TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016 SPORTS Coaching revolution takes Iceland to top table REYKJAVIK: Rykivik Siggi Eyolfsson had Icelandic football’s governing body, New system only modest success as a professional where he launched an overhaul of the Nearly every player Iceland’s Euro footballer abroad, but he worked won- coaching system. Eyolfsson knew his squad, all of whom play abroad, were ders when he returned home to launch a subject, having studied in the United coached in their teenage years in the coaching revolution that many credit for States before embarking on a football new system. There are other achieve- Iceland making their European career, acquiring a degree in exercise ments. About 100 Icelanders play over- Championship debut this year. With a and sports science, and a Masters in seas, and many more compete full-time population of about 329,000 - roughly sports psychology. or part-time in Iceland - from a playing that of England’s soccer wonder-child Now Iceland has nearly 850 coaches base of only 3,000 registered adult Leicester - Iceland is the smallest nation holding UEFA licences who, apart from males. The overhaul of coaching in to qualify for Euro 2016 in France next coaching professional teams tutor boys Iceland was matched by a huge invest- month, playing in a group with Austria, and girls from the age of five. Early ment in facilities. The boom years Hungary and Portugal. But in spite of its results of Eyolfsson’s revolution showed before the 2008 economic crash saw small size the Nordic country of geysers up with the women’s national team indoor “football houses” and artificial and glaciers has more top-level coaches, qualifying for the Euros in 2009 and pitches arriving in large numbers. per capita, than any other nation and 2013. “The KSI deserve so much credit There are seven full-sized indoor has benefited from a huge investment in for starting the coaching,” said Hermann pitches, six half-sized pitches for junior facilities including “football houses” and Hreidarsson, who played in England for games and training, and nearly 200 artificial pitches in the past 15 years. 15 years and won the FA Cup with outdoor artificial pitches of various Eyolfsson should take a bow. As a 26- Portsmouth in 2008. “The man behind it sizes - with more on the way. Rykivik Siggi Eyolfsson year-old with seven years at Icelandic was Siggi he kept talking about it when Everything was paid for by clubs, players,” said Eyolfsson, who helped to including Chelsea and Barcelona. “It clubs under his belt, he left to play for he was head of education until it hap- municipalities and sponsors. “Football ensure that the coaching network could be a small village, so you need a English and Belgium sides, where he pened.” Hreidarsson recalled his early is no longer a six-month game in extended even to the most remote vil- qualified coach in that village.” had a modest career, before returning days in England when he signed for Iceland,” said Omar Smarason, market- lages. “You don’t know where the next Eyolfsson, 42, left the KSI in 2013 to try home in 2002. On his return home Crystal Palace as a 23-year-old in 1997. ing and media manager of the KSI. Eidur Gudjohnsen is going to come club coaching and now works along- Eyolfsson won successive domestic “My technical ability was no better than “Iceland is out-performing about from,” Eyolfsson told Reuters, referring side another Icelander Runar titles with KR Reykjavik, but then took a 14-year-old’s today. The improvements 150 bigger countries and arguably is to the Icelandic midfielder who has Kristinsson as assistant manager at over as head of education at the KSI, have been immense,” he said. the best in the world in developing played for top flight foreign clubs Lillestrom in Norway.—Reuters United sack Van Gaal Man Utd shares dip in choppy Frankfurt trading LONDON: Louis van Gaal has been sacked as manager of Manchester United, several British media outlets reported yesterday, amid specula- tion he will be replaced by Jose Mourinho. Both Van Gaal and leading employment lawyer Paul Gilroy were seen entering United’s Carrington training ground yesterday. Gilroy’s clients have included David Moyes, whose sacking as United manager paved the way for Van Gaal’s appoint- ment. There has a yet been no official confirma- tion from United, 20-times English champions, about the position of Van Gaal, who still has a season remaining on his three-year contract. But James Ducker, the northern football cor- respondent of Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspa- per, tweeted yesterday: “Paul Gilroy QC finaliz- ing Van Gaal’s severance package now...