Startsida Fotboll Mer läsvärt Inför AIK-Fylkir

Vidir Sigurdson - isländsk journalist inför AIK-Fylkir

Inför AIK-Fylkir har aik.se intervjuat en isländsk sportjournalist av rang, Vidir Sigurdson. Hela intervjun gjordes på engelska och här är den i sitt ursprungsformat.

Even though AIK has faced Icelandic opposition quite a few times in european cups in the past few years I believe our fans' knowledge of your football is rather limited. Please tell us a little bit about your league, the predominant teams, domestic stars, attendance etc.?
Iceland has a ten team premier league which starts in May and finishes in late September. It is a short season, but with some new indoor stadiums in the country, other competitions, such as provincial tournaments and the league cup, now start in January and February. With 12 rounds out of 18 now finished, Fylkir and champions KR are on top and seem to be heading for a duel, just like in 2002 when Fylkir blew their chances in the last round and KR took the title. As most of Iceland's best players play abroad, there are few star players in the Icelandic league, except those who have played for foreign clubs but returned. Amongst those is Sverrir Sverrisson, former Malmo FF and national player, who now is "the grand old man" in the Fylkir team. Fylkir also has striker Haukur Ingi Gudnason, former Liverpool reserve player, who has been in touch with clubs in Austria and Norway for a further career abroad. Veteran Arnar Gunnlaugsson, who scored a magnificent goal for Iceland in the 1-1 draw against Sweden in a EC qualifying match at Råsunda in 1995, now plays for KR. Most premier league clubs have one or more foreign players on their books. In fact, top teams Fylkir and KR have two of three all-Icelandic squads in the league. More than half of the foreign players in the premiership this season come from Denmark, but players from former Yugoslavia used to be dominant, and still are in the lower divisions. Average attendance in the league is around 1.000, with KR the best supported team (1.948 per match in 2002) and Fylkir second (1.586 in 2002).

If we then focus on AIKs forthcoming opponents, Fylkir: what can you tell us about the teams history and great moments in the past?
Fylkir is one of Iceland's youngest clubs, founded in 1967 and starting in the 3rd division in 1972. They first played in the top division in 1989, were relegated at first attempt, and the same happened in 1993 and 1996. But from 2000, when Fylkir returned once again, the team has challenged for the top honours in Icelandic football. The championship has eluded them, twice missing out in the final round, but Fylkir is cup winner for the past two seasons, 2001 and 2002. They won't win it this year, though, as they crashed out in the 16-finals, 3-0 to KA from Akureyri. Fylkir has played European football for the past two seasons, in the UEFA-Cup. They started magnificently in 2001, surprisingly edging out Polish opponents, Pogon Szczecin, in the first round before losing twice to Roda from Holland. Last autumn, Fylkir made Moeskroen from Belgium work for their money in the first round, drawing 1-1 in Iceland where Fylkir dominated, before bowing out, 3-1, in Belgium.

The Icelandic papers and official league reports tell us that Fylkir has had some tremendous seasons in the past few years. What are the reasons for the success and the progress that the club has made?
Without doubt their youth policy. For the past 15 years, Fylkir's young teams have been successful and they have produced a lot of good players. In a recent league match they fielded 10 players in their starting line-up who are home-grown. Two of those have already tasted foreign football, 20 year old Olafur Ingi Skulason plays for Arsenal's reserve team but was loaned to Fylkir for the summer, and Helgi Danielsson returned this spring from Peterborough in England where he has played for five years. A group of their veteran players, who are 30-31 years old, have played together for Fylkir since they were 6-7 years old and make the backbone of the team. Also, Fylkir is a well run club with no financial difficulties, and they have been able to buy strong players from other Icelandic clubs, to support their home-grown base.

