Wednesday, September 27, 2023
The Swedish Garrincha, Part 3
In 1968, following his European-Cup-only season with Juventus, Roger Magnusson was put out on loan again. This time, however, his luck was in. Olympique de Marseille, his new digs, would be his home for the next six years, and would make him a true local idol.
Right from the start, the tall Swede's dazzling right-wing runs delighted the fans. Unlike some of his previous coaches, the wily veteran in charge of Marseille, Mario Zatelli, simply encouraged Magnusson to get the ball and dribble past his man, as he loved to do.
Marseille were stuck at the bottom of Ligue 1 at the start of the 1968/69 season. Following Magnusson's arrival, they swiftly moved up the table and finished in the top half. More encouragingly still, they won the French Cup against longtime rivals Girondins de Bordeaux, who were firm favourites. Although Magnusson was, by his own admission, not at his best in the match, goals from Jacques Novi and the Cameroonian Joseph Maya gave Marseille a 2-0 win, and Magnusson had his first experience of a passionate Marseillaise celebration. "All the shops were closed, and I even got a bit afraid [of being crushed by the fans]. It was just unforgettable."
It was Marseille's first silverware since 1948, but there were even better years to come.
In November 1969, l'OM followed the acquisition of Magnusson with perhaps their shrewdest signing ever. The Croatian striker Josip Skoblar, who had played for Yugoslavia in the 1962 World Cup, was scoring freely for German side Hannover 96. Surprisingly, he was transferred mid-season to Marseille, where he had previously excelled on loan, and immediately formed a memorable attacking partnership with the Swedish wing maestro. Quick, positionally astute and a devastating finisher, Skoblar was to become Ligue 1's most prolific marksman.
Skoblar's first (partial) season at the club saw Marseille finish in second place. It was also in the midst of this season that Magnusson made his crucial contribution to Sweden's World Cup qualification, and with Feyenoord's Ove Kindvall and Örjan Persson of Rangers also in fine fettle prior to the 1970 tournament, it seemed as if the Swedes could well qualify from their less-than-formidable first-round group.
But Roger Magnusson did not go to Mexico.
Once again, the curse of being a Swede abroad struck, although in a slightly different manner. The 1970 World Cup began surprisingly early - at the end of May - when Ligue 1 was still in full swing. Some players in similar situations were able to arrange to be released from their clubs in time. But Marseille were adamant: their star winger would stay and finish the season. They did quote a possible compensation payment, but it was much more than the Swedish federation could afford (as Marseille well knew). And so Magnusson, at the peak of his career, was denied the chance of representing his country in the biggest event of all.
Sweden's performance at the World Cup in Mexico was, in a word, insipid. Losing meekly to Italy in their opening game, they struggled to gain ascendancy against a bruisingly physical Israeli team, drawing 1-1, and a very late goal against a defensive Uruguay was not enough to see them through to the quarter-finals. Magnusson was much missed.
Back in France, however, his club career went from strength to strength, culminating in a historic "double" in 1972. More in Part 4.
