Conceiçao’s son Francisco ‘pretty good’, but Lazio ‘not easy’ for Eriksson | OneFootball

Sergio Conceiçao admits his son Francisco, a new Juventus signing, is ‘pretty good’ but reveals that managing the Lazio group was ‘not easy’ for Sven-Göran Eriksson.

Conceiçao, a former Serie A winger for Lazio, Parma and Inter, released an interview with Radiosei on Monday, talking about his son Francisco, a new summer signing for Juventus, and legendary Lazio coach Eriksson.

The ex-Swedish coach died aged 76 on August 26, 2024. He had won several trophies at the Stadio Olimpico with Conceiçao, including a Serie A title in 1999-00.

“It wasn’t an easy group to manage with Simeone, Couto, and the others, but we were a family when it came to going on the pitch and winning,” said Conceiçao, as quoted by TMW.

Conceiçao’s son Francisco ‘pretty good’, but Lazio ‘not easy’ for Eriksson

“We all had our personalities and characters but with a common target. Sometimes, I got angry because I wanted to play all the games. I was upset when he left me on the bench. Every match and every training session was highly competitive.

“Roberto Mancini was a phenomenon. He made the difference every time he played. We also had Almeyda, Nedved, Nesta and Sinisa [Mihajlovic] in defence. It was incredible. Sinisa and Mancini knew each other so well that they knew each other’s movements. I am sorry we didn’t win the Champions League. It’s a regret because we won everything and deserved to reach the Final.”

In addition to the 1999-2000 Serie A title, Eriksson also won a Coppa Italia, a UEFA Super Cup, and one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup at the Stadio Olimpico.

Conceiçao’s son Francisco also moved to Serie A this summer, joining Juventus on an initial loan deal from Porto.

The Portuguese winger made his Serie A debut against Roma before the international break but recently sustained an injury that will keep him on the sidelines for a month.

“Francisco is a good footballer; he’s one for one-on-one duels. He’s pretty good,” said his father.

“He has a great desire to win. José, my younger son, plays football too, but he wants to have fun.”