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Stefan Lovgren is the author of the Tord Grip biography “Fotballs-spelarpoiken”. The book was launched in 2019, giving a rare insight to a life more or less influenced by football.
Lovgren opens up on his first meeting with Grip, telling about it in the forewords of the book, reflecting on how this came to life, meeting Tord, when working on Sven Goran Erikssons biography, back in 2013.
Lovgren and Grip had arrived at the hotell for a meeting with Sven Goran Eriksson, but “Svennis” was late and while waiting they were chatting about, actually having met before, back in 2002. Grip responded with surprise, “Jaså”, “Der sär man”. In English words, meaning, “Yes” , “There you see”.
The autobiography came to surface, Lovgren chatting about football, an hour a day, with Grip. They met regularly close to Grips’s home in Ostermalm, Stockholm.
The author of the book, Stefan Lovgren, was fascinated by the man, his thoughts and intence interest for football. The myth of the game, told in the words of Tord Grip, was an eye opener for the author himself.
En som vet hur det känns att vinna medaljer på andra sidan Atlanten är Tord Grip. När VM-uppehållet är över uppmärksammar vi Tord Grip Academy Fund i samband med att vi tar emot Malmö FF på Stora Valla.
Läs mer om fonden och insamlingen i samband med matchen den 4 juli här:… pic.twitter.com/F50DoC2L6m
— Degerfors IF (@dif_degerfors) June 9, 2026
The copy of the book in front of me on my desk was given to me by a friend in Sweden, Hallsberg. Telling me he had received this as a gift from another fellow, buying this in a bookstore in Visby, Gottland.
A fascinationg piece of work, with tales and stories, not the most obvious but giving insight to a life much more than assisting Sven Goran Eriksson when he was in charge of England, Man City and Lazio.
Tord has his own life, being the boss of Svennis in the early days, back in Degerfors, Sweden. The book circles around a number of stories, going forward and backwards, also having quotes and history from the days in the middle.
As a footballer himself, mainly in the 1960’s, Tord Grip became a Sweden full international, appearng 3 times for the natinoal side. He represented AIK Stockholm at the time. Not a modest player career at all, but he is and will always be known for his role as a coach and manager.
His relationship with Svennis started when Tord Grip became player manager of Swedish lower league team, KB Karlskoga. Moving on to more prominent teams, coaching Orebro and Degerfors. In 1977 he became the assistant coach of the Sweden national team, qualifying for the 1978 World Cup.
He is known for being one who took part in the coaching staff’s of Sven Goran Eriksson, operating as an assistent, advisor or have other parts in the scenary. But in earlier life, being the main man, having roles as head coach and manager of Norway and Swizz club Young Boys, Bern.
A remarkable life in football also containing a role as assistant coach when Sweden won the bronze medal in the 1994 World Cup. After leaving the limelight, Tord Grip has coached and given advise to grassroot teams and also been scouting for Southampton.
His last official job in football was as an unpaid assistant and advisor for Kosovo. This was 10 years ago or so, helping their head coach Albert Bunjaki to establish this nation in football, becoming UEFA members in 2015. Another special and mythcal part of the Tord Grip footballing journey.
The book is one fascinating piece of art, the man himself is even more special, being in and around the top football happenings. In a way his local roots, flourished and progressed to the World stage, then returning and bringing forward new chapters, as we again can see the results of Kosovo establishing themselves as a new and exciting team in the environment of international football.
Tord Grip has not always made the headlines, but his impact and relations in football deserve to be brought forward with monumental respect and admiration.
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