Sven Goran Eriksson maintains his Lazio was “at that point the strongest team in Europe,” while he’s proud of Simone Inzaghi and Roberto Mancini.
The Swede was in Naples this evening to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Football Leader event.
“I was in Italy for 13 years in different clubs. It was an extraordinary experience,” said Eriksson.
Sven Goran Eriksson maintains his Lazio was “at that point the strongest team in Europe,” while he’s proud of Simone Inzaghi and Roberto Mancini.
The Swede was in Naples this evening to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Football Leader event.
“I was in Italy for 13 years in different clubs. It was an extraordinary experience,” said Eriksson.
“With Lazio, we won seven trophies in three years. At one point, that was the strongest team in Europe. I also had beautiful experiences at Roma, Fiorentina and Sampdoria.”
Several of his players during that victorious era are now doing well as Coaches in their own right.
“Simone Inzaghi always worked hard and I am happy for him. I put up with Mancini for nine years! He was a genius as a player and could see things nobody else could. He was already basically coaching the others when he was playing and would always talk to me about football.”
Eriksson had a spell as the manager of England and revealed some of his memories of that era.
“I decided to start Wayne Rooney when he was 17 years old, but over all those years, I never understood a word he said, because he spoke only with that Liverpudlian accent.
“David Beckham has the kind of charisma I’ve never seen in other players. He’d create chaos everywhere he went and women were mad about him, from age five to 90.”