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Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar

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KA
Full nameKnattspyrnufélag Akureyrar
Short nameKA
Founded1928; 96 years ago (1928)
GroundGreifavöllurinn,
Akureyri
Capacity1,645
ChairmanHjörvar Maronsson
ManagerHallgrímur Jónasson
LeagueBesta deild karla
2024Besta deild karla, 7th of 12
Websiteka.is
Current season
Departments of
Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar
Football
(Men's)		Football
(Women's)		Handball
(Men's)
Handball
(Women's)		 Volleyball
(Men's)		 Volleyball
(Women's)
Tennis Badminton Judo

Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar ("Akureyri Football Club"), commonly abbreviated to KA, is an Icelandic multi-sport club based in Akureyri in the north of Iceland.[1] The club was founded in 1928. The football team currently plays in Besta deild karla and have won the top flight once in 1989.

Club

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The club offers various sports including football, handball, judo, volleyball and weightlifting.

The club crest features a red shield overlaid on a blue shield. Within the red shield is a golden ball, with the letters 'KA' positioned above it in white. The team colours are yellow shirts and blue shorts.

Its main rival is another sports club in Akureyri, Þór Akureyri.

History

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The early years (1928–1943)

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KA was founded on January 8, 1928, in the home of Margrét and Axel Schiöth, at Hafnarstræti 23, with the goal of promoting sports in Akureyri.

ÍBA (1943–1974)

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Main article: ÍB Akureyri

Between 1944 and 1974 the two most prominent football clubs in Akureyri, KA and Þór, sent a united team under the banner of ÍBA to the Icelandic first tier made up of a selection of players from the Akureyri clubs. The club played 17 seasons in the top flight of Icelandic football league, Úrvalsdeild karla.

The first time the two Akureyri clubs, KA and Þór, combined forces was against recent league champions Valur in the middle of July 1942. The teams played twice, the united team from Akureyri won one game but lost the other. The positive results gave impetus to unification ideas and in 1943 for the fourth time a team from Akureyri played in Úrvalsdeild karla. But now it sailed under the flag of Íþróttaráð Akureyrar (In english Akureyri Sports Council) and not KA as in all the previous times.[2]

The subsequent year, in 1944, saw the establishment of ÍB Akureyri. By 1946, a football team representing ÍBA competed in Úrvalsdeild karla, for the first time.

From 1955 to 1974, the ÍBA team always took part in the Icelandic men's football tournament. In 1974, the two respective sports clubs ended their collaboration and started sending teams separately as KA and Þór.[3]

Back to the top tier (2015– )

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The summer of 2015 was filled with anticipation for KA. Despite losing some key players, the team demonstrated strength during preseason, reaching the final of the Icelandic Men's Football League Cup but ultimately losing to Breiðablik. Good signings, preseason success, and the experienced coach Bjarni Jóhannsson, who took over in 2013, led many pundits to predict that KA would be promoted to the top flight with ease.[2] However, the season failed to meet expectations, and the team finished in 3rd place, prompting the sacking of manager Jóhannsson, with his assistant Srdjan Tufegdzic taking over late in the season.[3]

In 2016, KA finally reached the top flight. Under new management with Tufegdzic at the helm and notable acquisitions like Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson, Guðmann Þórisson, and Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson, the team comfortably won the second division. Expectations were high for KA's first match in the top division in thirteen years. The team faced Breiðablik and emerged victorious with a 1–3 scoreline. The first season in the top division since 2004 fared well as the team finished in 7th place.[4]

The following year saw KA once again finish in 7th place, and at the end of the season, the club parted ways with Tufegdzic. Óli Stefán Flóventsson replaced him and managed to guide the team to 5th place, KA's best showing since 2002. Elfar Árni Aðalsteinsson emerged as the team's top scorer with 13 goals. However, the subsequent season did not go as well for Flóventsson, who was let go after managing five games without a win.[5] His replacement, Arnar Grétarsson, led the team to a 7th-place finish, although the season was cut short due to COVID-19. The season was notable for an unusual number of draws, with the team drawing 12 times. The team was praised for its solid defending and the homegrown player Brynjar Ingi Bjarnason had a breakout season.[6]

