scorer, with 210 league goals. He is still the second-highest Serie A goalscorer of all time, with 225 goals in 291 matches. Only Silvio Piola
has scored more goals in that division. That makes Nordahl the top goalscorer among non-Italian players, and he is also the most efficient goalscorer goals in Serie A ever with 0.77 goals/match. Only players who has scored more than one hundred goals are counted in this record, where for example Piola scored his 247 goals in 537 games, i.e. 0.46 goals/match.
After leaving Milan, Nordahl played for Roma
for two seasons. He still holds the post-war record for the most goals in a season in Italy, with 35 goals 1949-1950. Nordahl, together with the mentioned Gre-No-Li
is today legendary in Milan. When Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko
scored his 100 goal in Serie A for Milan, it is said that some old Milanese supporters commented: "Well he can double that number, and then add another 26, then, and just then, he has passed Il Cannoniere."
in 1945. In 1948, he helped Sweden to win the Olympic
football tournament, becoming the tournament's top scorer on the way. Nordahl's transfer to Milan forced him to retire from the national team, as the rules at the time prevented professionals from the Swedish national team, being not called to 1950 FIFA World Cup
along his fellows Gren and Liedholm. In his 30 matches in the national team, he scored a total of 44 goals, or about 1.5 goals per game.
He won the Olympics along with his brothers Bertil
and Knut Nordahl
. Bertil also transferred to Italy
after the Games (to Atalanta B.C.
) and, due to this, was also not called to the World Cup. Knut stayed at Sweden and was called to the World Cup. After the tournament, he finally went to Italy, bought by AS Roma.
Thomas Nordahl, who is Gunnar's son, was a member of Sweden's 1970 FIFA World Cup
squad.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player, best known for his play in AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
1949-1956.
Sweden
Nordahl started out at Hörnefors IF in Sweden before moving to IFK NorrköpingIFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan...
. He won four Swedish championships with Norrköping and once scored seven goals in one game. During his time in Swedish clubs, Nordahl scored 149 goals in 172 matches.
Italy
Nordahl transferred to AC Milan on January 22, 1949. Later, he would team up with his national team strike partners, Gunnar GrenGunnar Gren
Gunnar Gren was a Swedish football player and coach. He is best known for playing for IFK Gothenburg and AC Milan. He was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team...
and Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm was a Swedish football midfielder and coach. Il Barone , as he is affectionately known in Italy, was renowned for being part of Sweden's "Gre-No-Li" trio of strikers along with Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team...
to form the renowned Gre-No-Li
Gre-No-Li
Gre-No-Li is a contraction of the surnames of three Swedish footballers: Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. The denomination was colloquially used after these players composed a formidable trio of strikers while playing for the Swedish national team and Italian club AC Milan in the...
trio. In his eight seasons with AC Milan, he was Serie A's
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
top-scorer five times. Nordahl is AC Milan's all-time top-scorer, with 210 league goals. He is still the second-highest Serie A goalscorer of all time, with 225 goals in 291 matches. Only Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola was an Italian footballer from Robbio Lomellina, province of Pavia. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup with Italy, scoring two goals in the final.Piola is third in the all-time...
has scored more goals in that division. That makes Nordahl the top goalscorer among non-Italian players, and he is also the most efficient goalscorer goals in Serie A ever with 0.77 goals/match. Only players who has scored more than one hundred goals are counted in this record, where for example Piola scored his 247 goals in 537 games, i.e. 0.46 goals/match.
After leaving Milan, Nordahl played for Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
for two seasons. He still holds the post-war record for the most goals in a season in Italy, with 35 goals 1949-1950. Nordahl, together with the mentioned Gre-No-Li
Gre-No-Li
Gre-No-Li is a contraction of the surnames of three Swedish footballers: Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. The denomination was colloquially used after these players composed a formidable trio of strikers while playing for the Swedish national team and Italian club AC Milan in the...
is today legendary in Milan. When Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...
scored his 100 goal in Serie A for Milan, it is said that some old Milanese supporters commented: "Well he can double that number, and then add another 26, then, and just then, he has passed Il Cannoniere."
International career
Nordahl was first called-up to the Swedish national teamSweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in 1945. In 1948, he helped Sweden to win the Olympic
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
football tournament, becoming the tournament's top scorer on the way. Nordahl's transfer to Milan forced him to retire from the national team, as the rules at the time prevented professionals from the Swedish national team, being not called to 1950 FIFA World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
along his fellows Gren and Liedholm. In his 30 matches in the national team, he scored a total of 44 goals, or about 1.5 goals per game.
