If New York and London have been on your travel wishlist for long, then good news awaits you.&nbsp;

Iceland's WOW air will soon launch its service in India with direct flights from Delhi to North America and Europe.

According to reports, the airline is expected to start its service in India by the end of this year. One-way travel to countries like the US may cost as low as low as Rs 13,000.

Skúli Mogensen, chief executive officer and founder of WOW air, noted India's aviation growth to be in sync with the launch of WOW air services.

The airline is likely to get operational in India with Airbus A-330 neos offering trips to North America and Europe at affordable prices.&nbsp;

Delhi will be the first city from where the airline will initially start its operations later expanding to other Indian cities.

There will be five direct flights in a week between India and Iceland that will then connect to destinations across North America and Europe.&nbsp;

The airline plans to launch with a base fare of Rs 13,500, however, the overall fare, including the check-in baggage, meal charges, taxes, among other charges, is likely to amount to Rs 30,000. Fares will also depend on the surge in demand and seasonality.

The airline offers four fare classes -- Wow basic,&nbsp;Wow plus, Wow comfy and Wow premium. Flying to North America from India will take around 20 hours via Iceland.&nbsp;

At present, WOW airline flies to around 15 cities in the United States and around 39 destinations across North America and Europe.

WOW air carrier will have 365 seats in total, 42 will be reserved for the Premium class.

&nbsp;

Flights will be operational between North America, Europe and India via Iceland

If New York and London have been on your travel wishlist for long, then good news awaits you. Iceland's WOW air will soon launch its service in India with direct flights from Delhi to North America and Europe. According to reports, the airline is expected to start its service in India by the end of this year. One-way travel to countries like the US may cost as low as low as Rs 13,000. Skúli Mogensen, chief executive officer and founder of WOW air, noted India's aviation growth to be in sync with the launch of WOW air services. The airline is likely to get operational in India with Airbus A-330 neos offering trips to North America and Europe at affordable prices. Delhi will be the first city from where the airline will initially start its operations later expanding to other Indian cities. There will be five direct flights in a week between India and Iceland that will then connect to destinations across North America and Europe. The airline plans to launch with a base fare of Rs 13,500, however, the overall fare, including the check-in baggage, meal charges, taxes, among other charges, is likely to amount to Rs 30,000. Fares will also depend on the surge in demand and seasonality. The airline offers four fare classes -- Wow basic, Wow plus, Wow comfy and Wow premium. Flying to North America from India will take around 20 hours via Iceland. At present, WOW airline flies to around 15 cities in the United States and around 39 destinations across North America and Europe. WOW air carrier will have 365 seats in total, 42 will be reserved for the Premium class.

Flying to US may get as cheap as Rs 13,000, thanks to Iceland’s WOW air

The mega event hosted by Russia will be keenly followed by thousands of fans around the world

FIFA 2018: All you need to know about 21st edition of football World Cup

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend India's&nbsp;first ever summit with five Nordic countries on April 17.

The five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will be looking to give fresh impetus to their ties with India.

PM Modi will meet the leaders of the five countries to discuss a range of global issues including trade, investment and environment.

India is co-hosting the summit with Sweden and therefore PM Modi will be received by the king of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and members of business community in Sweden.

India’s trade with Sweden is around 1.8 billion dollars every year and over 170 Swedish companies have invested some 1.4 billion dollars in India over the past two decades. Sweden’s flagship IKEA has just entered the Indian market introducing its unique lifestyle brand to the country. The multinational group is said to be looking at empowering the female workforce in India.

Another almost ritualistic event for PM Modi is to meet the local Indian community. Indians in Sweden feel India can gain from Sweden’s environmental drive, technology and culture.

In 2016-17 alone, India’s trade with the region was of 5.3 billion dollars, while foreign direct investment was of 2.5 billion dollars. The Nordic countries indeed have globally recognised strengths in clean technologies, environmental solutions, port modernisation, food processing, health, agriculture infrastructure, skill development and innovation, which constitutes India's top priorities.

The Summit places India as the point of interest for the five nations.

