June 30, 2013
Coach and player news:
AB Argir
AB Argir have brought in 37-year old Serbian defender Dmitrije Jankovic who last season played for TB Tvøroyri. Before that, he has played a couple of seasons for B36 Tórshavn and another two for VB/Sumba in 2006 and 2007.
And from HB they have gotten hold of 32 year old midfielder Kári Nielsen who was an integral part of the HB team from 2004 until he got injured late in 2011 and hasn’t been in the first team since.
B36 Tórshavn
Danish central defender Martin Pedersen played his last for B36 on Friday and will be returning to Denmark again after half a season at B36.
EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur goalkeeper René Tórgarð will not be travelling with his team to Andorra to play in the first qualifying round of the Champions League as he is about to become a father these days. As replacement EB/Streymur have made a loan deal with 07 Vestur’s Hungarian goalkeeper Andras Gango.
Dánjal Davidsen returns to EB/Streymur in the summer
25-year old defender Dánjal Davidsen who played for EB/Streymur from 2008 to 2010 has returned to EB/Streymur during the summer where he will be available for eight league matches before he returns to his studies in Denmark.
He came on midway through the second half in the match against TB Tvøroyri on Friday where he replaced 39 year old central defender Egil á Bø who had officially retired, but after a troublesome start to the season, á Bø was persuaded to help out again, and since he returned, EB/Streymur have not lost a single match. But á Bø will not be available in the second semi-final of the cup competition against KÍ Klaksvík, and will likely be replaced by Davidsen.
ÍF Fuglafjørður
It will be an under-strength ÍF team that will compete against Linfield in the Europa League, as several of their key players have gone on vacation during the summer break of the league which lasts to 21 July. Those players that will be missing are goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen and his son, defender Poul Mikkelsen, Brazilian striker Clayton Soares, midfielder Leivur Joensen and defender/midfielder Høgni Zachariasen. It’s also questionable whether defender Bartal Eliasen will be available for the second leg.
This was all known when the contracts were signed before the season. Most of these guys are from the experienced end; goalkeeper Mikkelsen is 42, Clayton Soares is 34 and Høgni Zachariasen 30. Soares, for example, will go to see his family who has stayed in Brazil, while he’s playing football in the Faroes about 9,000 kilometres away.
However, ÍF will be boosted by the return of midfielder Dánjal av Lakjuni who went to Icelandic 2nd tier football ahead of the season, but has decided to return home as too much time on the bench was not too motivating.
Also midfielder Fritleif í Lambanum, who has made 175 appearances in the top division, has returned home to ÍF from Denmark.
And to replace Mikkelsen in goal for the Europa League matches, ÍF have acquired NSÍ keeper Kristian Joensen.
NSÍ Runavík
NSÍ coach Abraham Løkin announced a couple of weeks ago that he would quit as coach as he had gotten a job opportunity in Norway. And when job opportunities are mention in this case, it’s not a football job as it would usually be in other leagues, but a normal civic job. Løkin told media that this was probably a permanent farewell to coaching.
More about Løkin, now about Abraham’s son, Karl Løkin, who went to Iceland to play football a few weeks ago, but quickly found out it wasn’t the right place for him and therefore quit again immediately. However, he couldn’t return to NSÍ again right away as the transfer window was closed, but as it has re-opened, Karl is again playing for NSÍ.
NSÍ Runavík appoints Heðin Askham as new coach
NSÍ announced this evening that they have appointed Heðin Askham as Abraham Løkin’s replacement for the rest of the season.
Having steered EB/Streymur to the championship last season, Askham said that he wanted a year off from football to recharge the batteries. He has though been coaching the Faroese U21 team in tandem with Bill M. Jacobsen, and still does.
June 24, 2013
EB/Streymur face Andorran team FC Lusitans in the Champions League.
In the Europa League, HB Tórshavn will meet Icelandic side IBV Vestmannaeyjar, ÍF Fuglafjørður are paired with Linfield FC from Northern Ireland while Víkingur clash with Finnish outfit FC Inter Turku.
Champions League draw
EB/Streymur vs. FC Lusitans (Andorra)
The draw for the first qualifying round of the Champions League contained only four teams, of which two were seeded – EB/Streymur and SP Tre penne fro San Marino. The teams they could face were the two un-seeded teams FC Lusitans from Andorra and FC Shirak from Armenia.
The draw paired the Faroese champions EB/Streymur with the champions from Andorra, FC Lusitans.
EB/Streyur have been close to make progress in the last two seasons in the Europa League, crashing out on the away goal-rule on both occasions.
