Bo Larsson

Bosse Larsson

Bo Larsson, 1965
Personal information
Full nameBo Göran Larsson
Date of birth5 May 1944
Place of birthMalmö, Sweden
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing positionMidfielder/Striker
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1962–1966Malmö FF86(67)
1966–1969VfB Stuttgart88(21)
1969–1979Malmö FF222(52)
1980Trelleborgs FF
National team
1964–1978Sweden[1]70(17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
For the host with the same name, see Bosse Larsson.

Bo "Bosse" Göran Larsson (born 5 May 1944 in Malmö) is a former Swedish football midfielder/striker.

Career

Club career

Most of his club career he played for Malmö FF where he won the league championship several times. Between 1966 and 1969 he was an appreciated professional for VfB Stuttgart scoring 21 times in 88 games. As the best player in the team and loved by the supporters he was also awarded "Athlete of the Year" in 1969 by the city of Stuttgart. According to many he had a by far too short career as a professional player, but his wife Anita never settled to life in Germany, which made him move back home to Malmö that same summer.

He was awarded with Guldbollen (the golden ball) in 1965 and 1973, and was the first to be awarded twice. In Malmö FF and among its supporters Bosse holds an iconic status and is regarded as the club's greatest player ever.

International career

Bosse Larsson was one of the national team profiles during the 1970s. In total he got 70 caps, scoring 17 times, and played at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, 1974 FIFA World Cup and 1978 FIFA World Cup. The Sweden national team manager Georg "Åby" Ericson used to say that; "When picking a Swedish national squad you start by picking Bosse Larsson, then you start thinking about which other players to pick". Beside Nils Liedholm, Bosse Larsson is regarded as Sweden's most complete player ever, being able to actually play at almost any position on the pitch.

Personal life

Today he lives a quiet life in Malmö. In September 2007 a book titled "Bosse Larsson" was released. The book, written by Jonny Ambrius together with Bosse (whom finally after many years had decided to take part in a book being made), is filled with stories from the whole of Bosse's life, but with the centre of gravity on his footballer years. Shortly after the book release he also gave his permission for a possible statue to be made in his honour and placed outside Malmö FF's new stadium.

Achievements and awards

References

  1. "Sweden national football team stats". passagen.se (in Swedish).

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Krister Kristensson
Malmö FF
Captain

1979
Succeeded by
Roland Andersson