The five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will be looking to give fresh impetus to their ties with India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend India's first ever summit with five Nordic countries on April 17. The five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will be looking to give fresh impetus to their ties with India. PM Modi will meet the leaders of the five countries to discuss a range of global issues including trade, investment and environment. India is co-hosting the summit with Sweden and therefore PM Modi will be received by the king of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and members of business community in Sweden. India’s trade with Sweden is around 1.8 billion dollars every year and over 170 Swedish companies have invested some 1.4 billion dollars in India over the past two decades. Sweden’s flagship IKEA has just entered the Indian market introducing its unique lifestyle brand to the country. The multinational group is said to be looking at empowering the female workforce in India. Another almost ritualistic event for PM Modi is to meet the local Indian community. Indians in Sweden feel India can gain from Sweden’s environmental drive, technology and culture. In 2016-17 alone, India’s trade with the region was of 5.3 billion dollars, while foreign direct investment was of 2.5 billion dollars. The Nordic countries indeed have globally recognised strengths in clean technologies, environmental solutions, port modernisation, food processing, health, agriculture infrastructure, skill development and innovation, which constitutes India's top priorities. The Summit places India as the point of interest for the five nations.

First India-Nordic countries summit: India co-hosting summit with Sweden

Iceland the made history as with a population of 334,252, they became the smallest nation to reach the World Cup. It is their debut for the World Cup and they avenged the heartbreak of missing Brazil 2014 by reaching Russia 2018.

Their brilliant performance at Euro Cup 2016 and Iceland&#39;s remarkable rise has been rewarded as they surprised everyone by qualifying for the World Cup along with some big guns like Germany, France, Spain&nbsp;from Europe.

They reached the quarter-finals of Euro Cup having beaten England by 2-1 that&nbsp;made Roy Hodgson quit as England manager after the&nbsp;humiliating defeat.

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Sigurdsson also set up the second for Johann Gudmundsson midway through the second half as Iceland completed the campaign by winning their final three games without conceding a goal. (AFP)
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Gylfi Sigurdsson played an integral role in Iceland reaching Russia 2018. He was named Icelandic Player of the Year for continuous five seasons. In an interview, he mentioned, &quot;We&rsquo;re looking forward to seeing the thunderclap in Russia&rdquo;.

Iceland supporters performing the &#39;thunderclap&#39; is an extraordinary sight. A noisy and visually spectacular display of synchronicity and passion, it has the ability to give those watching &ndash; and those taking part &ndash; goosebumps.

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Now they have been placed in group D and will play their first match against Argentina and rest other games with Croatia and Nigeria. They were drawn out of Pot 3.

Iceland currently stands in 21st place in the official FIFA rankings.

Iceland&#39;s journey has been a dream run from the Euro Cup to the World Cup but even Panama is set to make their World Cup bow.&nbsp;World Cup 2018 might be dazzling for the first timers but it is&nbsp;very difficult to predict the first match of group D which is between Argentina and Iceland.

Even mediocre nations are ready to take eeryone by surprise in the&nbsp;World Cup 2018.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, "We?re looking forward to seeing the thunderclap in Russia?

Iceland the made history as with a population of 334,252, they became the smallest nation to reach the World Cup. It is their debut for the World Cup and they avenged the heartbreak of missing Brazil 2014 by reaching Russia 2018. Their brilliant performance at Euro Cup 2016 and Iceland's remarkable rise has been rewarded as they surprised everyone by qualifying for the World Cup along with some big guns like Germany, France, Spain from Europe. They reached the quarter-finals of Euro Cup having beaten England by 2-1 that made Roy Hodgson quit as England manager after the humiliating defeat. Sigurdsson also set up the second for Johann Gudmundsson midway through the second half as Iceland completed the campaign by winning their final three games without conceding a goal. (AFP) × Gylfi Sigurdsson played an integral role in Iceland reaching Russia 2018. He was named Icelandic Player of the Year for continuous five seasons. In an interview, he mentioned, "We’re looking forward to seeing the thunderclap in Russia”. Iceland supporters performing the 'thunderclap' is an extraordinary sight. A noisy and visually spectacular display of synchronicity and passion, it has the ability to give those watching – and those taking part – goosebumps. × Now they have been placed in group D and will play their first match against Argentina and rest other games with Croatia and Nigeria. They were drawn out of Pot 3. Iceland currently stands in 21st place in the official FIFA rankings. Iceland's journey has been a dream run from the Euro Cup to the World Cup but even Panama is set to make their World Cup bow. World Cup 2018 might be dazzling for the first timers but it is very difficult to predict the first match of group D which is between Argentina and Iceland. Even mediocre nations are ready to take eeryone by surprise in the World Cup 2018.

