European fairy tales written by a team of fishermen

The European football cycle has begun and the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League has just completed its first qualifying round. There, Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag (KI Klaksvik) defeated Finland's SJK to advance to the second qualifying round, where they will face Serbia's Radnicki 1923. If they continue to win, KI Klaksvik will go through the third qualifying round, the play-offs, before entering the classification phase.

This is a long and arduous journey, especially for the team from the Faroe Islands, a Danish archipelago located in the North Atlantic. In the FIFA rankings, the Faroe Islands are ranked 141st and have only won 37 matches since their founding (only counting matches recognized by FIFA), so it is not surprising that clubs from this place, including KI Klaksvik, are just small teams.

However, in the 2023/24 season, KI Klaksvik made history by qualifying for all three European competitions in the same season. They first reached the third qualifying round of the Champions League, then dropped into the Europa League play-offs and finally, dropped into the UEFA Conference League group stage. KI Klaksvik became the first club from the Faroe Islands to achieve this feat.

KI Klaksvik made history by qualifying for the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League group stage.

Klaksvik is a small fishing town in the Faroe Islands. Football is a popular sport here, which is why KI Klaksvik was founded in 1904, 121 years ago. Sigurjon Einarsson, a local journalist, reports that after matches, a joyful atmosphere can be seen in the port and fish processing plants if the home team wins; but if they lose, productivity drops dramatically.

Klaksvik is a source of pride and a point of unity for the town. The Vid Djupumyrar Stadium, with a capacity of 2,600 people, including 1,300 seats, is small compared to most other stadiums in the world , but it is suitable for Klaksvik's population of more than 5,000. And every time there is a match, young and old gather together, creating a big festival. Remembering the seasons when KI Klaksvik went far in the European Cup (preliminary round level), about 70% of the Klaksvik population went to cheer on the team. Everywhere in the town people were talking about the team, the coach and the players.

KI Klaksvik, who have won the Faroe Islands top flight 21 times, have had their ups and downs. On the club’s 105th anniversary (2009), they were relegated for the first time. It took them two years to get back up and another eight years to win the Faroe Islands championship again (2019).

KI Klaksvik's home ground is in the coastal town of Klaksvik.

The man who laid the foundations for KI Klaksvik’s transformation was coach Mikkjal Thomassen. He arrived at the club in 2015 and completely transformed the culture of the club by promoting youth development, giving opportunities to local talent and encouraging players to play with ambition and dream big. They also pursued a modern brand of football, fine-tuned for Europe.

After Thomassen left, the next coaches perfectly inherited the existing foundation and built stable success for KI Klaksvik. This is the 9th season they have participated in the European playground, and the 7th season they have not left after the first qualifying round.

Another important factor that makes KI Klaksvik strong, as mentioned, is the community bond. The whole of Klaksvik, not just the club, is a family. Everyone supports and goes together, a tradition that dates back to when this place was a fishing village, making a living from the sea.

KI Klaksvik is ready to recreate the miracle once again.

“We have always been a family. All the Klaksvik players have a very good relationship and are close friends off the pitch,” midfielder Jakup Biskopsto Andreasen said. “Over time, we have only gotten better. Success has also brought us more money, promoted professionalism, and helped us train and nurture more excellent players.”

Interestingly, more than half of the KI Klaksvik team are amateurs. They do not make a living from football, but work full-time or part-time in the community. Andreasen graduated from an electrician course five years ago. Arni Frederiksberg, who scored the opening goal in last week's 2-0 win over SJK, works for a frozen pizza company. There are also students, carpenters, painters and accountants in the team. To make sure everyone can train, training sessions usually take place at 5pm local time.

Two years ago, it was these part-time footballers who put the Faroe Islands on the European football map. Now, they are ready to repeat the feat once again. Even the team led by coach Magnus Powell, a former Swede with experience playing in Europe with Helsingborgs IF and Lillestrom, KI Klaksvik can dream further, with greater milestones.