Kurt Hamrin, the only player left from the 1958 World Cup final, passed away on Sunday at the age of 89, according to a statement from his former team, Fiorentina.
Kurt Hamrin passed away, and the Fiorentina football team released a statement expressing their collective grief along with the family and the football community.“Hamrin was and will always be a genuine legend of football and in particular for Fiorentina fans.”
Famous for his daring play on the flank and his eye for goal, Hamrin, also known as “Uccellino” (Little Bird), was a former winger for AC Milan, Juventus, and Fiorentina.As a vital member of the Swedish team that advanced to the 1958 World Cup final on home soil, he watched as Brazil and a teenage Pele defeated them.
The Swedish fans will always remember Hamrin for his heroics during that World Cup, even though he only managed 17 goals in 32 international appearances.
He scored goals in the last four games and the quarterfinals to set up a matchup with Mario Zagallo and Garrincha’s outstanding Brazil squad.The Swedish Football Federation declared, “Swedish football has lost one of its greats.”
“It wasn’t just the track record, the goals, the passes and the hard work on the right wing that made ‘Kurre’ a legend who was never forgotten. He was a loyal and popular person wherever he played.
“Swedish football remembers Kurre Hamrin with great warmth and gratitude. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones right now.”
He made a significant impact in Italy as well, ranking ninth in the league’s all-time scoring charts with 190 Serie A goals over the course of 15 years at several clubs.When Hamrin moved to AC Milan in 1967, he had already won two Italian Cups and the 1961 European Cup Winners’ Cup with Fiorentina, where he had signed in 1958.
Playing with Gianni Rivera in one of the greatest teams the Rossoneri have ever had, Hamrin enjoyed even greater success in his two seasons at Milan as opposed to his time at Fiorentina.
In 1968, during his first season at the San Siro, he took home the Serie A championship as well as another Cup Winner’s Cup.
His goal in the 2-1 aggregate semifinal victory over the defending champion Manchester United the following season helped Milan win their second European Cup, which they eventually won 4-1 against Johan Cruyff’s Ajax.
He moved back to Sweden to play his final season at IFK Stockholm after spending two more seasons playing for Napoli, where he left that summer.
His family eventually made a second home for him in Florence, where he later died.