ICELAND ARE A PUB SIDE
Boss Hallgrimsson tells fans his team in boozer... BEFORE any of his players know
WORLD CUP NEWS
Hallgrimsson, the 51-yearold part-time coach/parttime dentist, who could take the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup into the last 16, joins supporters for a pint before every single home game.
He then proceeds to tell them what his team will be before going through his tactical plan and even the team-talk he will give to the players.
It was an idea Hallgrimsson came up with six years ago when he was assistant to Lars Lagerback and Iceland were being watched by crowds of less than 500.
But he continued going into the Olver Bar across the road from the Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik when he got the top job in 2013.
Hallgrimsson, the man who masterminded England’s downfall at Euro 2016, said: “A team like ours needs to make the most of every advantage – and that means getting the fans right behind us. They are our 12th man.
“That’s why I go to the bar before home games to explain my plans for the game and to tell them that we need their help. It is a shame I can’t do the same thing in Russia.”
Only 30 fans were present when Hallgrimsson first walked into the bar before a friendly against the Faroe Islands in 2012.
Now more than 800 cram into the pub before home games after agreeing to the request not to take pictures or divulge any of the sensitive information Hallgrimsson gives them. “So far there have been no leaks,” he added. “We trust the fans and they trust us to play for them.”
It is estimated that a tenth of Iceland’s 350,000 population will be in Rostov on Tuesday night when Hallgrimsson’s men face Croatia with a place in the knockout stages up for grabs.
But whatever happens, the coach who namechecks Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as an inspiration insists there will be no going back. Hallgrimsson said: “This World Cup must
Hataoka (Jpn), M Lee (Aus), L Salas, A Ashok (Ind), S Changkija , A Ernst , B Marchand (Can), M Martin, B Altomare, H Joo Kim (Kor).
New Zealand L. not be the finishing line but one more step in our progress.
“We do not have stars like other teams but we have players who know how to work for each other. That’s our strength.
“It is about getting the best from your squad. That’s why I like managers like Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone, who without having the best players have managed to build great teams at Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.
“Okay, so we don’t have star names but we have an amateur spirit that allows us to try things that in other places seem impossible. If an Arab
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Toronto L, Barrow L; Sheffield 6, Featherstone 40. London Skolars 28, North Wales Crusaders 36; West Wales 6, Whitehaven 66.
Argentina L, Scotland L; Australia 16, Ireland 20; Canada L, USA L; Japan 28, Georgia 0; New Zealand 49, France 14; South Africa TM, England TM. sheikh came to Iceland to buy a team and bring in star players then our league would be like any other and we would lose the thing that makes us different.
“In other countries, guys give everything between the ages of 10 and 18 to get to the first team and earn lots of money to save their families.
“In Iceland we play while we study or do another job. They know that it is unlikely that football alone will give them a big income.
“But it means our players play football because they love it. I do not want that to change.”
M Rybarikova (Svk) bt B Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) 7-6 (7-1) 6-4, (4) P Kvitova (Cze) bt M Buzarnescu (Rom) 6-3 6-2.
(1) M Cilic (Cro) bt N Kyrgios (Aus) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4), N Djokovic (Ser) bt J Chardy (Fra) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
T Maria (Ger) bt S Kenin (USA) 6-2 2-6 6-4, S Stosur (Aus) leads (3) A Sevastova (Lat) 6-5.
(1) R Federer (Swi) bt D Kudla (USA) 7-6 (7-1) 7-5, B Coric (Cro) bt (4) R Bautista Agut (Spa) 2-3 ret.