MILAN, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Former Sweden and AC Milan great
Nils Liedholm died in the Italian town of Cuccaro on Monday,
aged 85.
'Heaven makes room for Nils Liedholm,' AC Milan said on
their website.
'Maestro of irony, a true, irreplaceable soccer champion, a
winning, innovative coach. Milan, like the rest of the soccer
world, bows to the figure of the great Swede.'
Liedholm was a member of the Sweden side that won the 1948
Olympic title and also captained the 1958 World Cup final team
which lost to Brazil.
The midfielder won four Italian titles in the 1950s with
Milan where he was part of the famous 'Gre-No-Li' Swedish trio
along with Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl.
Liedholm went on to have a successful coaching career,
winning the Serie A crown with Milan in 1979 and AS Roma in
1983. He also led the Rome club to the 1984 European Cup final
which they lost to Liverpool on penalties.
European champions Milan will wear black armbands during
Tuesday's Champions League match at Shakhtar Donetsk in
mourning.
'A great of Milan's history has left us,' AC Milan President
and former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi told
Corriere della
Sera.
'He was a champion, a gentleman, a friend. I remember
performances in which he didn't make a single mistake. Thank you
Nils for all you did for us'
Former Brazil player Falcao, part of Roma's 1983
title-winning team, expressed deep sorrow.
'People like him should never pass away,' Falcao said. 'He
was like a father to me. He knew how to love with altruism. He
taught me so much. I owe him a lot.'
Former Italy striker Gianni Rivera, who had Liedholm as a
team mate and coach at Milan, paid tribute to the Swede's
generosity of spirit:
'I remember that he did everything to put others at ease,
both the young and old members of the group. He was the first
one to make himself available to others to create the ideal
atmosphere.'
Liedholm's funeral will take place in Cuccaro on Thursday.
