January 31, 2010: January Round-Up:

The start of the season is getting closer, although it’s still 2 months away, but the serious outdoor training has started and preseason training matches are planned. The first training match last Friday between Víkingur and relegated KÍ Klaksvík was canceled because of snow, however. As usual, we’ll post the results of the training matches on our preseason result-page (those we manage to trace down), which is also available under Miscellaneous: on the front page of the Faroe Islands football-page.

Without further ado, let’s go to January’s news:

Friendly international with Iceland in March

For the third year in succession, the Faroe Islands will travel to Iceland in March to play a friendly international against Iceland. The match will be played on artificial grass in the Kórinn indoor arena in Kópavogur on 21 March. Last year the Faroe Islands for the first time ever managed to beat Iceland (match report).

Maybe the Faroe Islands could also learn something from the way Iceland prepare their national team as Iceland have already arranged three other friendly internationals in addition to the one against the Faroes. On 3 March they play Cyprus on away soil and on 24 March Iceland travels to California to play against Mexico (that’s only 3 days after the Faroe-match). And on 11 August Iceland take on Liechtenstein at home.

But in all fairness, the reason to the lack of Faroese friendly internationals is not only due to lack of interest from the Faroese Football Association, but also because most nations simply don’t have any interest in playing against the Faroe Islands.

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Goalkeepers switching sides

Meinhardt Joensen from NSÍ Runavík to B36 Tórshavn
It was always expected, but early in the new year it became official that NSÍ Runavík goalkeeper Meinhardt Joensen would return to B36 Tórshavn after one season with NSÍ. Joensen was also at B36 in 2008 where he probably had his best season to date. B36 are reasoning the move for Joensen with the fact that last season’s goalkeeper Jóan Pauli Jakobsen will be moving to Denmark to study midway through the season. Jakobsen is the Faroe Islands U-21 goalkeeper. It’ll be exciting to see who will start the season as 1st choice goalkeeper.

Andras Gango from ÍF Fuglafjørður to NSÍ Runavík
With Joensen’s departure from NSÍ, they were short of a high level goalkeeper. – But not for long though, as it soon became known that ÍF Fuglafjørður’s Hungarian goalkeeper Andras Gango had made clear to ÍF’s board that he wasn’t interested in playing for ÍF anymore even though he still had a year left of his contract with the club.

A few days after Meinhard Joensen´s switch to B36, one of Faroese football’s worst kept secrets was revealed when it was announced that Andras Gango had indeed signed for NSÍ. As part of that deal, NSÍ’s Karl Løkin is heading for ÍF. Karl is son of ÍF’s coach, Abraham, and younger brother of Faroese international Bogi Løkin, who joined Frem in the Danish first division prior to this coming season.

Jákup Mikkelsen from KÍ Klaksvík to ÍF Fuglafjørður
Although ÍF were now without a quality goalkeeper, they seemed very relaxed with the situation and didn’t blame Gango in any way and just said that if Gango didn´t want to play for ÍF, then they weren’t going to force him – almost as if they had a solution to the problem already.

And it didn’t take long until ÍF announced that they – somewhat surprisingly – had persuaded KÍ Klaksvík goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen to make the switch. It was simply too tempting to play in the top division compared to the 1st division.

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B36 Tórshavn
Two of B36’s foreign players from last season, forward Brima Koroma (Sierra Leone) and midfielder Dennis Holmberg (Denmark) will not be continuing for B36 (or in the Faroe Islands).

On the other hand, midfielder Heini í Skorðini has returned after a few years absence where he mostly has been abroad in connection with his studies. He played the latter part of last season for FC Hoyvík in the 1st division, however.

Also defender Fróði Clementsen has returned to B36. He has been shifting a lot between B36, EB/Streymur and AB Argir during the last 3 years.

Also Ingi Højsted, once an Arsenal trainee, is returning to action this season after he has spent the last couple of seasons nurturing injuries.

Reserve goalkeeper Tróndur Vatnhamar, who started last season as 1st choice but was later released by Jóan Pauli Jakobsen, has moved to EB/Streymur where he will be cover for René Tórgarð. Tórgarðs cover for several years, Gunnar á Steig (often an underestimated keeper), has rejoined relegated KÍ Klaksvík.

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B68 Toftir
B68 will have two new players from Senegal on trial next week; a midfielder and a forward.

B68 already have two other Senegalese in their team, midfielder Ndende Adama Gueye and striker Ahmed Keita. Keita was on a trial at Danish Superliga club Silkeborg last week before he arrived back at Toftir, but that did not materialize into a contract with the Danish club.

B68 had another two Senegalese players in the 2008 season.

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B71 Sandoy
3 Serbian players have arrived at B71; one for every chain of the field. Their names are Marko Stanic, Bojan Zivic and Danilo Kovacevic. Danilo is son of former B71 coach Dragan Kovacevic, who was also coach at Skála in 2007, but was sacked after Skála had lost their opening four matches of the season. – B71 have a fourth Serb in the team; goalkeeper Predrag Markovic.

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FC Suðuroy - formerly VB/Sumba
FC Suðuroy have revealed that they are close to finalizing deals with 3 foreigners, but that’s all they’re ready to tell at the moment.

