Úrvalsdeild karla (football)
The Úrvalsdeild karla (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈurvalsˌteilt ˈkʰartla], Men's Select Division) is the highest men's 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 governed by the Football Association of Iceland (KSI) and has 12 teams. By end of season 2015–2016, UEFA ranked the league No. 35 in Europe.[4] From 27 April 2009, the league has had an active agreement on the league's name rights with Ölgerðin, the Icelandic franchisee for Pepsi. From the 2019 season onwards, the league is popularly referred to as Pepsi Max deildin (The Pepsi Max League).[5][6]
Founded | 1912 |
---|---|
Country | Iceland |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of teams | 12 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | 1. deild karla |
Domestic cup(s) | Bikarkeppni karla Deildabikar Icelandic Super Cup |
International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Europa Conference League |
Current champions | Valur (23) (2020) |
Most championships | KR (27) |
Top goalscorer | Tryggvi Guðmundsson (131 goals) |
TV partners | Stöð 2 Sport[1] |
Website | www |
Current: 2020 Season |
The clubs play each other home and away. At the end of each season, the two teams with the fewest points are relegated to 1. deild karla (First Division), from which two top point teams promote to the higher tier. The winner of the Úrvalsdeild enters the European national competition UEFA Champions League in the second qualifying round. The second, third and fourth placed teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League in the first qualifying round.[7]
An effort by KSI to strengthen Icelandic football had only one team relegated in the 2007 season to the First Division and three clubs promoted to premier division, bringing the top flight to the number of clubs it contains currently.
Championship title counts are: KR with 27, Valur with 23, and ÍA and Fram Reykjavík each with 18. FH has 8 and Víkingur has 5. The 2020 title holder is Valur.[8][9]
Current clubs (2020)
Club | Location | Position in 2019 |
First season in Úrvalsdeild |
Seasons in Úrvalsdeild |
First season of current spell in Úrvalsdeild |
Úrvalsdeild titles |
First Úrvalsdeild title |
Last Úrvalsdeild title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breiðablik | Kópavogur | 2nd | 1971 | 35 | 2006 | 1 | 2010 | 2010 |
FH | Hafnarfjörður | 3rd | 1975 | 36 | 2001 | 8 | 2004 | 2016 |
Fjölnir | Reykjavík (Grafarvogur) | 2nd, 1. deild karla | 2008 | 8 | 2020 | 0 | - | - |
Fylkir | Reykjavík (Árbær) | 8th | 1989 | 23 | 2018 | 0 | - | - |
Grótta | Seltjarnarnes | 1st, 1. deild karla | 2020 | 1 | 2020 | 0 | - | - |
ÍA | Akranes | 10th | 1946 | 67 | 2019 | 18 | 1951 | 2001 |
HK | Kópavogur | 9th | 2007 | 4 | 2019 | 0 | - | - |
KA | Akureyri | 5th | 1978 | 18 | 2017 | 1 | 1989 | 1989 |
KR | Reykjavík (Vesturbær) | 1st (Champions) | 1912 | 106 | 1979 | 27 | 1912 | 2019 |
Stjarnan | Garðabær | 4th | 1990 | 18 | 2009 | 1 | 2014 | 2014 |
Valur | Reykjavík (Hlíðar/Miðborg) | 6th | 1915 | 100 | 2005 | 22 | 1930 | 2018 |
Víkingur | Reykjavík (Fossvogur, Háaleiti og Bústaðir) |
7th | 1918 | 69 | 2014 | 5 | 1920 | 1991 |
Source: [10]
History
Championship history
The Icelandic league title has been won in its over 100 years existence by 11 teams. KR has the most titles, with 27. Stjarnan Garðabær are the last team to join the list, winning their first title in 2014.
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). ÍBV and KA have won four titles amongst themselves, are located more than an hour's drive from Reykjavík, and the teams of the longest distance from the capital to title.
