Kalle Svensson
Encyclopedia
Karl-Oskar Svensson, nicknamed Rio-Kalle, (11 November 1925–15 July 2000), was a famous Swedish
football
goalkeeper
from Helsingborg
. He played on elite level for Helsingborgs IF
during his whole career, debuting in Allsvenskan
only 18 years old on 4 June 1944, conceding two goals. He stood between the posts in 349 Allsvenskan matches, from his debut to the spring of 1959, after which he quit playing on elite level. He continued to play for local team Gunnarstorps IF, but made a comeback in Helsingborgs IF in June 1961, playing there until his last match on 21 October 1962. When he was not playing football, Kalle Svensson worked as a fire fighter in his hometown Helsingborg
.
His 349 matches in the highest league is the third most for a goalkeeper in Allsvenskan. He also has got the less impressive record of being the goalkeeper who has conceded the highest number of goals in Allsvenskan, a total of 575. He never won Allsvenskan with his club, Helsingborgs IF finished second two times, third three times and fourth three times during his career, giving him a total of eight medals (as fourth placed teams are awarded medals in Allsvenskan), but no gold, missing it by having a lower goal difference in 1948–49, and by being one point behind in 1953–54. He was the first goalkeeper to receive the Swedish Football Association
award for best Swedish footballer, Guldbollen
, in 1952.
His national team
career is more impressive, gaining 73 caps
between his debut 13 May 1949 at home against England
(3–1) and his final match 29 June 1958 against Brazil
in the World Cup final which ended in a 2–5 loss. Karl Svensson played in four of the big tournaments, the 1950
and 1958 World Cups
, as well as the 1948
and 1952 Olympic Games
, winning a medal in all four. His nickname Rio-Kalle, derived from Rio de Janeiro
and the common Swedish nickname for Karl, Kalle, was given to him during the 1950 World Cup in Brazil
after two heroic matches against Italy
and Spain
, which both actually were played on Estádio do Pacaembu
in São Paulo
.
Karl Svensson has been honoured with a statue placed outside Olympia
in Helsingborg
which was made by sculptor Risto Karvinen.
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...
goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
from Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
. He played on elite level for Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
during his whole career, debuting in Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan 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...
only 18 years old on 4 June 1944, conceding two goals. He stood between the posts in 349 Allsvenskan matches, from his debut to the spring of 1959, after which he quit playing on elite level. He continued to play for local team Gunnarstorps IF, but made a comeback in Helsingborgs IF in June 1961, playing there until his last match on 21 October 1962. When he was not playing football, Kalle Svensson worked as a fire fighter in his hometown Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
.
His 349 matches in the highest league is the third most for a goalkeeper in Allsvenskan. He also has got the less impressive record of being the goalkeeper who has conceded the highest number of goals in Allsvenskan, a total of 575. He never won Allsvenskan with his club, Helsingborgs IF finished second two times, third three times and fourth three times during his career, giving him a total of eight medals (as fourth placed teams are awarded medals in Allsvenskan), but no gold, missing it by having a lower goal difference in 1948–49, and by being one point behind in 1953–54. He was the first goalkeeper to receive the Swedish Football Association
Swedish Football Association
The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA...
award for best Swedish footballer, Guldbollen
Guldbollen
Guldbollen, , is a Swedish football award given by the Aftonbladet and the Swedish Football Association to the best male Swedish footballer each year....
, in 1952.
His national team
Sweden 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...
career is more impressive, gaining 73 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
between his debut 13 May 1949 at home against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
(3–1) and his final match 29 June 1958 against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in the World Cup final which ended in a 2–5 loss. Karl Svensson played in four of the big tournaments, the 1950
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...
and 1958 World Cups
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
, as well as the 1948
Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put...
and 1952 Olympic Games
Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to...
, winning a medal in all four. His nickname Rio-Kalle, derived from Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and the common Swedish nickname for Karl, Kalle, was given to him during the 1950 World Cup in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
after two heroic matches against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, which both actually were played on Estádio do Pacaembu
Estádio do Pacaembu
Estádio do Pacaembu , as it is usually called, is a football stadium in São Paulo, located on Praça Charles Miller, no nº - in Pacaembu neighborhood. Its official name is Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho and it is owned by the Municipal Prefecture of São Paulo...
in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
.
Karl Svensson has been honoured with a statue placed outside Olympia
Olympia (stadium)
Olympia, sometimes referred to as Olympiastadion , is a football stadium in Helsingborg, Sweden. It was opened in 1898, but has been rebuilt both 1993 and 1997, and has a capacity of 17,200 . All stands can be converted into seaters, giving a capacity of around 13,000)...
in Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
which was made by sculptor Risto Karvinen.
Club career
- Kullavägens BK (1940–43)
- Helsingborgs IFHelsingborgs IFHelsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
(43–59) - Gunnarstorps IF (59–61)
- Helsingborgs IFHelsingborgs IFHelsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
(61–62)
Honours
- 1958 FIFA World Cup1958 FIFA World CupThe 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
– Silver - 1950 FIFA World Cup1950 FIFA World CupThe 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...
– Bronze - 1948 Olympic GamesFootball at the 1948 Summer OlympicsThe 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put...
– Gold - 1952 Olympic GamesFootball at the 1952 Summer OlympicsThe 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to...
– Bronze