Bengt Gustavsson

Bengt Olov Emanuel "Julle" Gustavsson (13 January 1928 – 16 February 2017 ) was a Swedish professional footballer and manager. As player he played as a defender and represented Sweden; he participated in the final of the 1958 FIFA World Cup on home soil, losing out to Brazil, and won national championships with IFK Norrköping. As coach he led Åtvidabergs FF into its golden era at the beginning of the 1970s.

Career Bengt started playing with the local team of Gusum and in 1947 joined the then nationally dominating club IFK Norrköping. At the end of the era of the great Hungarian coach Lajos Czeizler he was supposed to replace Gunnar Nordahl in midfield after he moved to AC Milan in 1949. In his first match against AIK he scored three goals, but the Austrian coach Karl Adamek, who was in charge from 1950 forward, moved him back into the defence where he should excel. In those years Norrköping won the Swedish championship of the years 1948, 1852 and 1956 and reached the cup final of 1953.

In October 1951, Gustavsson debuted in the national team at their defeat against Denmark in Copenhagen. This was the last match of the 1948-51 Nordic Football Championship, which Sweden nevertheless finished as winner. In the following year he participated with Sweden at the football tournament of the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. After losing in the semifinals to the ascending Golden Team of Hungary with 0–6 Sweden won the bronze medal, winning the third place match against Germany with 2–0. In 1953 Gustavsson was awarded the Guldbollen, the Golden Ball as Swedish footballer of the year. from 1979 until 1981 Hammarby IF and from 1982 to 1983 second division side IK Sleipner, which was relegated in 1983.

Honours As player: World Cup: Finalist 1958 Swedish Championship: 1948, 1952, 1956 Swedish Player of the Year: 1953 As manager: Swedish Cup: 1970 Promotion to first division: 1967