A historic first for Vikingur Reykjavik and The New Saints FC

“If you can dream it, you can do it” is a motto that applies equally to the players of the Icelandic football club Vikingur Reykjavik and to those of the Welsh side The New Saints FC. For the first time in their history – and in that of the nations they represent – both clubs have reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League 24-25. They have also come close to reaching the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, thanks to some excellent performances, being eliminated only in the preliminary round or draw. The impressive achievements of both clubs go well beyond the sport itself and involve the communities that Vikingur and The New Saints represent – communities with an intense passion for their clubs.

Vikingur: history and solidarity

The full name of this, one of Iceland’s oldest sports clubs, is Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur. The club was formed in 1908, in the Fossvogur district of Reykjavík. Over the years, apart from football, it has launched sections for tennis, ping-pong, karate, skiing and handball. The club’s trophies cabinet contains seven Icelandic Championships, five Icelandic Cups and four Icelandic Super Cups. Vikingur’s philosophy is based firmly on communicating the values of sport and on the concept of community and solidarity. Despite the chilling winds that blow through the streets of Reykjavík, the heart of Vikingur is particularly warm as the club has shown many times. One such occasion occurred last year when the club asked Macron to produce a ‘Charity Shirt’ designed by Hildur Yeoman, a local artist, sales of which raised 3 million Icelandic Crowns for a rehabilitation and support centre for cancer patients and their families. Such important gestures have created strong ties between the club and the community, which is now eagerly supporting the players in their adventure in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The New Saints: a bit of Wales and a bit of England

The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club are far better known under the shorter name of The New Saints FC. The Welsh certainly know how to write long names (Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch being a famous place name on the island of Anglesey) but the English have contributed to the name of this club too, since it represents not only the Welsh Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain but the English town of Oswestry. Though the New Saints are affiliated to the Football Association of Wales, they actually play their home matches some 5 miles over the border in Oswestry, England, thereby making a tangible contribution to the fight against narrow-mindedness in football. For many years, the team’s long history was divided between those of Oswestry Town and Llansantffraid. It was only when the two clubs came together that the victories began to mount up. The New Saints have now won sixteen Welsh championships, including the last three editions in a row. These trophies are complemented by nine Welsh Cups, ten Welsh League Cups and one FAW Premier Cup. The club’s badge features both the Welsh dragon and the English lion. The fire of the first and the strength of the second will certainly be needed in the team’s adventure in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

UEFA Europa Conference League: two routes, one destination

The two clubs followed different routes to reach the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League. The Icelanders were included in the qualifying rounds from the very beginning while the Welsh club came to the playoffs from the qualifying matches of the UEFA Champions League. Vikingur knocked out the Latvians of Liepaja (1-1 and 2-0), the Albanians of Egnatia (0-1 and 2-0), the Estonians of Flora Tallin (1-1 and 2-1) and finally the Andorrans of UE Santa Coloma with a resounding 5-0 first game win and a 0-0 in the return match. Coming from the Champions League on the other hand, The New Saints FC only took the field in one playoff, being eliminated by the Macedonians of Decic in a win and a draw and in a 5-0 e 2-1 double defeat to Ferencvaros (a Macron derby). In the playoffs, the New Saints were faced with the Lithuanian club Panevėžys, against whom they recorded a clear 3-0 win in the first game and 0-0 in the return match.