Interview with Carolina Mendes: a Portuguese girl in Grindavík, with Italy in her heart and a passion for traveling

Carolina Ana Trinidade Coruche Mendes was born in Estremoz in 1987. She is one of the most representative football players of Portugal's national football team, that reached the first, historic qualification to the group stage at Euro2017 in the Netherlands. Her career begun right in her country, between Ponte Frielas and 1° de Dezembro, before going abroad. While in Spain she showed her potential with Estartit and Llanos de Olivenza, enough to be noticed and acquired by Riviera di Romagna, where she has been the absolute protagonist of her team right away. Subsequently, she was traded to Rossiyanka, in Russia, and Djurgårdens IF, one of the most important clubs in Sweden. 

In the current season we have the pleasure to see her playing in the Pepsideild for the Grindavík club.

Carolina Mendes trying to score a goal during Grindavík - ÍBV (Benóný Þórhallsson - Fótbolti.net)

Interview with Kristinn Steindórsson: back from the US to Europe with Iceland in the suitcase

Kristinn Steindórsson is born in Reykjavik in 1990. He began his career playing with Breidablik and he was part of that team which was able to win the first and only championship and Icelandic Cup of its history.

Kristinn Steindórsson in action with GIF Sundsvall (media.gettyimages.com)

In 2012 he began his international career by moving to Sweden. He joined Halmstads BK and he played there for three seasons. In 2015 he collected two caps with the Icelandic national team, scoring two goals against Canada and USA, and he played in MLS with Columbus Crew.

This year he has come back to Sweden, in GIF Sundsvall. Here you are what he has told us about his best memories and his future.

Interview with Magnús Már Einarsson: living football at the football pitch and at the keyboard!

Fotbolti.net is the best site on the web about Icelandic football. It's a valuable source of information about our favourite championship and it's a very important point of reference for #CIEF. We've got the chance to interview Magnús Már Einarsson who is both publisher at fotbolti.net and a football player in Icelandic championship.

Magnús Már Einarsson in action (facebook.com)

Magnús Már is born in 1989. He began his football career in Hvíti riddarinn, before moving to Afturelding, Leiknir Reykjavik (where he played a couple of match in Pepsideildin), Huginn and then back to Afturelding.

We've talked to him about his football experience and we've asked him what he thinks about the Icelandic football "golden age" as we've seen not only at Euro 2016, but with Iceland U21 and Iceland women's national team too. Enjoy!

Interview with Heiðar Ægisson: the young star of the star team of Garðabær

Stjarnan is the Icelandic name for "Star" and it's a football team located in Garðabær. It was founded in 1960, it's playing in the Icelandic highest league since 2009. In 2014 Stjarnan won the Icelandic title for the first time in its history and reached the play-off final round of Europa League, losing against Inter Milan, after having beaten Bangor City, Motherwell and Lech Poznan.

Heiðar Ægisson goes wild after his goal against Northern Ireland (ichef.bbci.co.uk)

Heiðar Ægisson begun his career in that winning team, when he was only 18 years old. Since then, he has played 55 matches in Pepsideild with Stjarnan, 4 matches with Iceland U19 and 6 matches with Iceland U21.

We've talked to him few days before the match between Fjölnir and Stjarnan, so he is kepting his promise to bring Stjarnan in Europe again. We hope he will do the same thing with Iceland U21 to Euro2017!

KFS - playing football in Vestmannaeyjar, the islands of the Island

KFS, abbreviation for Knattspyrnufélagið Framherjar-Smástund, is a football club based in Vestmannaeyjar. It is actually playing in 3.deild, the fourth tier of the Icelandic football system.

It is the second team of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, together with IBV. This team was born in 1997 by the merger of two other football team: Íþróttafélagið Framherjar and Knattspyrnufélagið Smástund.

We had a quick talk with Hjalti Kristjánsson, main coach of the team. Enjoy!

L'arcipelago delle isole Vestmannaeyjar, abitato soltanto nell'isola più grande (goista.com)

Discovering a protagonist: interview with Haukur Heiðar Hauksson, the Icelandic arrow speeding across Sweden

Haukur Heiðar Hauksson is born in Akureyri in 1991. He is a right back and he began his career playing with his hometown team KA Akureyri. He reached the top of his Icelandic career between 2012 and 2014 with KR.

In 2015 he began his Swedish adventure with AIK Solna, missing the title for just three points.

Haukur made his first international appearance on 19 January 2015 in a friendly match against Canada. He has played most of the last matches of Icelandic national team and he is working hard to win Allsvenskan and to be in France next summer.