£5m pay off. Expect an announcement lunchtime.” The BBC said that United would make a statement MADRID: Sevilla’s French defender Adil Rami (left) helps Barcelona’s Uruguayan for- about Van Gaal at 1:00pm local time yesterday. ward Luis Suarez (center) during the Spanish ‘Copa del Rey’ (King’s Cup) final match British media have been awash with reports of FC Barcelona vs Sevilla FC on May 22, 2016. —AFP Van Gaal’s demise, after a leak from an unknown source spread as Manchester United lifted the FA Cup on Saturday. The Dutchman cryptically Luis Suarez in tears after commented, “It’s over” as he left the squad’s Cup final hotel on Sunday, but it was not clear injury, could miss Copa whether he was referring to his tenure or United’s season. Louis van Gaal MADRID: Luis Suarez’ participation in the game is on June 5 against Mexico. The The BBC said Van Gaal had not been Copa America Centenario is in doubt after 100th anniversary edition of the tourna- informed whether he was staying for next sea- have to set standards and we fell below them Saturday, had a year left on his contract. the Uruguay striker left Spain’s Copa del ment will be held in the United States, the son, although it said Saturday’s 2-1 win over this season. “But we have to make sure as players Mourinho, sacked by Chelsea in December Rey final with an apparent muscle injury first edition staged outside South America. Palace at Wembley was believed to have been we get back to those standards and make sure after his second spell in charge of the west and in tears on Sunday. Suarez is expected The striker appeared to get hurt while his last game in charge of United. Van Gaal him- we are back challenging for the main trophies.” London club, has also managed Porto, Inter to undergo tests Monday to find out the going for a ball crossed to him inside the self was defiant after Saturday’s Cup final. “I Meanwhile former United midfielder Ray Wilkins Milan and Real Madrid, winning Europe’s pre- extent of the right leg injury that forced area early in the second half. He over- show you the cup and I don’t discuss it with my said Mourinho was the man to revitalize the mier Champions League tournament with both him to limp off the pitch in the second half extended his right leg to try to reach the friends of the media, who already sacked me for club. “He (Mourinho) is a winner-there is no two Porto and Inter Milan. Manchester United was of the game against Sevilla at the Vicente ball and immediately felt a strain on the six months,” the 64-year-old said. “Which man- ways about it,” Wilkins, also a former Chelsea bought in 2005 for about 800 million pounds Calderon Stadium in Madrid. He was seen back of his right leg. ager can do that, what I have done?” assistant manager, told talkSPORT radio yester- ($1.3 billion) by the Glazer family, owners the celebrating with the rest of his teammates He tried to continue for a bit but ended Despite winning their first trophy since the day. “When he goes to a club, normally he wins a Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise in the National after Barcelona won 2-0 in extra time to going to the ground and asked for medical great Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, Van big trophy within the first couple of years.” Football League. Shares in Manchester United secure its second straight Copa title, but assistance. Suarez walked off the pitch by Gaal’s United didn’t challenge for the Premier were listed on the New York Stock Exchange in walked gingerly and at times still looked in himself in the 56th minute, very slowly and League title and failed to qualify for the Man U shares dip 2012 in an initial public offering. pain. On Twitter, Suarez showed optimism. clearly in pain. Barcelona was yet to pro- Champions League. Fans were also unhappy Meanwhile, shares in English soccer giant According to Thomson Reuters data, the “Now we wait for the tests tomorrow,” he vide any official information about the with the brand of football their team played Manchester United slipped in volatile trading on Glazers’ Red Football LLC investment vehicle has said. “I hope it’s nothing so I can be with injury, only saying that it would be re-eval- under Van Gaal. United scored just 49 league the Frankfurt Stock Exchange yesterday, follow- a 20 percent stake in the club’s New York-listed my national team next week. Thanks for uated. Suarez had been crucial to the team goals this season, their lowest return for 26 years ing media reports the club was set to replace its shares.