Úrvalsdeild
| Country |
 Iceland |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1st |
| Relegation to | 1. deild karla |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Bikarkeppni karla Deildabikar |
| International cup(s) |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League |
| Current champions |
KR (2013) |
| Most championships | KR (26) |
| TV partners | Sport Five, Stöð 2 Sport |
| Website | www.ksi.is |
 2014 Úrvalsdeild | |
The Úrvalsdeild karla (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈurvalsˌteilt ˈkʰartla], Men's Select Division) is the top tier of the Icelandic football pyramid. Because of the harsh winters in Iceland, it is generally played in the spring and summer (May to September). It is run by the Football Association of Iceland (KSI) and currently comprises 12 clubs. At the end of the 2012-2013 European season, UEFA ranked the league 40th in Europe.[1] From 27 April 2009, the Úrvalsdeild have been known as Pepsi-deildin (Engl. "The Pepsi League") after KSÍ and Ölgerðin (the producers of Pepsi in Iceland) signed a three-year sponsorship contract.[2]
The top division consists of 12 clubs. Each club faces every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away. At the end of each season, the bottom two clubs are automatically relegated to the second level of the Icelandic league system, the 1. deild karla (First Division), with the top two clubs of the First Division automatically promoted to the Úrvalsdeild.
For the first time in the competition's history, the 2008 season saw 12 teams compete in the premier division, a part of KSI's attempt to strengthen Icelandic football. Therefore, only one team were relegated in the 2007 season and three clubs were promoted from the First Division.
KR hold the most titles, with 26. Valur is next with 20, and ÍA and Fram Reykjavík follow with 18 each. The current champions of Iceland are KR.
Current clubs (2014)
- Breiðablik (Kópavogur)
- FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- Fjölnir (Reykjavík)
- Fram Reykjavík (Reykjavík)
- Fylkir (Reykjavík)
- ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar)
- Keflavík (Keflavík)
- KR (Reykjavík)
- Stjarnan (Garðabær)
- Þór A. (Akureyri)
- Valur (Reykjavík)
- Víkingur R. (Reykjavík)
History
Championship History
Only 10 teams in 96 years have won the Icelandic league title. Breiðablik UBK are the most recent to join the list, winning their first title in 2010. KR has won the most titles. They have been Iceland's champions 26 times.
As can be expected, the league has been dominated by teams from the Greater Reykjavik Area which contains nearly two thirds of Iceland's population. Only four teams from outside the GRA have ever won the league (ÍBK, ÍA, ÍBV and KA) – and among those teams, ÍBV and KA (who have won a combined four titles) are the only teams located more than an hour's drive from Reykjavík to have won the league.
Champions by number of titles
| Team | Titles | First title | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| KR | 26 | 1912 | 2013 |
| Valur | 20 | 1930 | 2007 |
| ÍA | 18 | 1951 | 2001 |
| Fram | 18 | 1913 | 1990 |
| FH | 6 | 2004 | 2012 |
| Víkingur | 5 | 1920 | 1991 |
| Keflavík | 4 | 1964 | 1973 |
| ÍBV | 3 | 1979 | 1998 |
| KA | 1 | 1989 | 1989 |
| UBK | 1 | 2010 | 2010 |
Season by season records
Top scorers of all times
| SEASON | TOP SCORER'S NAME | GOALS | CLUB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tryggvi Guðmundsson |
131 | Fylkir, ÍBV, FH, KR |
| 1987 | Ingi Björn Albertsson |
126 | Valur, FH |
Top scorers
| SEASON | TOP SCORER'S NAME | GOALS | CLUB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Matthias Hallgrimsson |
15 | Valur |
| 1981 | Sigurlás Þorleifsson Larus Gudmundsson |
12 | ÍBV Víkingur |
| 1982 | Sigurlás Þorleifsson Heimir Karlsson |
10 | ÍBV Víkingur |
| 1983 | Ingi Björn Albertsson |
14 | Valur |
| 1984 | Guðmundur Steinsson |
10 | Fram Reykjavík |
| 1985 | Omar Torfason |
13 | Fram Reykjavík |
| 1986 | Gudmundur Torfason |
19 | Fram Reykjavík |
| 1987 | Petur Ormslev |
12 | Fram Reykjavík |
| 1988 | Sigurjón Kristjánsson |
