Gunnar Larsson (sports administrator)

Swedish sports manager and politician (1940–2020)

Gunnar Larsson


13th Chairman of IFK Göteborg
In office 1982–2000
Preceded by	Bertil Westblad
Succeeded by	Kurt Eliasson

Personal details
Born	Gunnar Larsson (1940-03-29)29 March 1940 Gothenburg, Sweden
Died	4 May 2020(2020-05-04) (aged 80) Gothenburg, Sweden
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer

Gunnar Larsson (29 March 1940 – 4 May 2020) was a Swedish football and sports administrator, and politician. He was chairman of the Swedish football club IFK Göteborg from 1982 to 2000, during which the club won the Swedish championships ten times, Svenska Cupen three times, the UEFA Cup twice, first in 1981–82 and again in 1986–87, reached the semi-finals in the 1985–86 European Cup, and participated in four UEFA Champions League group stages.

Life and career

His father Torild Larsson played 117 matches for IFK Göteborg, and Gunnar represented the club on youth level, before playing for Lundby IF, where he also was chairman before being elected chairman for IFK Göteborg in 1982. He was also engaged in the Gothenburg Gymnastics Association (Göteborgs gymnastikförbund), and after left the board of IFK Göteborg he was president of the Swedish Sports Confederation, the umbrella organisation of the Swedish sports movement, from 2001 to 2005. He remained at IFK Göteborg as chairman of the election committee, and was awarded the title of honorary chairman.

He was active as a politician for the Swedish Social Democratic Party, first entering the Gothenburg municipal council in 1973. In 1976 he started working full-time as a politician, first as municipal commissioner, and from 1982 to 1985 chairman of the municipal council and as such the mayor of Gothenburg. Larsson has also been chairman of the Swedish pension fund Andra AP-Fonden and the Gothenburg opera house.

Larsson was sometimes called "Father Gunnar" ("Fader Gunnar") for his sharpness, knowledge and strong lead of IFK Göteborg. Former IFK player Torbjörn Nilsson called him a father figure, and saying that "he was IFK Göteborg". Larsson has also been referred to as the most successful club leader in Swedish football history.

Larsson died from COVID-19 on 4 May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden at the age of 80.

Honours and trophies won by IFK Göteborg during presidency

Swedish Champions
- Winners (10): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
Allsvenskan:
- Winners (8): 1982, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
- Runners-up (3): 1986, 1988, 1997
Mästerskapsserien:
- Winners (1): 1991
Svenska Cupen:
- Winners (3): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1991
- Runners-up (2): 1985–86, 1998–99
Allsvenskan play-offs:
- Winners (5): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990
- Runners-up (1): 1985
UEFA Cup:
- Winners (2): 1981–82, 1986–87
European Cup/UEFA Champions League:
- Semi-finals (2): 1985–86, 1992–93
- Quarter-finals (3): 1984–85, 1988–89, 1994–95

References

Akbarzadeh, Milad; Dahlberg, Tobias; Sprangers, Jan (4 May 2020). ""Kallades fader Gunnar"" (in Swedish). SVT. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
Dagson, Jonas (4 May 2020). "IFK Göteborgs Gunnar Larsson död i covid-19". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 August 2020.
"Grattis Gunnar" (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
"Gunnar Larsson" (in Swedish). ifkdb.se. n.d. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
Josephson, Åke; Jönsson, Ingemar, eds. (2004). IFK Göteborg 1904–2004: en hundraårig blåvit historia genom elva epoker (in Swedish). Göteborg: IFK Göteborg. ISBN 91-631-4659-2.
Laul, Robert (4 May 2020). "Laul: Gunnar Larsson är svensk fotbolls mest framgångsrike klubbledare genom tiderna" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
Lundell, Johan (4 May 2020). "IFK Göteborgs Gunnar Larsson avliden i covid-19" (in Swedish). SVT. Retrieved 5 August 2020.

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