The 2021 season marked Grétarsson's first full season as head coach, during which significant acquisitions like Jonathan Hendrickx, Dušan Brković, and the return of homegrown player Daníel Hafsteinsson bolstered the team's roster.[7] On 29 May 2021, Bjarnason made his international debut for the Icelandic national team before being sold to Lecce midway through the season.[8] Despite the loss of Bjarnason, KA achieved remarkable success, securing its best result since 2002 with a 4th-place finish.[9] Moving into the 2022 season, KA continued its upward trajectory, clinching its second-best result ever in the Besta deild karla. This achievement qualified them for the UEFA Europa Conference League. Nökkvi Þeyr Þórisson showcased an outstanding performance throughout the season, earning recognition as the league's best player and top scorer with 17 goals. Notably, his remarkable achievements came despite his transfer to K Beerschot VA before the season concluded.[10] Grétarsson's assistant and former KA player, Hallgrímur Jónasson, assumed managerial duties for the team towards the end of the season, following the departure of Grétarsson.[11] Jónasson successfully navigated the team through the playoffs and a second-place finish.[12]

In 2023, KA finished 7th[13] in the league and made it to the cup final against Víkingur R., ultimately losing 3-1.[14] The team also had a relatively successful UEFA Europa Conference League campaign, defeating Connah's Quay Nomads and Dundalk, with their journey coming to an end against Club Brugge.[15][16]

Football

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Men's football

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They have once been the Icelandic champions, in 1989 after a tough fight against FH (Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar). FH were in the lead until their final match, against already relegated team Fylkir. FH lost and KA obtained the title for the first time in their history.

KA formerly played at Akureyrarvöllur close to downtown Akureyri but have since moved all games to Greifavöllurinn, a temporary arena at the club's training base, KA-Heimilið in the Lundarhverfi neighborhood where a new permanent stadium is also being built.

Current squad

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As of 5 September 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF Iceland ISL Kári Gautason
4 MF Spain ESP Rodrigo Gomes Mateo
5 DF Iceland ISL Ívar Örn Árnason
6 DF Montenegro MNE Darko Bulatović
7 MF Iceland ISL Daníel Hafsteinsson
8 FW Scotland SCO Harley Willard
9 FW Iceland ISL Elfar Árni Aðalsteinsson
10 FW Iceland ISL Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson
11 FW Iceland ISL Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson (captain)
12 GK Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Kristijan Jajalo
13 GK Iceland ISL Steinþór Már Auðunsson
14 MF Iceland ISL Andri Fannar Stefánsson
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF Iceland ISL Mikael Breki Þórðarson
22 DF Iceland ISL Hrannar Björn Steingrímsson
23 FW Iceland ISL Viðar Örn Kjartansson
25 MF Iceland ISL Dagur Ingi Valsson
28 DF Iceland ISL Hans Viktor Guðmunsson
29 FW Iceland ISL Jakob Snær Árnason
44 MF Iceland ISL Valdimar Sævarsson
77 MF Iceland ISL Bjarni Aðalsteinsson
99 GK Iceland ISL Jóhann Mikael Ingólfsson
? DF Iceland ISL Aron Daði Stefánsson
? MF Iceland ISL Ólafur Aron Pétursson

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Iceland ISL Ívar Arnbro Þórhallsson (at Höttur/Huginn)
? MF Iceland ISL Árni Veigar Árnason (at Höttur/Huginn)
18 DF Iceland ISL Hákon Atli Aðalsteinsson (at Dalvík/Reynir)
No. Pos. Nation Player
26 MF Iceland ISL Ingimar Torbjørnsson Støle (at FH)
6 DF Iceland ISL Breki Hólm Baldursson (at Dalvík/Reynir)
90 MF Iceland ISL Dagbjartur Búi Davíðsson (at Dalvík/Reynir)

