A celebration but a hangover for jubilant Iceland

• Iceland became a smallest republic ever to strech a FIFA World Cup
• Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side finished forward of Croatia, Ukraine and Turkey
• Coach and players have been reacting to a achievement

It is protected to assume that there will be a few bruise heads and sepulchral voices in Reykjavik this morning.

Then again, maybe avoiding a hangover is a inhabitant speciality. That, after all, was arguably Iceland’s many poignant attainment in their jubilant and ancestral FIFA World Cup™ subordinate campaign.

Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson had been good wakeful of a danger, meaningful that his organisation could not means to be indolent and dwell on their EURO achievements, carrying been drawn with 4 challenging rivals. “After a EURO, as everybody knows, Iceland had a big, large party,” he told FIFA.com. “And we know how it is a day after a celebration – it’s not always easy to get adult and start work again. We knew we faced a large plea in that respect.”

The celebration analogy returned final night as Hallgrimsson and his players basked in a conspicuous attainment of carrying turn a slightest populous republic ever to strech a World Cup.

Iceland, race 334,000, turn a smallest republic ever to validate for a World Cup – and a usually one with fewer than 1m people. pic.twitter.com/vTZTxl532n

— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) 9 Oct 2017

“The hardest thing was to get going again after France,” pronounced a Iceland coach. “The initial drink after a celebration is not a best.

“And what’s some-more we were in a organisation contested between Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine and Finland, who are many improved than their position in a organisation would have we believe. The success is not an finish in itself yet a prolonged tour towards a final destination.”

Whatever that end will be – and usually a dope would order out Iceland springing a warn or dual in Russia – it has been a stirring expedition. Albert Bunjaki, manager of a Kosovo organisation beaten 2-0 to secure Iceland’s place, lauded a victors as “a good instance for tiny nations like a own”, and there was clear dishonesty in a evident aftermath.

QUALIFIED!
Congratulations, Iceland!
The smallest republic ever to strech a #WorldCup! See we in Russia! #WCQ pic.twitter.com/Xy1ysyLdpA

— #WCQ ⚽️ (@FIFAWorldCup) 9 Oct 2017

“Are we kidding! We are going to a World Cup!” was a greeting of a internal TV commentator during a final whistle, and even Hallgrimsson seemed bewildered. “This is only odd. we don’t unequivocally know what to say. The mind is all over a place,” he told RUV.

“I mean… Pele, Maradona and Aron Einar Gunnarsson!” he added, referring to Iceland’s bearded midfielder.

Hallgrimsson knows that it is a World Cup that fake a legends of a game’s all-time greats, and that his players – many of whom were unknowns before to EURO 2016 – will now have a possibility to make their mark. Gunnarsson himself, though, insisted that subordinate does not paint a miracle; rather, simply goal accomplished.

“Nonsense? we don’t know if this is nonsense,” he said. “After we mislaid opposite Croatia [in a 2014 World Cup play-offs] we directed during subordinate subsequent time.

“In my opinion we were in a many formidable group, yet we motionless that we were only going to finish this. We had no seductiveness in some play-off bother.”

Dear world! See we in Russia 2018 #WorldCup #Iceland #Huh ! pic.twitter.com/qD45YoYSii

— RÚV Íþróttir (@ruvithrottir) 9 Oct 2017

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=10/news=a-party-without-a-hangover-for-jubilant-iceland-2912564.html