The first leg will be played in Andorra on 2 or 3 July while the reverse takes place a week later. The winner will be awarded with a 2nd round tie with FC Dinamo Tblisi from Georgia, who NSÍ defeated in the second leg in 2008, but where the damage had been done in the first leg in Georgia where Tblisi won 3-0.
Europa League Draw
ÍF Fuglafjørður vs. FC Linfield (Northern Ireland)
Runners up from last season, ÍF Fuglafjørður, will face FC Linfield from Northern Ireland who last season ousted B36 Tórshavn in the Champion League on penalties after three and a half hour of goalless football.
A tie with Xanthi FC from Greece is up for grab for the winner.
HB Tórshavn vs ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar (Iceland)
HB, third placed last season, will travel to Iceland in the first leg to meet ÍBV from Vestmannaeyjar who were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by B36 Tórshavn in 2005.
HB hosted ÍBV in a friendly match in 1999 that ended in a 2-2 draw (where ÍBV won on penalties). This became the start of the Atlantic Cup that went on for a few years between the Champions of Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The last match in that competition was played in 2008.
One interesting note is that the ÍBV goalkeeper is no less than former Liverpool goalkeeper David James.
The winner over the two legs will meet FK Crvena zvezda from Serbia who are commonly known as Red Star Belgrade.
Víkingur – vs. FC Inter Turku (Finland)
Cup winners Víkingur will take on FC Inter Turku from Finland.
Faroese teams have had good results against Finnish opposition before, especially in 1998 when HB Tórshavn beat VPS Vaasa in the first leg, but lost the return leg 4-0, however. HB also drew against FC Haka in 1999, but where well beaten in the away leg which ended 6-0! And in 2007 EB/Streymur drew 1-1 in the second leg against MyPa, having lost 1-0 in Finland in the first leg.
For the winner of Víkingur vs. Inter Turku, FC Petrolul Ploieşti of Rumania is awaiting.
The first leg of the first qualifying round will be played on 4 and 5 July while the second leg takes place on 10 and 11 July.
June 12, 2013
KÍ Klaksvík part with coach Páll Guðlaugsson and replace him with Eyðun Klakstein
KÍ Klaksvík announced this evening that they have parted with coach Páll Guðlaugsson who is in his second season with KÍ.
KÍ say they had an agreement with Guðlaugsson that they would decide before August whether Guðlaugsson would be coach in 2014 also, and that the decision had been made not to extend the contract. Therefore the parties decided to part company immediately.
KÍ soon announced that they had appointed Eyðun Klakstein as new coach.
Klakstein, a former KÍ player, also coached KÍ from a few rounds into the 2007 season, when he replaced the sacked Tony Paris, and until six rounds were remaining of the league the following year when he resigned with KÍ struggling three points above the relegation line.
Klakstein's contract runs to the end of next season.
June 05, 2013
Player and coach updates: League and national teams
Víkingur:
Víkingur coach Jógvan Martin Olsen has announced that he will step down as coach at the end of the season and have a year off from football. A few years ago he told about his ambitions to become a coach abroad, but it sound as those ambitions have been put to rest, although he might start coaching again.
33-year old defender (sometimes midfielder) Niclas Niclassen, who has been with Víkingur and GÍ Gøta since 2006 has decided to quit football on a high level as his civil job takes up too much time. Niclassen who has played more than 250 matches in the top division, originally comes from KÍ Klaksvík.
Midfielder Sølvi Vatnhamar, who is studying in Denmark, will move home to play for Víkingur when he gets vacation from his studies in the near future.
----
B36 Tórshavn
Danish centre-back Martin Petersen will be leaving B36 Tórshavn in the summer break which starts on 28 June. No reason has been given for the parting.
----
National team:
Defender Johan Troest Davidsen has withdrawn from the upcoming qualifiers against Ireland and Sweden, as he’s sitting for examination these days. The coaches have decided not to replace him with a new selection.
U21
As only one goalkeeper had initially been selected for the U21 team – NSÍ Runavík’s Kristian Joensen – a second goalkeeper has now been named in B36 Tórshavns reserve goalkeeper, 19-year old Jákup Høj.
Update, June 06:
Three players have withdrawn from the squad: Beinir Ellefsen from AB Argir and Rógvi Egilstoft Nielsen from EB/Streymur because of injuries and Rógvi Joensen from TB Tvøroyri because of personal reasons.
As the plan was originally to shrink the 20-man squad down to 18, that wont be necessary now as it by ”natural selection”, so to speak, has been cut to 17, so therefore only one new player has been added to the squad; Pál Mohr Joensen from HB Tórshavn.