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EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur captain Egil á Bø, who will become 36 at the start of the season, has decided to continue for another year.

Right back Gert Hansen, who used to be an integral part of the EB/Streymur team, but who hasn’t appeared much in the last couple of seasons because of nasty injuries, is now training again at full speed.

From 7 to 14 March, EB/Streymur will be in a training camp in Turkey. That’s very unusual for Faroese clubs to do. - Sometimes they do it in the summer break, but not pre-season. Thinking about it again, that's not quite true, as Víkingur was in Iceland prior to last season. And maybe B71 was in Holland or Belgium a few years ago, but maybe it was in the summer (?).

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HB Tórshavn
HB have announced that they have appointed former HB player and coach Jóannes Jakobsen as assistant coach. Jakobsen is former captain of the national team; for example when they beat Austria in 1990.

But HB also told that the next two weeks would be very exciting; hinting some signings.

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NSÍ Runavík

Óli Hansen retires
32 year old NSÍ captain Óli Hanasen has announced his retirement. Originally he was a striker but was moved into defence several years ago, now. But Hansen’s abilities as a striker were a deciding factor in NSÍ’s title-year in 2007 as the defender scored some crucial goals and was number 2 on NSÍ’s top scorer list at the end of the season with 7 goals (3 on penalties), only 2 behind Brazilian striker Anderson who left the club before the end of the season.

Óli Hansen spent most of his career at NSÍ, but in 2000 and 2001 he played for GÍ Gøta as a striker and scored the goal when they beat HB Tórshavn 1-0 in the cup final in the year 2000.

Hansen won 3 caps for the Faroe Islands.

Øssur Dalbúð
It’s not quite clear yet whether striker Øssur Dalbúð will play for NSÍ this season or if he will continue at ÍF Fuglafjørður where he was on loan in the second part of last season.

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Víkingur
Striker Andreas Lava Olsen has joined Danish 1st division club BK Frem, where he will team up with fellow Faroese internationals Bogi Løkin and Jónas Tór Næs. Lava Olsen has already made his mark as he scored the opening goal in the 2-0 win in a friendly with Brønshøj.

This is a major blow to Víkingur’s hopes for the 2010 season, although they still have a quality side, but they are unlikely to improve on last season’s 3rd spot.

Unless the African forward, who reportedly has been seen training with Víkingur recently, is very good… We’ll see how that all turns out.

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No news from AB Argir this time

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Símun Samuelsen returns to the Faroe Islands

24 year old Faroese international Símun Samuelsen who has been in Iceland for 5 years playing for Keflavík has decided to return home to the Faroe Islands (a year before the end of his contract). It’s not clear yet where he will play, but he admitted that it would be either HB Tórshavn or FC Suðuroy (formally VB/Sumba), his youth club.

There were already rumours about Samuelsen Joining HB, when HB announced their new coach in November, Kristján Guðmundsson from Iceland, as Guðmundsson was the coach at Keflavík.

Just before the New Year, Samuelsen was voted player of the year in the Keflavík area. During his 73 league matches for Keflavík, he scored 18 goals and a couple in 10 European matches for the club.

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Rógvi Holm for
One player whom there hasn't been any news about since he parted with Scottish club Aberdeen, is 20 year old Rógvi Holm who is the skipper in defence for the Faroe Islands U-21 team. He should have no problems in walking straight into the starting position of any Faroese club.

Some are saying that a defender is on his way to HB Tórshavn. Is Holm going to HB? – But it's just rumours and speculations.

Strangely enough, Holm's profile page at Aberdeen had actually written that Holm's previous club was "HB – Argja Bóltfelag". – But that was just an honest mistake, as they meant to write "AB - Argja Bóltfelag".

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Tony Paris vs. KÍ Klaksvík reaches verdict
The court case between KÍ Klaksvík and their former coach Tony Paris has now reached a verdict.

Paris had sued the club back in May 2009 for breach of contract after he was fired in May 2007.

Paris’s main claim was around 1,400,000 DKK (around $260,000). If that claim was not met , his lesser claim was around 1,200,000 DKK (around $225,000). KÍ Klaksvík wanted acquittal. If not acquitted, then to pay mostly 312,000 DKK ($58,000).

In the end, the judge sentenced KÍ Klaksvík to pay Tony Paris around 500,000 DKK ($93,000) – that’s with costs included – for breach of contract.

Paris had been coach for KÍ in two periods - first in 1977-1978 and again in 1999 when he led KÍ to the double - before he was hired again in 2006 on a 4 year contract. KÍ did well in their first season where they reached 4th spot in the league and qualified for the cup final which they lost 2-1 to B36 Tórshavn. But when KÍ had dropped to 8th place in the table a third into the 2007-season, KÍ lost patient with Paris and fired him.

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Klaksvík Tournament

And more about relegated KÍ Klaksvík:

Although KÍ are now in the 1st division, they will still organize the traditional Klaksvík Tournament between the top 3 from last season, HB Tórshavn, EB/Streymur and Víkingur (in that order) and the hosts, KÍ.

This preseason tournament will be played on February 27 and 28th.

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Next month (well, that's tomorrow) we might start writing the news as we get it, instead of waiting to the end of the month. So it could be worth checking before 28 February.

Well, that's it! See you soon...