A dream run for Iceland, its time for 'Viking war chant'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/live-fifa-world-cup-2018-draw-587">Imagine a country with&nbsp;less than 4 million population</a> which has little land space and fewer facilities and to top it all is almost always covered in snow, just made it to the World Cup final in Russia. 
&nbsp; 
This is Iceland and if you are surprised how it made it to the world&rsquo;s biggest football stage in Russia, look no further than Euro 2016 when eleven brave Icelanders ejected Wayne Rooney&rsquo;s England from the European stage.

England&rsquo;s former coach Roy Hodgson should remember these men very well! 
&nbsp; 
So don&rsquo;t be surprised if they surprise Messi&rsquo;s Argentina in their opening match, just like Italia 90 when Maradona&rsquo;s men were blasted out by Roger Milla&rsquo;s Cameroon. 
&nbsp; 
Gylfi Sigurdsson has played an integral role in Iceland reaching Russia 2018. He was named Icelandic Player of the Year for continuous five seasons. In an interview, he said: &quot;We&rsquo;re looking forward to seeing the thunderclap in Russia&rdquo;. 
&nbsp; 
Iceland supporters performing the &#39;thunderclap&#39; is an extraordinary sight. A noisy and visually spectacular display of synchronicity and passion, it has the ability to give those watching &ndash; and those taking part real-time goosebumps. 
&nbsp; 
Now they have been placed in group D and will play their first match against Argentina and rest other games with Croatia and Nigeria. 
&nbsp; 
Iceland may be ranked 21st in the FIFA rankings but don&rsquo;t measure them by numbers alone, these men are a handful as Messi &amp; Co are sure to find out! 
&nbsp; 
In fact, the story of this World Cup could well be the rise of small nations with Panama, Peru, Egypt heading out against the big guns with Iceland leading the charge. 
&nbsp; 
Big countries &ndash; India and China who have invested several hundred crores in football from India&rsquo;s ISL and China&rsquo;s lucrative football league should take a few lessons on how Iceland and other small nations have used their resources to emerge on the world stage.

Sometimes money is not the only factor which counts &ndash; especially in football, because the beautiful game belongs to men of passion and Iceland has it in them to prevail in Russia next year.

Sometimes money is not the only factor which counts ? especially in football

Imagine a country with less than 4 million population which has little land space and fewer facilities and to top it all is almost always covered in snow, just made it to the World Cup final in Russia. This is Iceland and if you are surprised how it made it to the world’s biggest football stage in Russia, look no further than Euro 2016 when eleven brave Icelanders ejected Wayne Rooney’s England from the European stage. England’s former coach Roy Hodgson should remember these men very well! So don’t be surprised if they surprise Messi’s Argentina in their opening match, just like Italia 90 when Maradona’s men were blasted out by Roger Milla’s Cameroon. Gylfi Sigurdsson has played an integral role in Iceland reaching Russia 2018. He was named Icelandic Player of the Year for continuous five seasons. In an interview, he said: "We’re looking forward to seeing the thunderclap in Russia”. Iceland supporters performing the 'thunderclap' is an extraordinary sight. A noisy and visually spectacular display of synchronicity and passion, it has the ability to give those watching – and those taking part real-time goosebumps. Now they have been placed in group D and will play their first match against Argentina and rest other games with Croatia and Nigeria. Iceland may be ranked 21st in the FIFA rankings but don’t measure them by numbers alone, these men are a handful as Messi & Co are sure to find out! In fact, the story of this World Cup could well be the rise of small nations with Panama, Peru, Egypt heading out against the big guns with Iceland leading the charge. Big countries – India and China who have invested several hundred crores in football from India’s ISL and China’s lucrative football league should take a few lessons on how Iceland and other small nations have used their resources to emerge on the world stage. Sometimes money is not the only factor which counts – especially in football, because the beautiful game belongs to men of passion and Iceland has it in them to prevail in Russia next year.