European record

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Competition Matches W D L GF GA
UEFA European Cup 2 1 0 1 1 3
UEFA Cup Winners Cup 2 0 0 2 1 14
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2 0 2 0 2 2
UEFA Europa Conference League 6 3 1 2 11 13
Total 12 4 3 5 15 32
Matches
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Season Competition Round Opponents 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
1970–1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Switzerland Zürich 1–7 0–7 1–14
1990–1991 UEFA European Cup 1R Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 1–0 0–3 1–3
2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R Bosnia and Herzegovina Sloboda Tuzla 1–1 1–1 (a.e.t.) 2–2 (2–3 p)
2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League 1Q Wales Connah's Quay Nomads 2–0 2–0 4–0
2Q Republic of Ireland Dundalk 3–1 2–2 5–3
3Q Belgium Club Brugge 1–5 1–5 2–10
2025–26 UEFA Conference League 1Q
Notes
  • PR: Preliminary Round
  • 1R: First round
  • 1Q: First qualifying round
  • 2Q: Second qualifying round
  • 3Q: Third qualifying round
  • PO: Play-off round

Recent history

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Season Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Notes
1987 Úrvalsdeild 6 18 5 6 7 18 17 21 Fourth round
1988 Úrvalsdeild 4 18 8 3 7 31 29 27 Fourth round
1989 Úrvalsdeild 1 18 9 7 2 29 15 34 Fourth round
1990 Úrvalsdeild 8 18 5 1 12 18 28 16 Fourth round European Cup
1991 Úrvalsdeild 6 18 7 4 7 21 23 25 Fourth round
1992 Úrvalsdeild ↓10 18 3 4 11 18 33 13 Final Relegated to the 1.deild
1993 1.deild 4 18 9 2 7 31 22 29 Fourth round
1994 1.deild 8 18 5 3 10 26 34 18 Third round
1995 1.deild 3 18 7 6 5 26 25 27 Second round
1996 1.deild 4 18 7 5 6 36 33 26 Quarter-finals
1997 1.deild 7 18 4 6 8 24 31 18 Fourth round
1998 1.deild 7 18 7 4 7 24 28 25 Third round
1999 1.deild 6 18 6 5 7 24 24 23 Second round
2000 1.deild 3 18 10 4 4 38 23 34 Fourth round
2001 1.deild ↑ 2 18 11 4 3 43 21 37 Final Promoted to the Úrvalsdeild
2002 Úrvalsdeild 4 18 6 7 5 18 19 25 Semi-finals
2003 Úrvalsdeild 8 18 6 4 8 29 27 22 Semi-finals UEFA Intertoto Cup
2004 Úrvalsdeild ↓ 10 18 4 3 11 13 30 15 Final Relegated to the 1.deild
2005 1. deild 3 18 10 4 4 40 20 34 Fourth round
2006 1. deild 6 18 6 3 9 22 25 21 Quarter-finals
2007 1. deild 11 22 5 4 13 14 45 19 Third round
2008 1. deild 4 22 9 5 8 31 27 32 Third round
2009 1. deild 5 22 10 5 7 32 24 35 Fourth round
2010 1. deild 9 22 6 6 10 29 43 24 Quarter-finals
2011 1. deild 8 22 9 2 11 32 40 29 Third round
2012 1. deild 4 22 9 6 7 34 30 33 Fourth round
2013 1. deild 6 22 9 5 8 38 31 32 Second round
2014 1. deild 8 22 8 7 7 42 33 31 Third round
2015 1. deild 3 22 12 5 5 42 22 41 Semi-final
2016 1. deild ↑ 1 22 16 3 3 42 16 51 Third round Promoted to the Úrvalsdeild
2017 Úrvalsdeild 7 22 7 8 7 37 31 29 Third round
2018 Úrvalsdeild 7 22 7 7 8 36 34 28 Fourth round
2019 Úrvalsdeild 5 22 9 4 9 34 34 31 Fourth round
2020 Úrvalsdeild 7 18 3 12 3 20 21 21 Fourth round *Season not completed due to COVID-19
2021 Úrvalsdeild 4 22 12 4 6 36 20 40 Fourth round
2022 Besta deild 2 27 16 5 6 54 30 53 Semi-final
2023 Besta deild 7 27 12 5 10 42 45 41 Final UEFA Europa Conference League

