On Monday, Aberdeen jetted off for a winter camp at Atlanta United’s training base – making it the perfect time to explore the Dons’ partnerships with clubs across the globe in our multi-part Aberlanta and Beyond series
For the past few weeks, we’ve been talking to key figures at Aberdeen and elsewhere to establish the benefits the Pittodrie outfit see in working with their roster of current partners – Major League Soccer (MLS) side Atlanta, California grassroots side Allstars United SC and KR Reykjavik.
We’ve also asked whether we could we see more of these partnerships in future.
In part four of Aberlanta and Beyond, KR Reykjavik chairman Páll Kristjánsson discusses what he sees as the benefits for Aberdeen and the Icelandic club from establishing their partnership – including complementary scouting networks, sending young players on loan between the clubs and helping one another with delivering a new stadium.
KR Reykjavik can scout Iceland stars
Aberdeen’s partner club KR Reykjavik can scout Iceland to help the Dons land top talent, says the club’s chairman Páll Kristjánsson.
He believes the Icelandic market is packed with exciting players and KR can help the Reds land them.
Iceland’s most successful club are also willing to take rising Dons stars on loan to play in their top flight.
Those are some of the benefits for Aberdeen in a partnership which he believes will be hugely beneficial for both clubs.
On the benefits to KR, he is confident the Dons can help with youth development, improving income streams, game day experience, marketing and social media.
Kristjánsson also believes Aberdeen, who have been robust in recent transfer negotiations, can help his club get better fees when they sell players.
Crucially, both clubs are also planning to build new stadia – and Kristjánsson reckons they can share vital knowledge.
It is a win-win situation for both clubs in all departments, he believes.
He said: “With Aberdeen we are just at the beginning of something good.
“We can learn an lot from Aberdeen and they will help us, without a doubt.
“And Aberdeen can also benefit a lot from us.
“We are trying to make our club more professional.
“Aberdeen are a big club and have a connection with Iceland, which is why we thought it would be a great idea to work closely with them.
“There is that connection and history between the clubs.”
Scouting Iceland for Aberdeen
Established in 1899, KR Reykjavik have won the Úrvalsdeild karla championship 27 times.
In 1964, KR were the first Icelandic representative in the European Cup.
Aberdeen’s first-ever European tie was against KR, with the Reds winning 14-1 on aggregate in the Cup Winners’ Cup first round in 1967.
Icelandic football is a completely different beast now, with their national team reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
They followed up that success by qualifying for the 2018 World Cup finals.
Asked if KR would assist the Dons in scouting Iceland for signing targets, Kristjánsson said: “Of course. Without a doubt.
“In the Icelandic league, there are many talented players.
“I follow Scottish football closely and always wondered why there are not more Icelandic players in that league.
“Most Icelandic players go to Scandinavia and I can’t understand why clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts, Motherwell, Kilmarnock are not buying Icelandic players
“There are a number of players in the Icelandic league that would make Aberdeen a stronger team, without a doubt.
“There are probably two or three players in the KR first team squad who I think could play for Aberdeen.”
Offer to take young Dons on loan
KR Reykjavik regularly qualify for Europe and compete at the top end of the Icelandic top flight.
Kristjansson is a keen follower of Scottish football and has visited many of the SPFL’s grounds.
He reckons a loan spell at KR would be extremely beneficial for Aberdeen’s emerging talent both on and off the pitch.
Kristjánsson explained: “I think it would be very good for young Aberdeen players to come to play for KR.
“We qualify for European football almost every year and get two to four games there.
“Iceland is a better league than most people think.
“A young player at Aberdeen, maybe number 14 or 15 in the squad, who is not playing every game… It would be much better for him as a young player and for his career to go to Iceland and play with KR in a much stronger league than the Championship in Scotland.
“I have seen many games in Scotland in the Championship, League One and League Two when I have visited grounds.
“I think with our new stadium, it will be much more professional environment for a young player to come and develop.