He won the Olympics along with his brothers Bertil
Bertil Nordahl
Bertil Nordahl was a Swedish footballer and football manager.He played for Degerfors IF and Atalanta B.C....
and Knut Nordahl
Knut Nordahl
Knut Erik Alexander Nordahl was a Swedish footballer.He played for IFK Norrköping and A.S. Roma. He won the gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics along with his brothers Bertil and Gunnar Nordahl. The two went to Italy after the Olympics Knut Erik Alexander Nordahl (13 January 1920-28 October...
. Bertil also transferred to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
after the Games (to Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
) and, due to this, was also not called to the World Cup. Knut stayed at Sweden and was called to the World Cup. After the tournament, he finally went to Italy, bought by AS Roma.
Thomas Nordahl, who is Gunnar's son, was a member of Sweden's 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
squad.
Domestic league statistics
| Club | Season | League | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||
| Hörnefors Hörnefors Hörnefors is a locality situated in Umeå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 2,573 inhabitants in 2005.... |
1937–38 | 14 | 20 |
| 1938–39 | 14 | 25 | |
| 1939–40 | 13 | 23 | |
| Degerfors Degerfors IF Degerfors IF is a Swedish football club located in Degerfors. The club, formed 13 January 1907, is currently playing in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan.-Background:... |
1940–41 | 17 | 15 |
| 1941–42 | 21 | 13 | |
| 1942–43 | 20 | 14 | |
| 1943–44 | 19 | 14 | |
| Norrköping IFK Norrköping IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan... |
1944–45 | 22 | 27 |
| 1945–46 | 21 | 25 | |
| 1946–47 | 20 | 17 | |
| 1947–48 | 22 | 18 | |
| 1948–49 | 10 | 6 | |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
1948-49 | 15 | 16 |
| 1949–50 | 37 | 35 | |
| 1950–51 | 37 | 34 | |
| 1951–52 | 38 | 26 | |
| 1952–53 | 32 | 26 | |
| 1953–54 | 33 | 23 | |
| 1954–55 | 33 | 27 | |
| 1955–56 | 32 | 23 | |
| Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
1956–57 | 30 | 13 |
| 1957–58 | 4 | 2 | |
| Total for Milan | 257 | 210 | |
| Career totals | 504 | 422 | |
- Stats do not include 6/7 Latin Cup & 5/4 European Cup (for Milan) (Apps/Goals)
Honours
- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
(4): 19451944-45 in Swedish footballThe 1944–45 season in Swedish football, starting August 1944 and ending July 1945:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1944–45 :...
, 19461945-46 in Swedish footballThe 1945–46 season in Swedish football, starting August 1945 and ending July 1946:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1945–46 :...
, 19471946-47 in Swedish footballThe 1946–47 season in Swedish football, starting August 1946 and ending July 1947:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1946–47 :...
, 19481947-48 in Swedish footballThe 1947–48 season in Swedish football, starting August 1947 and ending July 1948:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1947–48 :... - AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
Top scorer (4): 19431942-43 in Swedish footballThe 1942–43 season in Swedish football, starting August 1942 and ending July 1943:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1942–43 :...
, 19451944-45 in Swedish footballThe 1944–45 season in Swedish football, starting August 1944 and ending July 1945:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1944–45 :...
, 19461945-46 in Swedish footballThe 1945–46 season in Swedish football, starting August 1945 and ending July 1946:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1945–46 :...
, 19481947-48 in Swedish footballThe 1947–48 season in Swedish football, starting August 1947 and ending July 1948:- Official titles :- Competitions :- Promotions :- League transfers :- Relegations :- Allsvenskan 1947–48 :... - 2 x Swedish Cup
- Italian Serie A (2): 1951Serie A 1950-51-Final classification:-Results:...
, 1954Serie A 1953-54-Final classification:-Results:... - Italian Serie A Top Scorer (5): 1950Serie A 1949-50-Final classification:-Results:...
, 1951Serie A 1950-51-Final classification:-Results:...
, 1953Serie A 1952-53-Final classification:-Results:...
, 1954Serie A 1953-54-Final classification:-Results:...
, 1955Serie A 1954-55-Final classification:-Results:... - 4 x Italian Cups
- 2 x Coppa Latina
- 1 x Olympic Gold Medal
- 1 x Olympic Games Top Scorer
External links
- Gunnar Nordahl - Classic Player profile - [FIFA.com]
- List of Swedish Players and Coaches in Italy since 1945 - RSSSF
- Detail of international appearances and goals - by Roberto Mamrud, RSSSF