World Cup 2018: India, China should take a lesson from Iceland

Iceland is on course to form a three-party coalition, the president said Tuesday after tasking the leader of the Left-Green Movement with building a government for the second time in a month after a failed first round of talks.

&quot;Katrin Jakobsdottir has received a new mandate today and will become, if possible, the future prime minister of a new government,&quot; President Gudni Johannesson told reporters in Reykjavik after meeting the 41-year-old leader.&nbsp;

He said Jakobsdottir, former prime minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the conservative Independence Party and Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, leader of the centre-right Progressive Party, were &quot;on track&quot; to reach an agreement on forming a government.

&quot;I&#39;m very excited for this future government and I&#39;m sure it&#39;s good for the prosperity of the nation and for society as a whole,&quot; said Jakobsdottir, who would become the nation&#39;s second woman prime minister.&nbsp;

Icelandic media reports said the new coalition could be formed by the end of the week. &nbsp;

Growing public distrust of the elite in recent years has spawned several anti-establishment parties, splintering the political landscape and making it increasingly difficult to form a stable government.

Under the Icelandic system, the president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, usually tasks the leader of the biggest party with putting a government together.&nbsp;

But the Independence Party, which won the most seats in the October 28 election, and Benediktsson have been embroiled in a series of political scandals that have damaged their image.&nbsp;

Left-Green Movement, which came second in the election, the Social Democratic Alliance and the anti-establishment Pirate party failed in their bid to form a government earlier this month.&nbsp;

Jakobsdottir, whose image as a humble and honest politician has earned her popularity, has promised to make sure Iceland&#39;s economic prosperity, triggered by booming tourism, leads to a boost in public spending on health and education.

Iceland is on course to form a three-party coalition, the president said Tuesday after tasking the leader of the Left-Green Movement with building a government for the second time in a month after a failed first round of talks

Iceland is on course to form a three-party coalition, the president said Tuesday after tasking the leader of the Left-Green Movement with building a government for the second time in a month after a failed first round of talks. "Katrin Jakobsdottir has received a new mandate today and will become, if possible, the future prime minister of a new government," President Gudni Johannesson told reporters in Reykjavik after meeting the 41-year-old leader. He said Jakobsdottir, former prime minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the conservative Independence Party and Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, leader of the centre-right Progressive Party, were "on track" to reach an agreement on forming a government. "I'm very excited for this future government and I'm sure it's good for the prosperity of the nation and for society as a whole," said Jakobsdottir, who would become the nation's second woman prime minister. Icelandic media reports said the new coalition could be formed by the end of the week. Growing public distrust of the elite in recent years has spawned several anti-establishment parties, splintering the political landscape and making it increasingly difficult to form a stable government. Under the Icelandic system, the president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, usually tasks the leader of the biggest party with putting a government together. But the Independence Party, which won the most seats in the October 28 election, and Benediktsson have been embroiled in a series of political scandals that have damaged their image. Left-Green Movement, which came second in the election, the Social Democratic Alliance and the anti-establishment Pirate party failed in their bid to form a government earlier this month. Jakobsdottir, whose image as a humble and honest politician has earned her popularity, has promised to make sure Iceland's economic prosperity, triggered by booming tourism, leads to a boost in public spending on health and education.

Iceland on track to form new government after vote

The government in Iceland has collapsed after outrage and protest arose against Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson.

Protests erupted after it was found that he was trying to hide his father&#39;s attempt at recommending a letter&nbsp;for a pedophile convict.

Benedikt Sveinsson, father of prime minister was involved in recommending a pardon letter for a convicted child rapist, Hjalti Sigurjon Hauksson, The Washington Post reported.

He had been convicted in 2004.

The Washington Post states that Hauksson raped his granddaughter for almost 12 years, which he started when she was five years old.&nbsp;

The convict was imprisoned for six years and was released on &quot;restored honour&quot; last August.

