Eriksson Comes To Premiership
Former England Manager takes charge at Manchester City
Sven-Goran Eriksson has returned to club management, taking charge at Premiership side Manchester City and hoping to increase his succesful club trophy haul.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson finally ended weeks of media speculation by signing a three year contract to become manager of Premiership side Manchester City. It is his first job since resigning as manager of England in 2006. Many regarded his reign with the national team as a failure, but his record suggests otherwise. In his six years in charge he guided England to the quarter finals of three major tournaments and lost only three of 40 competitive games.
Eriksson will be hoping to continue his success at club level and revitalise a side that, for many years, have been living in the shadow of neighbours Manchester United. The cool Swede is so far the only manager who has won the Double (League and Cup in the same season), in three different countries, having won it in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
Early coaching success
Sven began his coaching career in Sweden in 1977 at Degefors IF before moving to IFK Goteburg in 1979. It was here that he began to attract the attention of Europe’s larger clubs winning the Swedish Cup in his first season and a treble of league, cup and UEFA Cup in 1982.
In 1982 he moved to Portugal and led Benfica to the league and cup double in his first season, also finishing as runners up in the UEFA Cup. Another Portuguese championship followed before Eriksson took his first taste of Italian football, moving to AS Roma in 1984.
Unlike previously, success for Sven did not come immediately and he had to wait until 1986 before winning the Coppa Italia. There followed an unsuccessful two year stint at Fiorentina before he returned to Benfica in 1989. In 1990 he took Benfica to the European Cup final –losing 1-0 to AC Milan- and then won his third Portuguese title in 1991.
Major triumph in Italy
But the need to prove himself at a higher level proved too great for Eriksson. In 1992 he returned to La Scudetto taking charge at Sampdoria, winning the Italian Cup in 1994 before moving to Lazio in 1997, where he found major success. With Lazio he won the Coppa Italia in 1998 and 2000; the European Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup in 1999; and in 2000 he won his biggest prize, the Italian league title. It was only the second time that the Rome club had won the title in their history.
City hope for return to winning ways
In 2000 Eriksson took charge of the England national team and so began six years of turmoil for the Swede. Eriksson was the first foreign manager to hold the post and was constantly berated by the English media. Manchester City fans will be hoping that he can quickly return to his club winning ways and bring some success to the forgotten side of Manchester.