Haukur in action with AIK Solna (mbl.is)

1) You began your career with KA in 2008. What are your best memories with the team of your home town?

Skallagrimur, making history from the Egils Saga to the football pitch

Skalla-Grímur was a viking man who began to colonize Borgarfjordur between IX and X centuries. Nowadays his descendants play football, basketball, badminton and many other sports in a sport club with his name. In this way, Skallagrimur goes on in being a key figure for Borgarnes, a very nice village at the shore of Borgarfjörður in Icelandic West Coast.

Skallagrimur football team played in Urvalsdeild just once, in 1997. In 2012 it gave up in having a first team and restarted from 4.deild the following year. This season it was third in the championship, missing playoff for the second time in a row.

Here you are the interview with Ívar Örn Reynisson, the chairman of the local football club, who illustrates us the club organization, history and ambitions of Skallagrimur:

Borgarnes at the shore of Borgarfjörður (flickr.com)

1) Skallagrimur is a sport club belonging to Borgarnes, a nice 2.000 people village on Borgarfjörður coast. How important is your club for Borgarnes?

Jonathan Glenn, scoring goals from the Caribbean to the Artic

Jonathan Glenn has been voted as the best player during Urvalsdeild 2015 by our blog. He has played 20 matches scoring 12 goals in the season, playing with IBV till July and than with Breiðablik.

We've had a quick talk with Jonathan after his trips with the Trinidanian national team. He has just renewed with Breiðablik for a two years contract. By this confirmation, the green&white team from Kópavogur begins the assault to the next Urvalsdeild.

Here you are his answers, fast as he runs to the goal:

Jonathan scoring again (mbl.is)

1) Jonathan Glenn, from Trinidad and Tobago to Iceland, passing through the US. Which have been your best experiences in these countries?

Discovering a protagonist: interview with Birkir Már Sævarsson, a long trip around Iceland, Norway and Sweden

After the interview with first time national Oliver Sigurjonsson, it's time to talk about a Icelandic national veteran: Birkir Már Sævarsson. He was born in 1984 and he is a cornerstone of Lagerbäck's team with 54 caps and playing on both wings.

He is spending his career between Iceland, Norway and Sweden. He played for Valur and Brann before arriving to Hammarby this season. He is getting prestigious results both with his clubs and the national team. He has still got a strong bond to Valur, the team where he is grown, and many satisfaction to achieve with Hammarby and Iceland.

Birkir playing with Iceland

1) Birkir, 31 years old, 54 caps in the national team and many championships played through Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Are you satisfied about your career? What have been your best moments in these three countries?​

Discovering a protagonist: interview with Oliver Sigurjonsson, from Breiðablik to Iceland national team

Iceland qualification to Euro 2016 is the tip of the iceberg of a football movement, the Icelandic one, which is rising quickly. Both male and female Icelandic youth teams are doing very well. Between them, U21 is standing out from the top of their European round ahead of France, Scotland, Ukraine, Macedonia and Northern Ireland.

During last friendly matches against Poland and Slovakia, Lagerbäck and Hallgrimsson have launched some talent coming from U21 team. At only 20 years, Oliver Sigurjonsson has gained his first cap and a good international experience. Thanks to our passionate colleague Mattia Giodice, we have talked to him the day after his debut.

Oliver debuting against Slovakia at Žilina stadium

1) Oliver, last week you received your first call from Iceland national team and last night you collected your first cap against Slovakia. How have you felt in these last days?

Discovering a protagonist: interview with Magnús Björn Ásgrímsson, Leiknir Fáskrúðsfjörður's chairman

Icelandic and Faroese championships have finally ended but we are going to keep the blog constantly updated till next season restart. Our staff is getting in touch with teams, coaches and players to keep the light on our favourite championships.

Here you are the interview with Magnús Björn Ásgrímsson, Leiknir Fáskrúðsfjörður's chairman, both in english and in italian.

Leiknir F. comes from two consecutive promotions and it could be the next 1.deild revelation. It belongs to a 600 people town in the savage east coast and, in its own small way, replays the Icelandic national team's growth of these years: good training facilities, experienced staff, perseverance, few economic resources, a great talent in "do it yourself".

In his long introduction to the interview Magnús, who's being Leiknir F.'s chairman for almost 19 years, point out that he is doing a no paying job as the big part of jobs in Icelandic football world, except coaches.

Leiknir Fáskrúðsfjörður in 2015 season