Football in the Faroe Islands

Football is the most popular sport in the Faroe Islands, which is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. 60% of those who play sport on the islands play football. Football in the Faroe Islands is governed by the Faroe Islands Football Association, and it is a member of UEFA and FIFA despite not being a sovereign state.

Football remains the most popular sport in the Faroe Islands by a distance. Followed by handball, volleyball and rowing (the national sport). Sporting facilities are dotted around the islands. According to FIFA there are well over 5000 registered football players in the Faroe Islands. As follows: All Players 8,094, Registered players 5,694, Unregistered Players 2,400 and Officials 1,050.

The media's coverage of football is also intense. A ten-team Faroe Islands first division, the Vodafonedeildin, flourishes despite a total population of just 46,000.

The record attendance for a football match in the Faroe Islands is 6,642. It was set in 1998 when the Faroe Islands won 2-1 against Malta, at the Svangaskarð.

English Football is also very popular in the Faroe Islands, many people with access to satellite television and the internet watch the Premier League.

In recent years, it has also become more common for talented Faroese players leave for bigger clubs abroad. Naturally the clubs in the Faroes, that have "made and paid" these players since a young age want some kind of reimbursement. Even small fees can make a huge difference for the small and most often economically vulnerable Faroese clubs. Two good examples of very talented players "lost" abroad for nothing in the early 90’s are the Faroese national star player Todi Jónsson, and national goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen. Both players have been Champions in Denmark. They were both originally from KÍ Klaksvík – Faroese double winners 1999 – but the club never received a single penny for these two talented players. Though in recent years compensation and reimbursement of expenses has increased. It is also becoming more commonplace for players to transfer between clubs. Players are now contracted at clubs, this means they can’t just leave the club suddenly without notice for another club during the season or between two seasons, which was very much the case prior to 1998. Players have a full-time civilian jobs as well or the younger players might go to college. Money has crept into the game more and more, and the players in the top division are now semi-professional. But as the global economic slowdown has also hit Faroese football, players’ wages were lowered considerably in 2009. KÍ Klaksvík was one of the clubs experiencing financial problems and were relegated for the first time in their history in 2009. Because of spending, the Faroese Football Association has now made stricter rules when it comes to football club's balance sheet.

...
Wikipedia