“This is also relevant for our women’s team where we also see opportunity to benefit from a similar setup.”
Aberdeen can help KR get better fees in transfer negotiations
This summer Aberdeen sold teenage right-back Calvin Ramsay to Liverpool in a deal that could be worth up to £8 million.
The Dons received £4.5m upfront for the 19-year-old and could pocket a further £3.5m if Ramsay meets certain landmarks at Anfield.
Ramsay made his Champions League debut earlier this month when featuring as a substitute in the 2-0 home defeat of Serie A leaders Napoli.
The 19-year-old’s full Scotland debut came this week when introduced as a half-time substitute against Turkey.
Midfielder Lewis Ferguson was also sold to Serie A Bologna for £3m this summer, plus a sell-on clause.
Aberdeen played hard-ball with Liverpool and Bologna to get their valuation of both players.
The KR chairman hopes Aberdeen’s help and expertise can help his club get more for their players when selling them on.
He said: “Aberdeen can help us because football has changed so much in the last three or four years.
“When Aberdeen are selling players, you are always talking about £500,000 or millions.
“With Ramsay it was Liverpool, so it will be higher.
“When we are selling players we feel we are not getting paid transfer fees that reflect the players’ value.
“I think Aberdeen with their experience in dealing with bigger clubs and larger transfer sums will help us in negotiating transfer fees that are closer to what we feel is fair value.”
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A successful first day in ATL. pic.twitter.com/woO5JvOVdC
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) November 16, 2022
Both clubs planning a new stadium
There is a synergy between the clubs in that they both plan to build new stadiums.
KR Reykjavik have been playing at their own ground, KR-völlur (KR Field) since 1984.
They have ambitious plans to construct a new 5,000-seater stadium to be completed by 2025.
In 2019, the Dons received permission for a stadium next to their Kingsford training complex.
However, Aberdeen City Council then proposed plans to include the new stadium in a facility near the beach.
Proposals for the new stadium on the beachfront were backed by fans in a club survey.
Of the 6,500 who responded, 92% supported the revised beach location.
A new Aberdeen stadium will cost £80m and the earliest it can be delivered would be 2027.
Kristjánsson said: “We are also starting to build a new stadium and Aberdeen are also planning a new stadium.
“What we need on a new football stadium, Aberdeen can probably help us.
“We are going to build at intervals, starting in January.
“I hope we will have the new stadium in the next three years.
“That will be 5,000 seats.”
Aberdeen coaches trained 120 youngsters in Iceland
Aberdeen sent coaches to Reykjavik to train more than 100 youngsters last month.
The KR Reykjavik chairman hopes young boys and girls can travel to the Granite City next summer to train at Cormack Park.
Kristjánsson said: “I hope Aberdeen’s commercial stuff can make us make this club better on marketing, social media and to boost our game day experience both on the men’s and women’s side.
“We recently had a football school for boys and girls which was overseen by two coaches (Liam McGarry and Stuart Duff) from the Aberdeen academy.
“There were 120 kids in the football school for three days.
“We also hope that next summer we can send our kids across and they can train at Cormack Park training ground and visit the club.”
Skráning hafin inn á Sportabler https://t.co/rM5zgHHDsJ pic.twitter.com/zfXRQ2vzle
— KR Reykjavik FC (@KRreykjavik) October 14, 2022
KR open to friendly game with Aberdeen
Aberdeen are currently in Atlanta for a week-long training camp.
They beat an XI from Atlanta United, the club’s strategic partners, 1-0 in a friendly at their $60m training complex
KR Reykjavik are open to a friendly in Iceland or Scotland.
“We would love to come to Aberdeen and they would always be welcome to visit us,” said Kristjánsson.
“We are summer league in Iceland, so our pre-season is February and March where we go to America or Spain.
“At that time it is pretty cold in Aberdeen.
“Aberdeen could come to Iceland and visit us – we would be happy to play a friendly.”
Read the first three instalments of our Aberlanta and Beyond series here:
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