Bengt Johansson (25 June 1942 – 8 May 2022) was a Swedish handball player and coach. He is one of the most decorated national team coaches in handball history and won thirteen international medals with the Swedish men's national handball team during a sixteen-year reign, including two World Championship gold medals (1990, 1999), four European Championship gold medals (1994, 1998, 2000, 2002) and three Olympic Games silver medals (1992, 1996, 2000).
Born in Halmstad in south-west Sweden, Johansson began his playing career for local team Halmstad HP and spent his career as a player in Sweden, where he won championship titles with SoIK Hellas and HK Drott. He was capped 83 times and scored 52 goals for the Swedish national team from 1963 to 1973. Johansson moved into coaching as a player-coach for HK Drott in 1974 and won five championship titles with the team across twelve seasons. He became the head coach of the Sweden men's national handball team in 1988. During his time as head coach, the national team was nicknamed the Bengan Boys after his own nickname. Johansson is also the inventor of the tactical move known as Gurkburken ("The Gherkin Jar"). He was succeeded as national coach by Ingemar Linnéll.
Johansson died on 8 May 2022, at the age of 79. He suffered from Parkinson's disease during the final years of his life.
Honours
Player SoIK Hellas
Swedish Championship: 1969, 1970
HK Drott
Swedish Championship: 1975
Manager HK Drott
Swedish Championship: 1975, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1988 Sweden
Olympic Games: : 1992, 1996, 2000 World Men's Handball Championship: : 1990, 1999 : 1997, 2001 : 1993, 1995 European Men's Handball Championship: : 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002
References
External links