UEFA EURO 2016
Iceland: With a Plan and the “Golden Generation”
As an outsider, traveled to France, to excite the Kicker from the Atlantic island of their own Fans as well as neutral spectators – always remain humble. Whence comes the great success of the small island?
“We want to survive the preliminary round,” had Gylfi Sigurdsson spent two weeks as the target Islands for the EM. And thus, the former hope station, the professional rejected, in fact, already far out of the window: “We can play, we have achieved so much.” In fact, the sovereign qualification was already in a group with Czech Republic, Turkey and the Netherlands, much more than all the experts and even the Icelanders themselves for possible had kept. Now they stand after three matches without defeat
The second round of the European championship.
The “football dwarfs” of the volcanic island in the North Atlantic, are a phenomenon. Only 20,000 of the 330,000 residents of Iceland are as active football player in the national Association of KSI is registered. For comparison: Switzerland has approximately 280,000 active player in Germany there are more than 6.8 million. Iceland is the smallest Nation that has qualified for a European championship, the success of the island’s kicker, however, comes at all about.
Professional Training, better places
To the a pays off that Island since the year 2000 intensive in soccer halls and artificial turf pitches has been invested. Where in the past only in the short summer season could be played, or on ice and snow kicked had to be, was now a regular game operation is possible. “I used to play on gravel, now there are grass courts in the halls,” praised, for example, drifted Gudjohnsen, Icelandic exceptional talent and record goalscorer of the national team that was once at FC Chelsea and FC Barcelona under contract, the development.
Better infrastructure: Islands footballer and the young train lawn in the halls with art
In addition, the youth work was placed on professional feet. “Among most age classes will now be served in the whole of Iceland by trained coaches, the self is in England or Germany often the case,” said Augsburg striker Alfred Finnbogason in front of EM in an Interview with “11 friends”. “You must have made a Trainer in order to train a Team. It used to be with the children often soccer parents who are interested, the Team supervised. So that is now taken care of from the beginning, for a certain standard of quality.” Also due to the improvement of the infrastructure and of the youth training has grown in recent years in Iceland, a kind of “Golden Generation”, which today forms the core of the national team.
Lagerbäck wants to be a Hero
Midfielder Sigurdsson, who now plays Swansea City, in addition to man Aron Gunnarsson of Cardiff City, wing man Birkir Bjarnarson from FC Basel, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, for FC Nantes storms and Finnbogason in Augsburg hunting for goals – they are all players who can compete on the Top European level. Such an accumulation of exceptionally talented footballers, it was not Iceland’s national team so far. Since you are playing together since years and perfectly knows, reaps the national team now in the championship, the fruits. “The majority of today’s national teams played in the youth selections,” said Finnbogason in “11 Freunde”. “In 2010, we have been in the qualification for the U21-EM favourites Germany with 4:1 defeated. It was a Moment, in the us our Potential was.”
Modest and successful coach, Lars Lagerbäck
The Potential for a definitive life-coach Lars Lagerbäck has awakened. The Swede, who has been working since 2011 as a national coach in Iceland, is the father of success. However, Lagerbäck, the dentist will closely with his Co-coach Heimir hall Grimsson, remains, works, modest. “I would not say that I am a national hero,” said Lagerbäck, after the final round back and square for his assistants is: “people like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King are heroes.” Nevertheless, Lagerbäcks performance has something heroic. The always calm and relaxed-looking football coach ordered his Team to a stable 4-4-2 System. He gave his players a lot of confidence in you to repay him with great effort on the court. On the Basis of an effective and uncomfortable to record Defensive managed Lagerbäck, to Iceland’s Team on the offensive Shine. With 17 goals, the people of Iceland in the European championship qualification group had the second-best attack, with just six goals.
In the previous three EM Games, the Icelanders have achieved at least a hit. The result of Lagerbäcks work: Within just four years, the national team of Iceland jumped in the world ranking of FIFA by 97 places. Rank 131 it went up to # 34.
Powered by the blue wall
In addition to their combative and partly also playful qualities of the Icelanders, in France, that they are supported by a wave of enthusiasm, which you have triggered. Nearly 30,000 Icelandic Fans in France and support your Team. Each group game will be a blue wall behind the team, moved by their courageous and cheeky performances fairly quickly, even the neutral viewers on your page.
30.000 Icelanders should stop for the European championship in France – about nine percent of the population
How the players can put their actually, as a Northern cold country people in ecstasy, proves the report from the Icelandic TV-commentator Gudmundur Benediktsson
2:1-winning goal against Austria. As Iceland’s player of the winning counterattack on the way, made the Arnor Traustason successfully completed,
Benediktsson completely lost the composure and almost even his voice. “Yes! Yes! Yes! We will win this! We are among the last 16. We are among the last 16. We have won against Austria!”, screamed the commentator, with a high, distorted voice, and could not calm down minutes in length. In the social networks that made him a Star: Several million Times the Video was accessed with his report until the next Morning.
Dreamless England
Now it goes in the second round on Monday against England (21 CEST). For many of the Icelanders, which are oriented exactly like other Northern European countries very heavily on English football, is an absolute Dreamless sleep. “If I see you on TV, I’m a Fan of England,” said Central defender Kari Arnason. “So this is something very Special.” Previously, to recover the Team but of the grueling preliminary rounds. “We will now tell you simply: Go to sleep and get some rest,” said Co-coach Heimir hall Grimsson after the success against Austria. “It is time to recover. We need this now.” Five days should be enough to get the weary legs back in shape. And also the voice of the euphoric commentator should have recovered. And then, miracle, ready for the next Icelandic football, at least in theory – nothing in the way.