CARSON, Calif. –The Swedish soccer world was shaken on Wednesday with the announcement of the passing of former national team star and Elfsborg head coach Klas Ingesson due to bone marrow cancer.
A member of Sweden’s teams at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the 1994 team that finished third, Ingesson enjoyed a lengthy professional career that included stops at IFK Göteborg (Sweden), Mechelen (Belgium), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Sheffield Wednesday (England), Marseille (France) as well as IBari, Bologna and Lecce (Italy).
Despite being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009, Ingesson continued his coaching career and in 2013, he coached Stefan Ishizaki in what was the current Galaxy midfielder’s final season in Sweden.
“When anyone passes away it is a terrible thing but it hurts more when you’re so close to that person,” Ishizaki told reporters on Wednesday. “Klas was a fantastic human being, a fantastic player back in the day and a great coach.
“He was one of those men that spread joy around him, always had a happy face, and had a keen soccer mind. He was one of the true greats in Swedish soccer over the years and he’ll be missed.”
When Ishizaki was first approached by the Galaxy back in 2013, it was Ingesson who allowed the midfielder—a long tenured member of the club—to speak with LA and eventually orchestrate a move to MLS.
“I talked to him last year and sought his advice. Of course, he wanted me to stay with Elfsborg and help rebuild the squad for a new year, but he said, ‘I understand that you have to go and do your own thing.’
“He allowed me to take this adventure to join MLS and I will be forever grateful for him allowing me to leave,” he continued. “A lot of coaches come into their first full season and want to build a new team and many of them would have said that ‘you can’t go.’ But he gave me this opportunity to come to MLS and I’ll be forever grateful."