[17]

Trophies and achievements

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Notable former players

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Player of the Season

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Haukur Heiðar Hauksson, two-time winner of the award
Guðmann Þórisson, won the award in 2016
Season Name Nationality Position Ref.
2004 Sandor Matus  Hungary Goalkeeper
2005 Pálmi Rafn Pálmason  Iceland Midfielder
2006 Janez Vrenko  Slovenia Defender
2007 Þorvaldur Sveinn Guðbjörnsson  Iceland Defender
2008 Arnar Már Guðjónsson  Iceland Midfielder
2009 Haukur Heiðar Hauksson  Iceland Defender
2010 Sandor Matus (2)  Hungary Goalkeeper
2011 Haukur Heiðar Hauksson (2)  Iceland Defender
2012 Gunnar Valur Gunnarsson  Iceland Defender
2013 Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson  Iceland Midfielder
2014 Srdjan Rajkovic  Serbia Goalkeeper
2015 Callum Williams  England Defender
2016 Guðmann Þórisson  Iceland Defender
2017 Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson (2)  Iceland Midfielder
2018 Callum Williams (2)  England Defender
2019 Elfar Árni Aðalsteinsson  Iceland Forward
2020 Brynjar Ingi Bjarnason  Iceland Defender
2021 Steinþór Már Auðunsson  Iceland Goalkeeper
2022 Ívar Örn Árnason  Iceland Defender
2023 Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson (3)  Iceland Midfielder

Overall most appearances

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Rank Nationality Name Years Appearances[18]
1 Iceland Hallgrímur M. Steingrímsson 2009–14, 2016– 320
2 Hungary Sandor Matus 2004–13 231
3 England Dean Martin 1995–97, 1999–04, 2008–10 214
4 Iceland Hrannar Björn Steingrímsson 2014– 205
5 Iceland Elfar Árni Aðalsteinsson 2015– 198
6 Iceland Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson 2016– 173
7 Iceland Steingrímur Örn Eiðsson 1997–07 168
8 Iceland Andri Fannar Stefánsson 2010, 2019– 166
9 Iceland Bjarni Jónsson 1987–97 166
10 Iceland Þorvaldur M. Sigbjörnsson 1992–96, 1999–03, 2007 160

Overall top scorers

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Rank Nationality Name Years Goals[19]
1 Iceland Hallgrímur M. Steingrímsson 2009–14, 2016– 98
2 Iceland Hreinn Hringsson 2000–06 73
3 Iceland Elfar Árni Aðalsteinsson 2015– 71
3 Iceland Þorvaldur M. Sigbjörnsson 1992–96, 1999–03, 2007 61
5 Iceland Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson 2016– 42
6 Hungary David Disztl 2009–2010, 2012 32
7 Iceland Nökkvi Þeyr Þórisson 2019–2022 30
8 Iceland Ævar Ingi Jóhannesson 2011–15 28
9 Iceland Þorvaldur Örlygsson 1984–89, 2000–03 25
10 Iceland Jóhann Helgason 2002–05, 2012, 2014–15 24

Managerial history

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Kit

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Period Kit manufacturer
1975–78 Adidas
1979 Hummel
1980–1981 Puma
1982–83 Hummel
1984–98 Adidas
1999–2002 Puma
2003 Henson
2004–2014 Hummel
2015–2019 Diadora
2020–2023 Erreà
2023– Macron

Women's Football

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Main article: Þór/KA

Since 1999, KA has fielded a joint women's team with neighbouring club Þór Akureyri under the name Þór/KA in the top-level league Úrvalsdeild. In 2006 the team finished 7th of 8 teams, 8th/9 in 2007, the reaching a good 4th/10 in 2008 and then bettering those results with 3rd/10 in 2009 and a second-place finish in 2010. As Iceland was in the top 8 leagues of UEFA,[20] those second place was enough to qualify for the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League.[21] The team entered in the round of 32 but lost 14–2 on aggregate to German team Turbine Potsdam.

