The accomplice

Lars Lagerback was called up to the post of joint national team coach by friend and colleague Tommy Soderberg just ahead of Euro 2000, making Euro 2004 their third straight qualification for a major international tournament after the last World Cup.

As former national youth coach Lagerback has seen many of the current side grow up, and is a tactician and authority figure while Soderberg plays the hands on approach of man-management.

The two have established a settled side with conservative play and selection policy, upcoming Ajax star Zlatan Ibrahimovic for example has been blooded by degrees and was called upon for under-21 duty as recently as October 2003.

This discipline saw them win Euro 2004 qualifying Group 8 with a match to spare ahead of Latvia and Poland.

Duo still going strong

Despite a solid qualification route into Euro 2000 topping their Group ahead of England, Sweden failed to get past the first round at the event proper.

But the management duo were kept in place and new blood was brought into the side rather than the management team.

At the 2002 World Cup Sweden were drawn in the "Group of Death" along with Argentina, England and Nigeria, and while few saw Freddie Ljunberg, Henrick Larrson and their teammates escaping a sticky end they qualified along with England before a Henri Camara golden goal saw them eliminated by Senegal in the second round.

Since then the coaches changed their captain, handing the armband to the consistent and solid central defender Olof Mellberg while the notable newcomer to the side is Ibrahimovic, who will provide either an excellent partner or cover for Larsson.

Lagerback's own playing career was very modest and spent in the 5th and 6th divisions.

Subsequently, he took up coaching, at Kilafors in the 4th division, in 1977. After a modest spell with Arbraa and Hudiksvall, he was taken on full-time by the Swedish federation.

Given responsibility for the national youth and boys' teams from 1990-95, Lagerback was then handed the portfolio for Sweden's B team from 1996-97.

In 1998 he was named assistant national team coach, before Soderberg asked him to share responsibilities on an equitable basis as of January 1, 2000.