Single Round
- 1912: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1913: Fram Reykjavík*
- 1914: Fram Reykjavík*
- 1915: Fram Reykjavík
- 1916: Fram Reykjavík
- 1917: Fram Reykjavík
- 1918: Fram Reykjavík
- 1919: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1920: Víkingur (Reykjavík)
- 1921: Fram Reykjavík
- 1922: Fram Reykjavík
- 1923: Fram Reykjavík
- 1924: Víkingur (Reykjavík)
- 1925: Fram Reykjavík
- 1926: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1927: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1928: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1929: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1930: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1931: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1932: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1933: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1934: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1935: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1936: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1937: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1938: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1939: Fram Reykjavík
- 1940: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1941: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1942: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1943: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1944: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1945: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1946: Fram Reykjavík
- 1947: Fram Reykjavík
- 1948: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1949: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1950: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1951: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1952: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1953: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1954: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1955: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1956: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1957: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1958: ÍA (Akranes)
Double Round
- 1959: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1960: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1961: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1962: Fram Reykjavík
- 1963: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1964: Keflavík
- 1965: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1966: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1967: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1968: KR (Reykjavík)
- 1969: Keflavík
- 1970: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1971: Keflavík
- 1972: Fram Reykjavík
- 1973: Keflavík
- 1974: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1975: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1976: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1977: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1978: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1979: ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar)
- 1980: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1981: Víkingur (Reykjavík)
- 1982: Víkingur (Reykjavík)
- 1983: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1984: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1985: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1986: Fram Reykjavík
- 1987: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 1988: Fram Reykjavík
- 1989: KA (Akureyri)
- 1990: Fram Reykjavík
- 1991: Víkingur (Reykjavík)
- 1992: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1993: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1994: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1995: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1996: ÍA (Akranes)
- 1997: ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar)
- 1998: ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar)
- 1999: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2000: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2001: ÍA (Akranes)
- 2002: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2003: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2004: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2005: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2006: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2007: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 2008: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2009: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2010: Breiðablik (Kópavogur)
- 2011: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2012: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2013: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2014: Stjarnan (Garðabær)
- 2015: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2016: FH (Hafnarfjörður)
- 2017: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 2018: Valur (Reykjavík)
- 2019: KR (Reykjavík)
- 2020: Valur (Reykjavík)**
*There was no competition in 1913 and 1914, and Fram Reykjavík was awarded the title. **In 2020 the competition got cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Valur (Reykjavik) was awarded the title because they were at the top of the table when the season ended.
Champions by number of titles
Team | Titles | First title | Last title |
---|---|---|---|
KR | 27 | 1912 | 2019 |
Valur | 23 | 1930 | 2020 |
Fram | 18 | 1913 | 1990 |
ÍA | 18 | 1951 | 2001 |
FH | 8 | 2004 | 2016 |
Víkingur | 5 | 1920 | 1991 |
Keflavík | 4 | 1964 | 1973 |
ÍBV | 3 | 1979 | 1998 |
KA | 1 | 1989 | 1989 |
Breiðablik | 1 | 2010 | 2010 |
Stjarnan | 1 | 2014 | 2014 |
Season by season records
All-time top scorers
LAST SEASON | TOP SCORER'S NAME | GOALS | CLUB |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Tryggvi Guðmundsson | 131 | ÍBV, KR, FH, Fylkir |
1987 | Ingi Björn Albertsson | 126 | Valur, FH |
Top scorers
Player of the Year
Young Player of the Year
Caps correct as of 20 January 2020
Total seasons in Úrvalsdeild by club
A total of 30 teams have played at least one season in top division.
