"Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio" in San Marino below.
Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag (commonly known as KÍ) are the defending champions - last season's title win was their eighteenth. They won the title by three points from B36 Tórshavn.
The 2020 league will have ten teams competing as follows
Argja Bóltfelag (Founded 1973)
B36 Tórshavn (Founded 1936 - 11 times title winners)
EB/Streymur (Founded 1993+)
Havnar Bóltfelag (Founded 1904 - 23 times title winners)
Ítróttarfelag Fuglafjarðar (Founded 1946)
Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag (Founded 1904 - 18 times title winners)
NSÍ Runavík (Founded 1957 - 1 time title winners)
Skála ÍF (Founded 1965)
Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag (Founded 1892* - 7 times title winners)
Víkingur Gøta (Founded 2008# - 2 time title winners)
Key:
+ Founded as a result of a merger between EB & Streymur
* TB are the oldest club in the Faroe Islands and the only one in the top tier on the Southernmost Island of Suðuroy. For the 2017 it was decided to merge three clubs from the Island who were TB, FC Suðuroy and Royn Hvalba with the new club being called "TB/FC Suðuroy/Royn" - this only lasted two seasons and the merged club was dissolved with TB taking the place in the Premier League with FC Suðuroy and Royn playing in the lower divisions.
# Founded as a result of a merger between GÍ Gøta (6 time champions) and Leirvík.
Twenty-Nine year old striker Klæmint Olsen was the top scorer in the league last season scoring 26 goals from his club NSI Runavik. He was born in Runavik and has played for the club throughout his career where he is due to make his 300th appearance for them this season. He is most well known for the hat-trick he scored in the Europa League 2018 first qualifying round game against Scottish club Hibernian - the game was lost 5-12 on aggregate. He has 27 caps for the Faroe Islands International team.
Since 2013 he has been top scorer in five of the seven seasons played. Jóannes Bjartalíð followed him on 18 goals for champions KI. He has five caps for the national side.
Champions KI have a real International feel to their squad with Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Albania, Montenegro and Nigeria represented. Abubakar Aliyu Ibrahim has recently joined the club from Norwegian club Ham Kam.
AB have another Nigerian in their ranks in the form of Adeshina Abayomi Lawal who joined in the pre-season from Vikingur but has also played for Skala IF and B36.
B36 have an all Faroese squad aside from Norwegian striker Sebastian Pingel who has recently moved from HB. NSI have recently signed Sierra Leone midfielder Alfred Sankoh. The 31 year old is well traveled having played in Norway, Turkey, Azerbaijain, Saudi Arabia and Oman during his career.
TB have a number of interesting players on their books including 37 year old Senegalese defender Ndende Gueye who has represented a number of Faroese clubs. Ghanians Musah Armah (aged 21) and Samudeen Musah (aged 19) have also recently joined the club.
Vikingur have signed Polish striker Łukasz Cieślewicz from B36 over the pre-season where he had played since 2011.
The Faroe Islands International squad now has players playing in Germany, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Their top capped player is Fróði Benjaminsen who made 98 appearances during his career where he played for B68 Toftir, B36 Tórshavn, HB Tórshavn, Víkingur Gøta, NSÍ Runavík, Skála IF and Fram Reykjavík in Iceland.
Fixtures
Saturday 9th May
3pm
NSÍ v TB
HB v EB/Streymur
4pm
Skála v ÍF
5pm
KÍ v B36
7pm
AB v Víkingur
The 1.Deild (second tier) is due to kick off next weekend and 2.Deild (third tier) at the end of the month with the women's league also starting at the end of the month.
With thanks to @GrahamYapp for the use of the photos which he took on his trip to the Islands in 2011. Please take a look at his website modushopperrandom which is excellent.
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