Per Bredesen is dead: Legend in Italy

Per Bredesen passed away on Monday, aged 91.

Bredesen’s grandson Morten Bredesen Føske informs NTB that the former great player fell asleep quietly on Monday morning.

– He was an outstanding person and role model both on and off the field, writes Føske in a message on Facebook.

After the Horten boy went to Italy to become a professional football player in the 1950s, the bright man was no longer allowed to play for Norway’s A national team. The amateur regulations at the time meant that professionals were not allowed to play with the flag on their chest.

Thus, Per Bredesen stopped at 18 A-national matches. He got the last one in the 4-3 victory against Sweden in the autumn of 1951. He scored one goal and also had an assist.

Even when he moved home from Italy after the series gold in 1957, he was not allowed to return to the national team. Bredesen was also not allowed to play club matches for his beloved Ørn. Instead, he brought his family and spent a few more years in Italian football.

– It must be one of the worst rules that the Norwegian Football Association has had. I think it was very unfair that I had to suffer because I was a professional, said Bredesen in an interview with VG in 2015.

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“Il Varechina”

For several years, Bredesen took his wife on trips to Italy. In his footballing homeland, he was remembered until the end. “Signor Bredesen” was looked after by hotel managers, restaurant owners and bankers on his trips south.

While here at home he was almost completely ignored by the football family, including by omission at several of the football association’s anniversaries, Per Bredesen enjoyed enormous respect in Italy. The family albums are full of photos with Italian legends, including the former Milan player Cesare Maldini, the father of Paolo Maldini – also a big star.

Bredesen was often called “Il Varechina” (the blinding white) in Italy. This is due to the bright, charismatic mane. Milan was the one of the Italian clubs the Horten man felt most attached to. Then he also became league champion with the red and black in 1957. Bredesen scored six times that season, Milan won five of the games. No one has managed to copy Bredesen, although John Arne Riise came close to becoming champion with Roma in 2010.

– Finally. I have wanted this all the years since (I became it myself), Bredesen told NTB about Riise being able to follow in his footsteps. But to Bredesen’s disappointment, Riise was unable to become Serie A champion.

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Semi-final against United

In 1958, Per Bredesen played in the semi-finals of the league winners’ cup when Milan beat Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate. An injury kept the Norwegian out in the final loss against Real Madrid.

Milan’s fall from the top in recent times hit Bredesen hard. He was highly critical when the team let aging star Andrea Pirlo go to Juventus. At the same time, he was hugely impressed by what his friends Fabio Paratici (sports manager) and Giuseppe Marrotta (general manager) accomplished when they rebuilt the fallen greatness Juventus.

Bredesen knew the duo well. They started the collaboration in Venice, the club which, via its Norwegian contact, brought Runar Berg to the boot country.

There are relatively few Norwegians who have played in Italy. Many more could get the chance via Bredesen’s network, but many Norwegian clubs were reluctant to send people on trials.

(© NTB)