'Ask any Icelandic to name their best summer and it would be 2016 - we earned the respect of the world': Eidur Gudjohnsen reveals why Euro 2016 with Iceland is still a huge memory
Iceland achieved the unthinkable at Euro 2016 - now captain of that side and national legend, Eidur Gudjohnsen, tells FourFourTwo exclusively why that summer mattered so much
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Icelandic legend Eidur Gudjohnsen has told FourFourTwo why the summer of 2016 is still a massive one in the history of the nation.
The tiny nation shocked the continent with a stunning run to the quarter-finals of the tournament – infamously knocking out Roy Hodgson's England in the last-16 of the competition with a 2-1 win.
Now, the former Chelsea and Tottenham man has explained how his country were happy just to compete – and how much that incredible victory over the Three Lions really took out of them, as they faced hosts France in the next round.
Iceland achieved a miracle in 2016 (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Just qualifying for the Euros was a massive achievement in itself,” Gudjohnsen tells FFT. “We arrived with zero pressure and managed to go unbeaten in our group against Austria, Hungary and Portugal.
“There was an amazing feeling of unity within the squad and we really sensed we were doing something special – ask any Icelandic to name their best summer and it would be 2016.
“Obviously, beating England 2-1 – from behind – was a huge statement on the world stage and our best achievement as a nation to date.”
Eidur Gudjohnsen's international career spanned two decades (Image credit: Getty Images)
By the time the quarters rolled on, Iceland couldn't repeat the feat against Les Bleus. After a valiant effort, the men from ‘the land of fire and ice’ were roundly beaten 5-2 – and now, Gudjohnsen explains that the monumental England win took the wind out of his team's sails.
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“We were mentally exhausted by the time we had to face the hosts, France, in the quarter-finals, but we’d earned the respect of the world by then,” the forward says.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