Again from various sites of information we can establish that Fylkir has started this season very well and that the team is only two points behind the leader after half the series have been completed (11/07/2003). Is this in line with your expectations and what are your predictions for the rest of the season when it comes to the league in general and Fylkir in particular?
Before the season, Fylkir was expected to be in hunt for the big titles, and they I think they will fight KR for the championship up to the final round, just like last year. The clubs meet at KR's stadium on August 24th and that clash will have a big say on who wins the championship.

To be a little bit more detailed could you please give us some short facts regarding the Fylkir Squad anno 2003. Personal opinions as well as facts. Best player so far? Rookie of the year? Topscorer? Most booked player? Most important player? Most popular amongst the fans?
By Icelandic standards, Fylkir has a large group of players to choose from. The fan's favourite and probably the most important player is veteran midfielder Finnur Kolbeinsson, who was voted players's player of the year in the premier division last season. Kolbeinsson, Helgi Danielsson, striker Haukur Ingi Gudnason and defenders Thorhallur Dan Johannsson and Valur Fannar Gislason have been consistent this season. Gudnason is top scorer in the league with 5 goals, but the scoring spreads through the team. Danielsson and Gislason have most bookings. Arsenal's Skulason is the youngest regular player, but 19 year old defender/midfielder Kristjan Valdimarsson has got a few starts this season and looks promising.

There is one player in the Fylkir squad who might be more known to us than the others and that is Sverrir Sverrirson who played successfully for Malmö FF during a few years. Icelandic players do in fact normaly succeed when they play in allsvenskan. Why is that do you think and in your opinion, how does the Icelandic league compare with the Swedish one?
I think Icelandic players have adapted well to Swedish football over the years because the football in the two countries is similar in many ways, and for an Icelander, it is easy to adapt to Swedish society, language and mentality. Players such as Teitur Thordarson at Öster and Arnor Gudjohnsen at Häcken and Örebro were of course outstanding with their Swedish teams and many others have done well. The Swedish league is much stronger than the Icelandic league, naturally because Sweden has much more players to choose from, although I think that the top 2-3 Icelandic teams at any time could survive in the Allsvenskan.

7) If we leave Fylkir for the moment and look at Swedish football and later AIK: What do you know about Swedish football in Iceland and what did you think when you learned about the draw? Was it a good draw? Is AIK a well-known team by now or?
The average Icelandic football fan has a fair knowledge of Swedish football, and is familiar with those Swedish players who play in England and other top leagues in Europe. He is probably not as familiar with the exact status of the Allsvenskan but Icelandic newspapers regularly publish results and standings in the Allsvenskan and focus on the three Icelandic players there, Thorarinsson at Örgryte, Helgason at Landskrona and Jonsson at IFK Göteborg.

Swedish and Icelandic teams have met five times in the European cups and the Swedes have come out on top in three of these encounters. What are your thoughts on the game between AIK and Fylkir, and what is the general opinion amongst media and football supporters in Iceland concerning this match?

Fylkir was the last Icelandic team to get through at least one round in a European cup (against Polish side Pogon Szczecin in a surprise win 2001/02). What would be the key to success in this years competition and which players do you consider to be the most important in order for your team to get through to the next round?
As I said above, Fylkir has a large group of players to choose from and they rely on no one individual to play well, but of course veteran midfielders Sverrisson and Kolbeinsson will be extremely important over those two matches. Fylkir has a solid keeper, strong defence, hard-working midfield and a few dangerous attacking players. If they succeed in playing their game, they are a handful for every opponent as they have proved in Europe over the last two years. If AIK fails to break them down and score in the first leg at home, the return match in Reykjavik will really be interesting. Fylkir has scored in Poland and Belgium, and are always likely to do so. Fylkir needs to keep the score at 0-0 or 1-1 in Sweden, and if that happens, the second leg will be wide open.

Finally, if you were to put some money on this two-legged tie between the teams what would be your be?
AIK seems a safer bet!

Text: Johan Florén Aik.se
Jesper Florén Exilgnagare.com
Foto: Bildbyrån
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