&quot;Restored Honour&quot; is a legal status from the old Icelandic law that lets criminals free and gives them an opportunity to serve in the public office or work as an attorney. The criminals are freed after they get three letters of recommendation speaking of their good character.

The victim has described the grant of pardon to the rapist as &quot;surreal&quot;. She also said that Hauksson continues to harass her through text messages and phone calls, The Reykjav&iacute;k Grapevine reported.

Benediktsson allegedly learned about his father&#39;s letter in July. The letter, however, was disclosed a few days back only after the government was forced by a parliamentary committee.&nbsp;

Benediktsson called for Snap election after the party fell from its majority.

One party from the ruling coalition quit the government after the outrage that arose against&nbsp;prime minister due to his father&#39;s recommending pardon for a pedophile convict.

He said:&nbsp;&ldquo;We have lost the majority, and I don&rsquo;t see anything that indicates we can regain that, I am calling an election.&rdquo; Reuters reported.

Benediktsson is quite certain that he may return to power again after the elections that are scheduled to be held on October 28.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The government in Iceland has collapsed after outrage and protest arose against the prime minister Bjarni Benediktsson

The government in Iceland has collapsed after outrage and protest arose against Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson. Protests erupted after it was found that he was trying to hide his father's attempt at recommending a letter for a pedophile convict. Benedikt Sveinsson, father of prime minister was involved in recommending a pardon letter for a convicted child rapist, Hjalti Sigurjon Hauksson, The Washington Post reported. He had been convicted in 2004. The Washington Post states that Hauksson raped his granddaughter for almost 12 years, which he started when she was five years old. The convict was imprisoned for six years and was released on "restored honour" last August. "Restored Honour" is a legal status from the old Icelandic law that lets criminals free and gives them an opportunity to serve in the public office or work as an attorney. The criminals are freed after they get three letters of recommendation speaking of their good character. The victim has described the grant of pardon to the rapist as "surreal". She also said that Hauksson continues to harass her through text messages and phone calls, The Reykjavík Grapevine reported. Benediktsson allegedly learned about his father's letter in July. The letter, however, was disclosed a few days back only after the government was forced by a parliamentary committee. Benediktsson called for Snap election after the party fell from its majority. One party from the ruling coalition quit the government after the outrage that arose against prime minister due to his father's recommending pardon for a pedophile convict. He said: “We have lost the majority, and I don’t see anything that indicates we can regain that, I am calling an election.” Reuters reported. Benediktsson is quite certain that he may return to power again after the elections that are scheduled to be held on October 28.

Iceland government falls over PM Benediktsson father's links with pedophile

Russia denied a report that suggested US President-elect Donald Trump was planning to hold a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on his first foreign trip shortly after taking office.

&quot;There have not been talks about a meeting yet,&quot; the Kremlin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA, in response to the Sunday Times report that was published on January 15.

The UK-based newspaper had said Trump was seeking to &quot;reset&quot; relations with the Kremlin, with Iceland the likely venue, emulating Ronald Reagan&#39;s Reykjavik meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 during the height of Cold War, the newspaper said, citing unnamed British officials.

Trump, who will be inaugurated on Friday (January 20), is planning to work on a deal limiting nuclear weapons as part of his bid to recalibrate relations between the two powers, the report went on to say.

Even Iceland said it was not aware of such plans but was willing to host a summit to help improve relations between Washington and Moscow.

&quot;The Icelandic government has not received a query with regards to this,&quot; Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson said in reply to a question from the mbl.is news website.

&quot;If officials in Washington DC make a formal request for the Icelandic government to organise a summit in Reykjavik we will look at it positively and make this our input to improve relations between the US and Russia, remember the summit at Hofdi house in 1986,&quot; he said.

Trump has expressed admiration for Putin, and only reluctantly accepted US intelligence&#39;s conclusion that hackers acting on the Russian strongman&#39;s authority interfered in the US elections.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Friday, Trump hinted that he may lift sanctions imposed on Russia over Moscow&#39;s alleged cyberattacks if Russia helps the US on key goals such as fighting jihadist groups.