Seasons counted up to and including the 2020 season
Club | Location | First season in Úrvalsdeild |
Last season in in Úrvalsdeild |
Seasons in Úrvalsdeild |
Best result in Úrvalsdeild |
Úrvalsdeild titles |
First Úrvalsdeild title |
Last Úrvalsdeild title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breiðablik | Kópavogur | 1971 | 2020 | 35 | 1st | 1 | 2010 | 2010 |
FH | Hafnarfjörður | 1975 | 2020 | 36 | 1st | 8 | 2004 | 2016 |
Fjölnir | Reykjavík (Grafarvogur) | 2008 | 2020 | 8 | 4th | 0 | - | - |
Fram | Reykjavík (Grafarholt) | 1912 | 2014 | 98 | 1st | 18 | 1913 | 1990 |
Fylkir | Reykjavík (Árbær) | 1989 | 2020 | 23 | 2nd | 0 | - | - |
Grindavík | Grindavík | 1995 | 2019 | 20 | 3rd | 0 | - | - |
Grótta | Seltjarnarnes | 2020 | 2020 | 1 | 11th | 0 | - | - |
Haukar | Hafnarfjörður | 1979 | 2010 | 2 | 10th | 0 | - | - |
HK | Kópavogur | 2007 | 2020 | 4 | 9th | 0 | - | - |
ÍA | Akranes | 1946 | 2020 | 67 | 1st | 18 | 1951 | 2001 |
ÍBA | Akureyri | 1929 | 1974 | 20 | 3rd | 0 | - | - |
ÍBH | Hafnarfjörður | 1957 | 1961 | 3 | 4th | 0 | - | - |
ÍBÍ | Ísafjörður | 1962 | 1983 | 3 | 6th | 0 | - | - |
ÍBV | Vestmannaeyjar | 1912 | 2019 | 51 | 1st | 3 | 1979 | 1998 |
ÍR | Reykjavík (Breiðholt) | 1998 | 1998 | 1 | 10th | 0 | - | - |
KA | Akureyri | 1978 | 2020 | 18 | 1st | 1 | 1989 | 1989 |
Keflavík | Reykjanesbær (Keflavík) | 1958 | 2018 | 52 | 1st | 3 | 1964 | 1973 |
KR | Reykjavík (Vesturbær) | 1912 | 2020 | 106 | 1st | 27 | 1912 | 2019 |
Leiftur | Ólafsfjörður | 1988 | 2000 | 7 | 3rd | 0 | - | - |
Leiknir | Reykjavík (Breiðholt) | 2015 | 2015 | 1 | 11th | 0 | - | - |
Selfoss | Selfoss | 2010 | 2012 | 2 | 11th | 0 | - | - |
Skallagrímur | Borgarnes | 1997 | 1997 | 1 | 9th | 0 | - | - |
Stjarnan | Garðabær | 1990 | 2020 | 18 | 1st | 1 | 2014 | 2014 |
Valur | Reykjavík (Hlíðar/Miðborg) | 1915 | 2020 | 100 | 1st | 22 | 1930 | 2018 |
Víðir | Garður | 1985 | 1991 | 4 | 7th | 0 | - | - |
Víkingur | Ólafsvík | 2013 | 2017 | 3 | 10th | 0 | - | - |
Víkingur | Reykjavík (Fossvogur, Háaleiti og Bústaðir) |
1918 | 2020 | 69 | 1st | 5 | 1920 | 1991 |
Völsungur | Húsavík | 1987 | 1988 | 2 | 8th | 0 | - | - |
Þór | Akureyri | 1977 | 2014 | 17 | 3rd | 0 | - | - |
Þróttur | Reykjavík (Laugardalur) | 1953 | 2016 | 19 | 5th | 0 | - | - |
See also
- Úrvalsdeild kvenna (Women's Premier League)
- List of football clubs in Iceland
- List of foreign Úrvalsdeild players
References
- Stefnt á að sýna alla leiki í Pepsi-deild karla beint - Pepsi-deildin á Stöð 2 Sport til 2021
- "Icelandic Premier League – Úrvalsdeild / Pepsi Max deildin (Review)". Fieldo Blog. March 19, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- "Iceland coming in from the cold". UEFA. 5 January 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- UEFA Country Ranking 2016 UEFA rankings for club competitions, accessed April 30, 2017
- Pepsi-deildin í knattspyrnu 2009 KSÍ's official site, accessed 28 April 2009
- "Pepsi-deildin til næstu þriggja ára". Ölgerðin. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- "Reglugerðir - Knattspyrnusamband Íslands". www.ksi.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- Íslandsmeistarar meistaraflokks karla
- "Archive - Úrvalsdeild - Iceland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
- Íslandsmót - Pepsi-deild karla - 2019
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)
- SOCCERWAY - Úrvalsdeild summary