On Monday morning, the news came that Bengt "Bengan" Johansson passed away during the evening of May 8 after a long illness.

A heavy message, even if those who were close to him knew that Johansson had been bad for a long time.

- It feels very sad, I'm a little taken.

We have had contact and I have known that it has been a bit crappy but it is still very difficult when you get the message.

This was not a good day, says Magnus Andersson when SVT Sport reaches him.

It was Johansson who made sure that Andersson ended up in Halmstad.

- That was where my whole career took off and then we had 15 years together in the national team so it is clear that he is a person who has meant a lot to me.

Both when it comes to handball, the human and all that, it is the leader who has been closest to me during all these years, Andersson says.

"It's very sad now"

Magnus Wislander:

- I have known about the situation for a while but it will be a shock of course when you get the message.

There are many memories and such things that come up.

It will be a miss of course, but at the same time it will also be that you look back at the time and what we experienced together, what he did and how he was, and what he taught me and the group.

How he was as a human being, quite simply, says Magnus Wislander.

What will you remember Bengt Johansson for?

- I will remember the person Bengt Johansson, not so much maybe the handball leader Bengt Johansson, but the personality he was, his leadership, not only in sports but he could have worked with it in any industry. 

Ljubomir Vranjes was of course aware that Johansson had been bad for a long time but still gets really cracked when he gets the news of his former coach's passing.

- No?

But god how hard ..., says Vranjes before he is silent for over a minute before he continues:

- I'm just thinking about what a damn good man he was, I'm not talking handball now, I'm talking about how he was against people.

That was the beauty of him, he took care of the group and the people around him.

He was a wonderful person.

It's very sad now, I have a hard time formulating myself.

"There have always been good times with Bengan"

Thomas Sivertsson:

- There are many thoughts of course, but I have known that he has been tired and bad in recent years.

I am from Halmstad and have been around "Bengan" for so many years and we were together in the national team for a very long time with an incredible number of experiences.

He was an incredibly strong leader who always saw the whole, the whole person, the whole family.

After the national team period, I have had a lot of contact with "Bengan" over the years, there are many memories and there were always good times with "Bengan".

Another former player, Stefan Lövgren, who is today the CEO of the national handball team, says that "Bengan's" open leadership style has inspired him and others to become better leaders. 

- In Swedish handball, he is undoubtedly the greatest leader, he says, and like the others, refers to the personality in the first place and the merits in others.

- He was an extremely warm and present person.

It was important for him to see that everyone was well.

You felt that as soon as you were close to him, that he was interested in you as an individual, he says