FC Pune City’s new marquee player Eidur Gudjohnsen says small Iceland population resulted in his team’s glorious run at Euro 2016
There have been remarkable stories of underdog achievement in sporting history and most of them rarely have to do much with luck. Iceland football and its extraordinary surge to the quarter-finals of soccer’s European Championship can easily top the list in awe-inspiring tales in sport today. So what took the smallest country in terms of population to qualify for an international tournament?
Eidur Gudjohnsen was part of Iceland’s 23-member squad for Euro 2016 and made two appearances. Pic/Getty Images
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'Belief in our skills'
“We went into every game with a belief in our skills. We knew what we are capable of and always had a strong motive to never give up. So we stood as a team and backed not only our strengths, but our teammates as well,” Eidur Gudjohnsen, who was part of the 23-member squad and made two appearances, told mid-day yesterday.
The 37-year-old former Chelsea player, who helped the team win successive Premier League titles from 2004 to 2006, comes with oodles of experience after he was signed by Hrithik Roshan co-owned FC Pune City as their marquee player for season 3 of the Indian Super League (ISL).
Iceland were on top of their game during the Euros so much so that England wilted out 2-1 in the Round of 16. The team also drew 1-1 against Portugal. “Before every Euro 2016 game our coach told us that we should leave everything on the pitch. Our game was very compact. We played as strong individuals and went as far as we deserve,” Gudjohnsen said.
Roughly 10 per cent of the country’s 330,000 citizens trekked to France to cheer the team. But how can a nation with a population less than Mumbai crop out of nowhere to achieve a record rank 22 in the FIFA rankings?
“It was just our confidence and the collaboration between the management and players that worked wonders,” he said.
Back home too, the football scenario in region is quite different. “The set up is very good here. Individuals here are very competitive and strong despite the bad weather conditions.
“The facilities also have improved. Our coaches go abroad and learn new methods, practices and then come back and train the players,” he said.
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