Orvar Bergmark

Orvar Bergmark

Personal information
Date of birth	(1930-11-16)November 16, 1930
Place of birth	Bureå, Sweden
Date of death
Place of death	Sweden
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
1944–1947	Byske IF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1948–1954	Örebro SK	97	(10)
1955	AIK Fotboll	17	(7)
1956–1962	Örebro SK	133	(8)
1962–1964	AS Roma	2	(0)
1964–1965	Örebro SK	44	(1)
International career
1951–1965	Sweden	94	(0)
Managerial career
1958–1961	Örebro SK
1966–1970	Sweden
1971–1973	Örebro SK
1974–1977	Fjugesta IF
1978	Örebro SK
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Orvar Bergmark (16 November 1930 – 10 May 2004) was a Swedish football defender and manager. He was the second Swedish national manager ever, and managed to qualify the Swedish national football team for the FIFA World Cup in Mexico 1970, after having beaten France (among others) in the qualifications. The 1970 World Cup was the first one in 12 years, and it was also the first time in 20 years that Sweden had qualified for a World Cup. (Sweden hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup, and hence did not need to qualify.) Sweden did not qualify for the World Cups in 1954,1962 and 1966).

In Mexico, Sweden had to face the becoming runners-up, Italy, in their first game, and lost 0–1. The Italian squad included Roberto Boninsegna, Gianni Rivera, Luigi Riva, Giacinto Facchetti and Dino Zoff. In the second game, Israel did not seem too difficult to beat. But Sweden got a 1–1 draw. Then Sweden needed to beat Uruguay in the last group game with at least two goals. Orvar Bergmark's squad only scored a single goal (in the last minute), and it all was over. Some of Orvar Bergmark's key players were Ove Grahn, Ove Kindvall, Hasse Selander, Tommy Svensson (who 24 years later would keep Orvars Bergmark's office, and led Sweden to a surprising bronze medal in the 1994 World Cup in the United States), Bosse Larsson and Roland Grip.

During the tournament, Sweden had a goal-keeping problem. Bergmark used the young Ronnie Hellström in the opening game against Italy, and was displeased with Hellström's performance when Italy scored. The little less talented, but far more experienced Sven-Gunnar Larsson guarded the Swedish goal during the last two matches instead.

Orvar Bergmar left his office soon after the World Cup and was replaced by Georg "Åby" Ericson.

External links

• Profile at AIK