(Agencies) 
&nbsp;

The UK-based Sunday Times had reported the US president-elect wanted to meet Putin to 'reset' relations with Russia

Russia denied a report that suggested US President-elect Donald Trump was planning to hold a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on his first foreign trip shortly after taking office. "There have not been talks about a meeting yet," the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA, in response to the Sunday Times report that was published on January 15. The UK-based newspaper had said Trump was seeking to "reset" relations with the Kremlin, with Iceland the likely venue, emulating Ronald Reagan's Reykjavik meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 during the height of Cold War, the newspaper said, citing unnamed British officials. Trump, who will be inaugurated on Friday (January 20), is planning to work on a deal limiting nuclear weapons as part of his bid to recalibrate relations between the two powers, the report went on to say. Even Iceland said it was not aware of such plans but was willing to host a summit to help improve relations between Washington and Moscow. "The Icelandic government has not received a query with regards to this," Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson said in reply to a question from the mbl.is news website. "If officials in Washington DC make a formal request for the Icelandic government to organise a summit in Reykjavik we will look at it positively and make this our input to improve relations between the US and Russia, remember the summit at Hofdi house in 1986," he said. Trump has expressed admiration for Putin, and only reluctantly accepted US intelligence's conclusion that hackers acting on the Russian strongman's authority interfered in the US elections. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Friday, Trump hinted that he may lift sanctions imposed on Russia over Moscow's alleged cyberattacks if Russia helps the US on key goals such as fighting jihadist groups. (Agencies)

Russia denies report about Trump, Putin meeting in Iceland

Iceland&#39;s prime minister resigned on Sunday after a snap vote in which no party won a majority, paving the way for intense negotiations over the next government.

&quot;This was in accordance with the constitution, to hand in my resignation and then be asked to stay in office until a new government has been formed,&quot; Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson of the centrist Progressive Party, told a news conference in Reykjavik.

(AFP)

The decision came after a snap vote in which no party won a majority

Iceland's prime minister resigned on Sunday after a snap vote in which no party won a majority, paving the way for intense negotiations over the next government. "This was in accordance with the constitution, to hand in my resignation and then be asked to stay in office until a new government has been formed," Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson of the centrist Progressive Party, told a news conference in Reykjavik. (AFP)

Iceland prime minister resigns

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. 
 
Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not sure life can get any better, it&#39;s historic, great to be here,&quot; Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city.&nbsp;&quot;All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe&#39;s party!&quot; said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. 
 
Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island&#39;s 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. 
 
&quot;We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience,&quot; said Ragnarsdottir. 
 
After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port district to chant &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo!&quot;, leaping in unison on the &quot;Hoooo!&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying,&quot; laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. 
 
&quot;But we don&#39;t mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Iceland is N-Iceland!&quot; cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Best fans yet&#39; 
 
&quot;They are the best fans we have seen yet,&quot; said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. &quot;It was different last week,&quot; he recalled. 
 
Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. 
 
For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. 
 
&quot;We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we&#39;re just not into fighting,&quot; Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. &quot;At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble.&quot; 
 
The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. 
 
&quot;Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Share the love&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love,&quot; said his friend Daniel Ma&#39;sson. 
 
Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. 
 
All the tension was on the other side of the pitch,&quot; Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. 
 
&quot;The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else.&quot; 
 
Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo&quot;. 
 
And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal on their European Championships debut. 
 
Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. 
 
&quot;The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat,&quot; said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. 
 
But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re the small guys, always overlooked,&quot; said Hdortur Bjarnason. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!&quot; he said, punching the air. 
(AFP)

Almost 10% of all Icelanders have come to their first-ever European Championships to have fun

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. "I'm not sure life can get any better, it's historic, great to be here," Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city. "All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe's party!" said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island's 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. "We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience," said Ragnarsdottir. After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille's Vieux Port district to chant "Boom-Boom-Hoooo!", leaping in unison on the "Hoooo!". "It's our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying," laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. "But we don't mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace," he said. "Iceland is N-Iceland!" cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 'Best fans yet' "They are the best fans we have seen yet," said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. "It was different last week," he recalled. Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. "We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we're just not into fighting," Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. "At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble." The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. "Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see," he said. 'Share the love' "We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love," said his friend Daniel Ma'sson. Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. All the tension was on the other side of the pitch," Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. "The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else." Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of "Boom-Boom-Hoooo". And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on their European Championships debut. Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. "The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat," said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. "We're the small guys, always overlooked," said Hdortur Bjarnason. "It's just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!" he said, punching the air. (AFP)

'Nice' Iceland fans prefer hugs to hooliganism

Iceland snatched a stoppage-time winner to continue their fairytale story at Euro 2016 by making it through to the last 16 after a deserved 2-1 victory against Austria in their final Group F match on Wednesday. 
 
