July 13, 2007: Faroe Islands International News

Jógvan Martin Olsen National Coach for Two More Years

The Faroese Soccer Association announced today that they have extended the contract with National coach Jógvan Martin Olsen for two more years, so that it runs until the end of the 2009 World Cup qualifiers (and should the Faroes qualify, it will undoubtedly be extended even further:-)

Jógvan Martin Olsen was under heavy criticism after many of the first qualifying matches, of which the first two ended in 6-0 defeats to Georgia and Scotland.

Part of the reason for the many heavy losses in the early stages was that many of the key players were missing through injury. - A small country like the Faroe Islands just cannot cope with that.

But as those key players have returned, the results have improved, although all of the qualifying matches have still been lost. But especially the last two results, 1-2 against the world champions Italy and 0-2 against Scotland, where the Faroes played some of their best soccer ever, have turned many of the nay-sayers into aye-sayers.

After the heavy criticism he had received for much of his first year in reign, Jógvan Martin Olsen said that he had been in doubt whether he should prolong the contract with another two years or not. But after the positive signs of late, Jógvan Martin Olsen decided to take another two-year term.

The Faroe Islands next international match is the EURO qualifier away to Lithuania on September 12, 2007. Full match schedule here.