Former FC Porto boss Sérgio Conceição has been speaking about the late Sven-Göran Eriksson, who managed the Portuguese during a highly-successful spell in Italy with Lazio.
Winger Conceição spent two years as Eriksson’s player between 1998-2000, during which time the club from the capital won a host of trophies, including Lazio’s second and most recent Scudetto title in the latter campaign.
Conceição joined Lazio from Porto in 1998 at a time which saw the Biancocelesti free-spending under ambitious owner Sergio Cragnotti. Serie A was widely regarded as the elite league in Europe and many of the major clubs were committing vast amounts of money to compete for top spot.
Eriksson, who also won five trophies and reached a European Cup final with Benfica, was charged with dealing with a high-profile dressing room, as well as meeting the hefty demands placed on a team assembled at a significant outlay. The Swede delivered, winning the Coppa Italia twice, Serie A, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, European Supercup and Italian Supercup twice.
“We all agreed that Eriksson was a wonderful person, we were all connected to him,” Conceição recalls when asked to speak about his ex boss, who passed away late last month at the age of 76. “It wasn’t easy for him, there was a dressing room full of personalities and he dealt with it fantastically. I’m sorry, but he lived the last days of his life the same way he lived his life. Thinking of others, in a positive way, he was truly a great gentleman.
“Sven never got angry, maybe every now and then he would get red with nerves, but he never let it show. He was calm, calm, despite the presence of difficult players in terms of character. With his way of dealing with the players, he created a cohesive group with a great will to win. All the champions with their own personality and will to win and he had everyone with him.
“I wanted to play every game, it irritated me when he decided to send me to the bench. That forced us to fight, if we wanted to get back into the starting line-up we had to do it. It was a very competitive and beautiful environment.
“In Eriksson’s Lazio, there was no player who stood out from the rest. Roberto Mancini was a phenomenon, Alen Boksic made a difference even though he played less. Matias Almeyda was incredible, Siniša Mihajlović was absurd, Alessandro Nesta was fantastic, Pavel Nedved was a champion and so on. The only shame is that we didn’t win the Champions League, otherwise we won everything.”
Speaking about his former club, Conceição revealed that Lazio is the team alongside Porto which has remained close to his heart since he ended a player career which spanned several countries and numerous famous clubs. The Portugal international even returned to Lazio for a brief second spell in 2003, and in total won six trophies at the Stadio Olimpico.
Speaking to Radio Sei, Conceição said: “It’s a pleasure to come on the radio and talk to all the Lazio fans. I get goosebumps when I hear about my goals for Lazio. I’ve never forgotten Lazio. I had great moments in Rome, the fans of FC Porto and Lazio have stayed in my heart.
“I had a great time, the people like me and I like them. I still always say 'forza, Lazio', I did it last season on TV after a Champions League game. I’m a professional, I have to look ahead. Maybe there will be one or two I’ll never coach. My heart is full when I return to Rome.”
By @SeanGillen9
