A reunion with the city of Aberdeen would mean Klæmint Olsen had helped make history.
His club, NSI Runavik, have never come through a European tie. They have won just two of 26 European games across 17 years but victory over Barry Town United this Thursday would be a momentous day for the Faroese side.
It would also bring Olsen back to the Granite City next week, for the first time since he last took part in the Aberdeen International Football Festival as a teenager in 2006.
The tournament was held at the city’s Seaton Park, drawing youth teams from across the world, before moving to Aberdeen Sports Village. Olsen was part of the Faroe Islands team that made it to the final 14 years ago.
“I’ve been there twice with the national youth team, so the city is not so strange for me,” said Olsen, the Runavik captain. “I hope to be back next week.”
Their European record has not diminished the desire to compete against teams from the continent. Victories over Dinamo Tblisi in 2008 and Linfield in 2015 were in vain as Runavik went out over two legs, with the game against the Georgians coming in Champions League qualifying on the back of their only league title.
They were knocked out by Fulham in 2011 and came into the Scottish conscience in 2018, with Hibernian beating them 6-1 at Easter Road before a topsy-turvy 6-4 second leg in the archipelago in which Olsen scored a hat-trick.
Barry Town United stand in their way, a team Aberdeen played in the competition in 1996 when it was still known as the Uefa Cup. It will be played at Svangaskarð in nearby Toftir, with Runavik’s Við Løkin not up to Uefa standards, and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be a one-off game behind-closed-doors.
“Absolutely, it’s an exciting time to play in Europe. It’s the highlight of the season,” said the 30-year-old. “This year is a bit different, only being one game at home, so we think the possibility to go through is good. If it’s two games you never know, so to play at home it is maybe in our favour.
Klaemint Olsen has spent his entire career at Runavik”We see the possibility to go through, for the first time in the club’s history. We hope for the best and hopefully we travel to Aberdeen next week.
“It would mean absolutely everything to get through. We will make history with the club – we have never been through before – so it will be a massive achievement for the club.”
The club itself has a special place in Olsen’s heart. A native of Runavik, he has represented only them in a 13-year senior career. He ascended to the club captaincy in 2013 and is the record goalscorer in the Faroese top flight, with 195 goals, and has 231 in total for Runavik.
He lives locally, working part-time as a carpenter, and is also a Faroese international. Olsen scored his first goal for the Faroes last year in a 4-1 defeat to Spain.
Runavik’s Magnus Olsen (left) celebrates his goal, to make it 2-0 against Hibernian, with Klaemint Olsen”I’ve been here all my life and I’m 30 now. I have my heart in this club and that won’t change for anything. We are excited about this game and see our chance to go through. It’s massive if we go through.
“It’s difficult to say what it is, but it’s a strong relationship between me and the club. They give me so much and I try to give them the same back. I had a lot of offers around the world, to go, but it never felt right for me to leave this club. This is home for me.”
The football connection between Aberdeen and the Faroes extends beyond Olsen.
Following their exploits at the AIFF in 2006, his international colleagues Hallur Hansson and Gilli Rolantsson Sorensen were signed by the Dons and joined up with the youth setup. Hansson played his only senior game for Aberdeen against Kilmarnock in November 2010 and both currently reside in Denmark.
Another player from that youth side, Rógvi Hólm, made the bench for the Dons three times in 2009, but is now out of senior football. Odmar Færø, a centre-back with 29 caps for the national side, grew up in Aberdeen and played for junior side Banks o’Dee, as well as Keith in the Highland League and SPFL outfit Forfar Athletic.
“I know Odmar lived in Scotland for about 15 years. A couple of my other national team colleagues played in Aberdeen, Gilli (Rolantsson) and Hallur Hansson in their youth careers. So we know a little a bit about Aberdeen.”