2023-08-01 21:59:00
A victory, and Ki Klaksvik will be at the same stage as OM in the Champions League. Facing Hacken (Sweden) this Wednesday (7 p.m.), this club from the Faroe Islands can qualify for the third preliminary round. Especially since the draw in the first leg (0-0) is encouraging for this small team, 302nd in the UEFA ranking.
In the middle of a dream following eliminating Ferencvaros (0-0, 3-0), the players of Ki Klaksvik do not set limits. But they have to deal with a more or less normal daily life. Like most of his teammates, Arni Frederiksberg works alongside football. The Faroese international winger has agreed to tell us regarding his daily life and this crazy epic.
Leaving Ferencvaros in the first round, playing a second round of the Champions League, that must be something, right?
Arni Frederiksberg: It’s a dream, we are very happy, very excited. But at the same time, a lot of things are mixed up, it is difficult to achieve what we have achieved (to qualify for the second qualifying round in the Champions League). Everyone is trying to do their best. With the good result last week (draw in the first leg), we are starting to dream even bigger, but we have to keep our feet on the ground before the second leg.
Last year you failed to pass the first qualifying round, what has changed this time around?
AF: The big difference this year is that we already have this experience of European elimination matches. Last year we had already played a first round. And we have almost the same team as last year so we keep pushing each other. Of course, it’s historic to play in the European Cup. The home victory in the second leg ( once morest Bodo Glimt) was not enough to qualify us for the second round, but I think it marked us and that allows us to do better this season.
Is this month of July already the best moment of your career?
AF: It’s hard to say. I have already played big matches, for example in 2019 once morest Spain, and other big international matches with the Faroe Islands team. But this victory once morest Ferencvaros and the qualification was even stronger. It’s just amazing.
“My ultimate dream would be to play at Anfield, but for that we would have to go to the Europa League and not the Champions League”
How far do you see yourself going?
AF: The objective remains to integrate the group stage in Europe. Whether in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference. We just have to keep our feet on the ground and focus on our next game to get there.
In the best case, who would you dream of facing in the group stage of the Champions League?
AF: If we reach this stage of the competition, we will already be in the middle of a dream. So it doesn’t matter which pool teams. Even if facing Real Madrid would represent for me something immense, they made the history of this competition.
Arni Frederiksberg face au Ferencvaros.
Credit: Getty Images
And so, ideally, you would like to play at the Santiago Bernabéu?
AF: My ultimate dream would actually be to play a game at Anfield. But Liverpool did not qualify for the Champions League this year. So to face them, we would have to go to the Europa League instead (laughs).
Your career is followed in Europe, is it important to highlight the football of the Faroe Islands?
AF: Our last notable results date back to 2014 with the national team when we won two games once morest Greece. But it’s been a long time since… So we hope that our journey will allow people to hear regarding the Faroe Islands and our footballing history. Here almost all the kids play football, we have amazing stadiums.
The BBC has called your team the best in the history of Faroese football. How does it feel to read that?
AF: It’s an immense pride. For two years, we have been producing very high level football. It shows that we are determined to achieve very good results. We are therefore trying to build our project, to progress. While keeping our feet on the ground, not skipping stages even when we have to play once morest incredible teams in European competitions. It’s also very interesting because we change the style of football depending on the competition. In Europe, we have to defend a lot. Whereas in the league, we have a much more attacking game.
You are the CEO of a company. Tell us more.
AF: Yes, I am the CEO of Kjølbro Heilsøla, a company that imports food products. We have suppliers in the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. We therefore depend on these countries in Europe to import food for the people of the Faroe Islands.
Why don’t you dedicate your life entirely to football?
AF: Here, the salary of footballers is not very high. I might try to make a living from football, but for me you have to look a little further. I will be forced to work following my football career. I will not make money from football until the end of my life. I have my family to feed, my son. I love football, but I have other things to manage in my life and it takes money.
Not everyone trains at the same time”
How do you manage to live between these two worlds, football and business?
AF: It’s not easy. You have to work huge days with a lot of hours. But as CEO, I don’t have to work between 8 am and 4 pm as an employee. So I work earlier in the morning for the company and sometimes late at night. Everything is a question of organization. But I do days where I work between 8am and 9am for the company and then I go play football for three hours. It’s hard for my wife, who wants to spend time with me and often has to wait for me (laughs).
Tell us how it went last week with the first leg.
AF: I worked every day from 8am to 4pm with a lot of meetings and calls and I was training from 5pm to 8pm with the team. But on Wednesday, as we were playing in the evening, I worked until noon and then I teleworked a bit from home, I manage calls for the company and then I have to play a Champions League match. Then we met in the followingnoon with the team to eat before the game and we played.
Do you talk a little regarding football in your company, at the coffee machine?
AF: For the past two weeks, we’ve only talked regarding that. But overall, the atmosphere in the city depends on our results. Everyone, women, children, talk regarding football. So with these fantastic results, there is real excitement.
Do your teammates also work alongside football?
AF: Yes, there are many who are forced to work. Some are electricians, others machinists, others work on their boats or do housework. There are also quite a few students.
It is not difficult to create a group energy, with all these constraints?
AF: It’s a huge organizational job for the coach (laughs). We have to take responsibility, but the way it works is a little special. Not everyone trains at the same time, it depends on our working hours. Those who don’t work in the morning train in the morning, and those who work during the day go train following work. On the one hand, it’s a way to be more efficient because there are fewer of us in training, it’s more specific.
With what you are going through, do we imagine that you have strengthened your ties even more?
AF: We’re not a big country so we don’t live far from each other. We grew up together, we played once morest each other in our childhood clubs, we played together in the national team and now we are all here. It’s great to know each other so well, with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s a real family.
The small town of Klaksvik
Credit: Getty Images
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