13 | Valur |
| 1989 | Hörður Magnússon |
12 | FH |
| 1990 | Hörður Magnússon |
13 | FH |
| 1991 | Hörður Magnússon Guðmundur Steinsson |
13 | FH Víkingur |
| 1992 | Arnar Gunnlaugsson |
15 | ÍA |
| 1993 | Þórður Guðjónsson |
19 | ÍA |
| 1994 |  Mihajlo Biberčić |
14 | ÍA |
| 1995 | Arnar Gunnlaugsson |
15 | ÍA |
| 1996 | Ríkharður Daðason |
14 | KR |
| 1997 | Tryggvi Guðmundsson |
19 | ÍBV |
| 1998 | Steingrímur Jóhannesson |
16 | ÍBV |
| 1999 | Steingrímur Jóhannesson |
12 | ÍBV |
| 2000 | Guðmundur Steinarsson Andri Sigþórsson |
14 | Keflavík KR |
| 2001 | Hjörtur Hjartarson |
15 | ÍA |
| 2002 | Grétar Hjartarson |
13 | Grindavík |
| 2003 | Björgólfur Takefusa |
10 | Þróttur Reykjavík |
| 2004 | Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson |
12 | ÍBV |
| 2005 | Tryggvi Guðmundsson |
16 | FH |
| 2006 | Marel Baldvinsson |
11 | UBK |
| 2007 | Jónas Grani Garðarsson |
13 | Fram Reykjavík |
| 2008 | Guðmundur Steinarsson |
16 | Keflavík |
| 2009 | Björgólfur Takefusa |
16 | KR |
| 2010 |  Gilles Daniel Mbang Ondo |
14 | Grindavík |
| 2011 | Garðar Jóhannsson |
15 | Stjarnan |
| 2012 | Atli Guðnason |
12 | FH |
| 2013 | Atli Viðar Björnsson |
13 | FH |
Player of the year
| SEASON | PLAYER OF THE YEAR | CLUB |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Bjarni Sigurðsson |
ÍA |
| 1985 | Guðmundur Þorbjörnsson |
Valur |
| 1986 | Guðmundur Torfason |
Fram Reykjavík |
| 1987 | Pétur Ormslev |
Fram Reykjavík |
| 1988 | Sigurjón Kristjánsson |
Valur |
| 1989 | Þorvaldur Örlygsson |
KA |
| 1990 | Sævar Jónsson |
Valur |
| 1991 | Guðmundur Steinsson |
Víkingur |
| 1992 | Lúkas Kostic |
ÍA |
| 1993 | Sigurður Jónsson |
ÍA |
| 1994 | Sigursteinn Gíslason |
ÍA |
| 1995 | Ólafur Þórðarson |
ÍA |
| 1996 | Gunnar Oddsson |
Leiftur |
| 1997 | Tryggvi Guðmundsson |
ÍBV |
| 1998 |  David Winnie |
KR |
| 1999 | Guðmundur Benediktsson |
KR |
| 2000 | Hlynur Stefánsson |
ÍBV |
| 2001 | Gunnlaugur Jónsson |
ÍA |
| 2002 | Finnur Kolbeinsson |
Fylkir |
| 2003 |  Allan Borgvardt |
FH |
| 2004 | Heimir Guðjónsson |
FH |
| 2005 | Allan Borgvardt |
FH |
| 2006 | Viktor Bjarki Arnarsson |
Víkingur |
| 2007 | Helgi Sigurðsson |
Valur |
| 2008 | Guðmundur Steinarsson |
Keflavík |
| 2009 | Atli Guðnason |
FH |
| 2010 | Alfreð Finnbogason |
UBK |
Young player of the year
| SEASON | YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR | CLUB |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Guðni Bergsson |
Valur |
| 1985 | Halldór Áskelsson |
Þór Akureyri |
| 1986 | Gauti Laxdal |
Fram Reykjavík |
| 1987 | Rúnar Kristinsson |
KR |
| 1988 | Arnljótur Davíðsson |
Fram Reykjavík |
| 1989 | Ólafur Gottskálksson |
ÍA |
| 1990 | Steinar Guðgeirsson |
Fram Reykjavík |
| 1991 | Arnar Grétarsson |
UBK |
| 1992 | Arnar Gunnlaugsson |
ÍA |
| 1993 | Þórður Guðjónsson |
ÍA |
| 1994 | Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen |
Valur |
| 1995 | Tryggvi Guðmundsson |
ÍBV |
| 1996 | Bjarni Guðjónsson |
ÍA |
| 1997 | Sigurvin Ólafsson |
ÍBV |
| 1998 | Ólafur Þór Gunnarsson |
ÍR |
| 1999 | Grétar Hjartarson |
Grindavík |
| 2000 | Helgi Valur Daníelsson |
Fylkir |
| 2001 | Grétar Rafn Steinsson |
ÍA |
| 2002 | Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson |
ÍBV |
| 2003 | Ólafur Ingi Skúlason |
Fylkir |
| 2004 | Emil Hallfreðsson |
FH |
| 2005 | Hörður Sveinsson |
Keflavik |
| 2006 | Birkir Sævarsson |
Valur |
| 2007 | Matthías Vilhjálmsson |
FH |
| 2008 | Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson |
UBK |
| 2009 | Alfreð Finnbogason |
UBK |
| 2010 | Kristinn Steindórsson |
UBK |
References
- ↑ UEFA Country Ranking 2009 Bert Kassies' site, accessed 12 February 2009
- ↑ Pepsi-deildin í knattspyrnu 2009 KSÍ's official site, accessed 28 April 2009
- ↑ Fram Reykjavík was the only team to participate in the 1913 season
- ↑ Fram Reykjavík was the only team to participate in the 1914 season
External links
- Official website (Icelandic)
- League321.com - Icelandic football league tables, records & statistics database. (English)
- Iceland - List of Champions, RSSSF.com
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