Úrvalsdeild karla (football)

Úrvalsdeild karla

Founded	1912
Country	Iceland
Confederation	UEFA
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	FH (2016)
Most championships	KR (26)
TV partners	Stöð 2 Sport [1]
Website	www.ksi.is
2017 Úrvalsdeild

The Úrvalsdeild karla (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈurvalsˌteilt ˈkʰartla], Men's Select Division) is the highest football league in Iceland.^[2] It has been played since 1912.^[3] Because of the harsh winters in Iceland, it is generally played in the spring and summer (May to September). It is administered by the Football Association of Iceland (KSI) and is contested by 12 teams. At the end of the 2015–2016 season, the UEFA ranked the league 35th in Europe.^[4] From 27 April 2009, the league has been known as Pepsi deildin (i.e. The Pepsi League) due to a three-year sponsorship deal with Ölgerðin (the Icelandic franchisee for Pepsi).^[5]

The league includes 12 clubs who play each other two times, once at home and once away. The two teams with the fewest points at the end of the season are relegated to 1. deild karla (First Division) and replaced by the top two teams of that division. Internationally, the winner of the Úrvalsdeild enters the UEFA Champions League in the second qualifying round. Second, third and fourth placed teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League in the first qualifying round.

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 was 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, while ÍA and Fram Reykjavík follow with 18 each. FH holds 8 and Víkingur has retained 5 championship titles. The current champions of Iceland are FH. ^[6]

Current clubs (2017)

^[7]

History

Championship history

Only 11 teams in over 100 years have won the Icelandic league title. Stjarnan Garðabær are the most recent to join the list, winning their first title in 2014. 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 Capital Region which contains nearly two thirds of Iceland's population. Only four teams from outside the GRA have ever won the league (Keflavík, 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.

_{*There was no competition in 1913 and 1914, and Fram Reykjavík was awarded the title.}

Champions by number of titles

Season by season records

Top scorers of all times

SEASON	TOP SCORER'S NAME	GOALS	CLUB
2013	Tryggvi Guðmundsson	131	ÍBV, KR, FH, Fylkir
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 R.
1982	Sigurlás Þorleifsson Heimir Karlsson	10	ÍBV Víkingur R.
1983	Ingi Björn Albertsson	14	Valur
1984	Guðmundur Steinsson	10	Fram
1985	Omar Torfason	13	Fram
1986	Gudmundur Torfason	19	Fram
1987	Petur Ormslev	12	Fram
1988	Sigurjón Kristjánsson	13	Valur
1989	Hörður Magnússon	12	FH
1990	Hörður Magnússon	13	FH
1991	Hörður Magnússon Guðmundur Steinsson	13	FH Víkingur R.
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 R.
2004	Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson	12	ÍBV
2005	Tryggvi Guðmundsson	16	FH
2006	Marel Baldvinsson	11	Breiðablik
2007	Jónas Grani Garðarsson	13	Fram
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 Viðar Örn Kjartansson Gary Martin	13	FH Fylkir KR
2014	Gary Martin	13	KR
2015	Patrick Pedersen	13	Valur
2016	Garðar Gunnlaugsson	14	ÍA

Player of the year

SEASON	PLAYER OF THE YEAR	CLUB
1984	Bjarni Sigurðsson	ÍA
1985	Guðmundur Þorbjörnsson	Valur
1986	Guðmundur Torfason	Fram
1987	Pétur Ormslev	Fram
1988	Sigurjón Kristjánsson	Valur
1989	Þorvaldur Örlygsson	KA
1990	Sævar Jónsson	Valur
1991	Guðmundur Steinsson	Víkingur R.
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 R.
2007	Helgi Sigurðsson	Valur
2008	Guðmundur Steinarsson	Keflavík
2009	Atli Guðnason	FH
2010	Alfreð Finnbogason	Breiðablik
2011	Hannes Þór Halldórsson	KR
2012	Atli Guðnason	FH
2013	Björn Daníel Sverrisson	FH
2014	Ingvar Jónsson	Stjarnan
2015	Emil Pálsson	FH
2016	Kristinn Freyr Sigurðsson	Valur

Young player of the year

SEASON	YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR	CLUB	INTERNATIONAL CAPS	INTERNATIONAL GOALS
1984	Guðni Bergsson	Valur	80	1
1985	Halldór Áskelsson	Þór Akureyri	24	4
1986	Gauti Laxdal	Fram	0	0
1987	Rúnar Kristinsson	KR	104	3
1988	Arnljótur Davíðsson	Fram	3	0
1989	Ólafur Gottskálksson	ÍA	9	0
1990	Steinar Guðgeirsson	Fram	1	0
1991	Arnar Grétarsson	Breiðablik	71	2
1992	Arnar Gunnlaugsson	ÍA	32	3
1993	Þórður Guðjónsson	ÍA	58	13
1994	Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen	Valur	88	26
1995	Tryggvi Guðmundsson	ÍBV	42	12
1996	Bjarni Guðjónsson	ÍA	23	1
1997	Sigurvin Ólafsson	ÍBV	7	0
1998	Ólafur Þór Gunnarsson	ÍR	1	0
1999	Grétar Hjartarson	Grindavík	1	0
2000	Helgi Valur Daníelsson	Fylkir	33	0
2001	Grétar Rafn Steinsson	ÍA	46	4
2002	Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson	ÍBV	24	5
2003	Ólafur Ingi Skúlason	Fylkir	27	1
2004	Emil Hallfreðsson	FH	56	1
2005	Hörður Sveinsson	Keflavik	0	0
2006	Birkir Sævarsson	Valur	69	1
2007	Matthías Vilhjálmsson	FH	15	2
2008	Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson	Breiðablik	57	5
2009	Alfreð Finnbogason	Breiðablik	40	11
2010	Kristinn Steindórsson	Breiðablik	3	2
2011	Þórarinn Ingi Valdimarsson	ÍBV	4	0
2012	Jón Daði Böðvarsson	Selfoss	30	2
2013	Arnór Ingvi Traustason	Keflavík	12	5
2014	Elías Már Ómarsson	Keflavík	8	0
2015	Höskuldur Gunnlaugsson	Breiðablik	0	0
2016	Óttar Magnús Karlsson	Víkingur R.	2	0

References

External links

• Official website (in Icelandic)
• League321.com - Icelandic football league tables, records & statistics database. (in English)
• Iceland - List of Champions, RSSSF.com
• IcelandFootball.net - List of First Level Champions. (in English)