Páll Ólafsson (handball player)

Páll Ólafsson

Player information
birthday	May 1, 1960
place of birth
citizenship	Icelandic
height	1.89 m
Playing position	Back center
Throwing hand	right
Club information
society	Career ended
Clubs in the youth
from ... to	society
0000-1979	Þróttur Reykjavík
Clubs as active
from ... to	society
1979-1985	Þróttur Reykjavík
1985-1986	TSV Grün-Weiß Dankersen
1986-1986	Fram Reykjavík
1986-1988	HSG TuRU Düsseldorf
1988-1991	KR Reykjavík
1991-1995	Haukar Hafnarfjörður
National team
	Games (goals)
Iceland	174 (418)
Clubs as coaches
from ... to	society
0000-2000	HK Kópavogur (assistant coach)
2000-2001	HK Kópavogur
2001–2 / 2004	Haukar Hafnarfjörður (Assistant Trainer)
2 / 2004-2007	Haukar Hafnarfjörður
As of September 25, 2019

Páll Ólafsson (born May 1, 1960 ) is a former Icelandic handball player and coach and football player . The middle back player has completed 174 international matches for the handball team and two for the Icelandic national soccer team .

Career

Handball

Páll played for Þróttur Reykjavík until 1985 and then moved to the German Bundesliga for TSV Grün-Weiß Dankersen . At the end of the season, he was relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga . Despite good performance, the most goals scored by the team (105, including 22 seven meters ) and the fans' vote for GWD handball player of the year , Páll had to leave the club. Due to the foreigner regulation at the time and the obligation of Velibor Nenadić , the only foreigner place in the squad was occupied. Páll therefore joined Fram Reykjavík . A short time later, however , his advisor Axel Axelsson arranged a transfer to the Bundesliga club HSG TuRU Düsseldorf . In the 1986/87 season Páll narrowly missed the DHB Cup victory with the club . After adding up the two finals against TV Großwallstadt , it was 37:37, but Großwallstadt had scored more away goals and thus won the title. In the 1987/88 season TuRU Düsseldorf was runner-up behind VfL Gummersbach . Then Páll returned to Iceland and played from 1988 to 1991 for KR Reykjavík . His last station as a player was Haukar Hafnarfjörður (1991-1995).

For the Icelandic national team, he scored 418 goals in 174 international matches. He took part in the 1986 World Handball Championship and the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Until the summer of 2000 he was assistant coach to trainer Sigurður Valur Sveinsson at HK Kópavogur and was his successor for one year. Then Haukar Hafnarfjörður also initially employed him as an assistant. When head coach Viggó Sigurðsson gave up his post in February 2004, Páll moved to the coaching post, which he held until 2007.

Soccer

Páll also made it to the national team in football. However, he only played one official international match. He scored a goal on his debut against Greenland in July 1980 . His second, last and only official appearance for the Icelandic national team was in June 1984 in a 1-0 draw against Norway .

With his club Þróttur Reykjavík, he played in the second division, managed once promotion and so came to a few first division appearances.

Web links

• Páll Ólafsson in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Páll Ólafssons football record in the 1st Icelandic league and the national team

Remarks

1. ↑ The Icelandic Association counts the game, but it was not an official international game, as Greenland is still not a recognized FIFA member.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Statistics of the Icelandic Handball Association (A-international men)

Note: Icelanders are referred to by their first name or first and last name, but not just their surname. Further information can be found under Icelandic personal name .