In 2010 the team also went to the semi-finals in the Icelandic cup, losing to the eventual winner Valur.[22] In 1989 and 2013 they lost the cup final.

In 2012 Þór/KA finished first in the Úrvalsdeild and secured its first ever Icelandic championship.[23]

On 29 September 2017, the club secured its second national championship by defeating FH, in the last game of the season, 2–0 with goals from Sandra Jessen and Sandra Stephany Mayor.[24]

Trophies and achievements

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  1. As Þór/KA
  2. As KA

Handball

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Men's handball

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Main article: KA Handball

Before the 2006–2007 Icelandic handball season, they merged their handball clubs to form Akureyri Handboltafélag. In 2017, KA left the partnership and reinstated the KA Handball section.

Trophies and achievements

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Women's handball

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Main article: KA/Þór

Trophies and achievements

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Volleyball

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Trophies and achievements

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Men's volleyball

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  • Icelandic Championships:
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold medal: 1989, 1991, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2019
  • Icelandic Cup:
    • Champions: 1991, 1992, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
  • Icelandic League Cup:
    • Champions: 1989, 1991, 1994, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2019

Women's volleyball

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  • Icelandic Championships:
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold medal: 2019
  • Icelandic Cup:
    • Champions: 2019
  • Icelandic League Cup:
    • Champions: 2019

Club officials

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As of 29 February 2024[26]

References

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  1. ^ "Lög Knattspyrnufélags Akureyrar". ka.is (in Icelandic). Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Fótbolti.net". www.fotbolti.net (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Keppnistímabilið 2015". Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Keppnistímabilið 2016". Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Óli Stefán hættur með KA". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  6. ^ Jónsson, Óskar Ófeigur (25 September 2020). "KA-menn farnir að nálgast met jafntefliskónga Gumma Ben - Vísir". visir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  7. ^ Sverrisson, Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson, Runólfur Trausti Þórhallsson, Sindri (26 April 2021). "Pepsi Max-spáin 2021: Belgísk áhrif á Brekkunni - Vísir". visir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Brynjar Ingi seldur til Lecce - RÚV.is". RÚV. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Íslandsmót - Pepsi Max deild karla - 2021". www.ksi.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  10. ^ Vikublaðið. "Nökkvi Freyr Þórisson til Beerschot". Vikublaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Arnar hættur og Hallgrímur tekur við". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Íslandsmót KSÍ - Besta deild karla - Efri hluti - 2022". www.ksi.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Íslandsmót KSÍ - Besta deild karla - Neðri hluti - 2023". www.ksi.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Leikskýrsla: Víkingur R. - KA - Knattspyrnusamband Íslands". www.ksi.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  15. ^ UEFA.com. "KA-Club Brugge | UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24". UEFA.com. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  16. ^ akureyri.net. "KA tekur á móti Club Brugge í Laugardalnum". akureyri.net (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Mótalisti". ksi.is (in Icelandic). KSI. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Öll mót" (in Icelandic). KSÍ. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Öll mót" (in Icelandic). KSÍ. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  20. ^ UEFA rankings for 2011/12, retrieved 21 October 2010
  21. ^ Thor/KA is champion, own website, retrieved 21 October 2010
  22. ^ women.soccerway.com, 2010 Cup results
  23. ^ "Úrslit – staða – Knattspyrnusamband Íslands". ksi.is. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Þór/KA – FH: Bein lýsing". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 28 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  25. ^ "Frá upphafi". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  26. ^ [1]‚ KA.is, 4 January 2018
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