Disappointed, but now it’s about the Europa League: Klaksvikar Ítrottarfelag’s players Image: AFP
In extra time, the football champions from the Faroe Islands lose to the champions from Norway and are thus eliminated from the race for a place in the Champions League. But it goes on internationally.
Klaksvikar Ítrottarfelag (KÍ)’s surprising winning streak in the Champions League is over. The football champions from the Faroe Islands lost the second leg of the third qualifying round at former Erling Haaland club Molde BK 0-2 (0-1, 0-1) after extra time on Tuesday. Despite the 2-1 win in the first leg, the underdog missed the coup to qualify for the group stage play-offs. Kristian Eriksen (17th minute) and Martin Linnes (112th) scored KÍ’s Champions League elimination.
For the Faroe Islands team, however, it is the biggest success in the club’s history to date and for North Island football in 30 years. By reaching the third qualifying round for the Champions League, the team has secured at least participation in the group stage of the Conference League.
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This is the first time a Faroese club has participated in the group stage of a major European club competition. In addition, KÍ, a men’s team from the Sheep Islands, has been represented in the final round of the European Cup for 30 years. HB Tórshavn last made it to the finals of the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993.
After the successes over Hungary’s champions Ferencváros Budapest and BK Häcken from Sweden, the premier class was defeated by the Norwegian champions. But KÍ can still achieve great things: Now the play-offs for the Europa League continue.
