Iceland coach Hallgrimsson giving SFA the cold shoulder
ICELAND boss Heimir Hallgrímsson has warned the SFA that they would be wasting their time calling him before the World Cup. The 50-year-old features on a revised shortlist of candidates under consideration after Michael O’Neill turned down an offer to become the next Scotland manager.
Iceland have emerged as one of world football’s improbable success stories after Hallgrimsson helped to lead a nation of just 250,000 people to Euro 2016 and the World Cup finals in Russia.
No stranger to the SFA hierachy after he addressed the association’s annual convention in 2015, Hallgrimsson has heard rumours of Scotland interest — but insists he is fully focused on preparing for this summer’s World Cup.
‘I am happy with my position, happy with everything around me and happy with the players,’ he said. When it all goes together, it normally works out.
‘I read something about it (Scotland) but there has been no contact. I have done some seminars for the Scottish FA. I have been at the annual meeting, talking about the Icelandic youth structure and so on.
‘Scotland and Iceland have good co-operation. But there has been no contact between us whatsoever.’
Asked if he would be interested in receiving a call after SFA chief executive Stewart Regan vowed to cast the net wide following a knockback from O’Neill, Hallgrimsson said: ‘I have the best job in the world at the moment. But I am in the phone book...
‘Seriously, though, it would be silly to be considering moving in a World Cup year. We are going to the tournament for the first time.
‘It (the Scotland job) isn’t on my mind at the moment. All my focus is on Iceland playing in the World Cup. I can’t afford to be thinking about anything else. I need all of my focus to be on one side. That is psychology. I am 101-per-cent focused on Iceland.’
Co-manager with Lars Lagerback until Euro 2016, Hallgrimsson combined his role with his work as a dentist until the Swede left to manage Norway and he assumed fulltime control.
Asked if a move to manage Scotland might appeal in future, he chose his words carefully saying: ‘It is always one of the strong football nations. There is a lot of tradition around them. There is always a good atmosphere in Scotland. It is a wonderful football country.’
Lagerback has also been persistently linked with the Scotland post but believes his former Iceland right-hand man would be a progressive choice for the SFA.
‘Definitely,’ stated the Norway boss. ‘You can see the job he has done. He would be a good choice. I recommend him.’
Ruling himself out of the running, however, Lagerback added: ‘I hear that you still don’t have a manager.
‘It would be interesting and nice to be in Scotland. I have always liked it. But no, I don’t think so.’
Albania manager Christian Panucci, meanwhile, admits he would love to cause Scotland more angst in the UEFA Nations League after ending the national team’s hopes of reaching Euro 2008 with a highly controversial goal for Italy.
Scoring from a disputed Hampden free-kick in 2007, he said: ‘I remember the winning goal for Italy on my last visit to Scotland but, as manager of Albania, now it will be tougher to get a victory in Glasgow.
‘My goal came from an Andrea Pirlo free-kick. I don’t remember there being any controversy over the free-kick award.
‘But certainly the atmosphere was fantastic, unbelievable. I remember the match and Scotland away is difficult for every team.
‘If I made the Scotland fans angry that night, then I hope to do the same again but it’s not easy to play at Hampden.’
Israel are the third team in Scotland’s group for the inaugural Nations League competition, with a possible play-off place for Euro 2020 the carrot for the group winners.
‘Albania have a good team and I would say all three teams in the group have an equal chance of winning the section,’ added Panucci.