Baron Sven-Göran Eriksson, born 10 November 1945, is a Swedish football manager and former player who has been in charge of five national teams – Mexico, England, Italy, Portugal and most recently China – as well as clubs in several countries on two continents throughout his career. Sven Goran Eriksson shares his management philosophy
Table of Contents
Vision
Here’s how I always start: I need to know who we are, where we want to go and how we will get there. From that vision, we need to develop a strategy; knowing where you want to be in three years or five years is not enough, it needs to be quarterly or even monthly. We all have strategies – but too often they’re not written down. You can never underestimate clarity of thought in football management. Sven Goran Eriksson shares his management philosophy
Motivation
There is no doubt that motivation is a key aspect of being successful in football. As a player, if you aren’t motivated enough to train hard, compete, and improve your game then you won’t get very far in professional football. Successful players never stop improving their technique – they are driven by ambition and an unrelenting desire to better themselves on a daily basis.
Knowledge
Mr. Eriksson’s footballing career began with English Division 4 side Ljungskile SK, whom he joined in 1964. After a short period on loan at Halmstads BK, he returned to Ljungskile and went on to spend ten years at the club. Mr.
Experience
When I speak to coaches and football managers, I’m often surprised by how many don’t think about their coaching or managing in terms of experience. They tend to see it as a set of skills and tactics, but don’t really acknowledge that you have to learn over time. The experience you gain from your mistakes as a manager and a coach are much more valuable than reading something out of a book! Sven Goran Eriksson shares his management philosophy
Flexibility
As a manager, you may have to make some tough decisions if things don’t go your way. You can try to control all of them, but one way or another they will slip through your fingers. When I manage a team, I think it’s important to be flexible and be able to adapt. This was certainly something I tried in my time as England manager.
- Born: 5 February 1948 (age 74 years), Torsby, Sweden
- Teams coached: Philippines national football team (Association football manager, 2018–2019),
- Children: Lina Eriksson, Johan Eriksson
- Movies: The Last Proletarians of Football
- Siblings: Lars-Erik Eriksson
- Parents: Ulla Eriksson, Sven Eriksson
Simplicity
When I take a job, I try to make things simple. My first task is to gather all of my players in a room and tell them who will play where and why. All of these decisions have to be driven by one thing – what’s best for winning football matches. From there, it’s about doing everything you can to make that happen.
Negotiation Skills
The coach who’s taken charge of some of football’s biggest names tells Business Insider how to manage people. This is an edited transcript of an interview with Sven-Göran Eriksson. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity. Sven Goran Eriksson shares his management philosophy
Technical Expertise
As a former football player himself, his technical knowledge and experience of playing for some of Europe’s biggest clubs is second to none. When asked about what made him stand out from other managers, he attributes it all to dedication, discipline and hard work: If you make that sacrifice you have a chance of reaching your dream. This focus on hard work is something he strongly believes in, I do not believe in talent. I believe in motivation, inspiration and good ideas.
Organisation Skills
What is a typical day like in a Football Manager’s life? How much time do you spend in contact with players, staff and media as a football manager? And what are some of your favorite managerial memories from your career? We caught up with Sven-Göran Eriksson – who managed clubs such as Italy’s Sampdoria, Benfica and Portuguese giants Porto – to find out. Sven Goran Eriksson shares his management philosophy Sven Goran Eriksson shares his management philosophy.