Iceland end their section second with five points. Austria go out with one point. 
 
In humid conditions at the Stade de France, the icelanders had the better chances in the early stages, taking the lead in the 18th minute when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coolly steered the ball home after a flick-on in the box. 
 
Austria, who missed a penalty in the first half and laid siege to Iceland&#39;s goal in the second, gave themselves hope when Alessandro Schopf scored in the 60th minute, but Arnor Traustason secured the win in stoppage time. 
 
(Reuters)

The smallest country to qualify for a European Championship, Iceland, continues their fairy tale run

Iceland snatched a stoppage-time winner to continue their fairytale story at Euro 2016 by making it through to the last 16 after a deserved 2-1 victory against Austria in their final Group F match on Wednesday. Iceland end their section second with five points. Austria go out with one point. In humid conditions at the Stade de France, the icelanders had the better chances in the early stages, taking the lead in the 18th minute when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coolly steered the ball home after a flick-on in the box. Austria, who missed a penalty in the first half and laid siege to Iceland's goal in the second, gave themselves hope when Alessandro Schopf scored in the 60th minute, but Arnor Traustason secured the win in stoppage time. (Reuters)

Iceland advance to last 16 after 2-1 win against Austria

France must take the game to Iceland right from the start of their European Championship quarter-final on Sunday or their dream of glory on home soil might end up buried in volcanic ash. 
 
The hosts, who have often had to rely on late rallies, with all of their six goals so far scored in the second half, must wake up early for a change to avoid becoming the next casualties of a tiny country with a heart the size of a continent. 
 
The smallest nation ever to appear at a major soccer event, Iceland reached the last eight with a shock 2-1 win over England and are now dreaming for a fairytale ending to their run, not unlike that of English club Leicester City, who stunned the soccer world by claiming the Premier League title last season. 
 
&quot;I think I would like it to end like it ended with Leicester City,&quot; Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson told reporters. &quot;They played on their strengths and we are trying to play on ours. There is the same team spirit in both teams. We are willing to work for each other.&quot; 
 
Iceland, a nation of 330,000 people known for its volcanoes, could also take inspiration from Denmark and Greece, who relied on a similar, defensive approach when they came out of nowhere to become European champions, in 1992 and 2004 respectively. 
 
Courtesy of England, who looked clueless after finding themselves trailing Iceland 2-1 less than 20 minutes into their game, France know exactly what they must not do. 
 
&quot;Our opening minutes are very bad, we must improve in that department because we&#39;re not going to get away with it every time,&quot; said striker Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice to give France a 2-1 win over Ireland in the last 16. 
 
 
Not just rough 
 
As physical and tight at the back as they may be, Iceland should not be discarded as just another bunch of rough minnows with limited skills, warned France defender Patrice Evra. 
 
&quot;People go on about long throws and all that but Iceland are not just that,&quot; said the veteran left back. &quot;They&#39;re a good team who can play good football and they did not get to that stage by accident.&quot; 
 
France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his team since the start of the tournament, will be forced to rejig once again with centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante suspended. 
 
New Barcelona signing Samuel Umtiti should step in for Rami, who will not be sorely missed after looking shaky a times, with the experienced Yohan Cabaye taking over Kante&#39;s crucial role in front of the defence. 
 
Iceland are likely to stick to their resolute 4-4-2 system with now familiar players such as bearded, tattooed midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who carries off the rugged Viking look to perfection and plays his club football in the second tier of the English league with Cardiff City. 
 
In goal will stand Hannes Halldorsson, a former film director who shot the video for Iceland&#39;s 2012 Eurovision song contest entry and became a full-time professional only in 2014.&nbsp; 
 
France, whose much more expensive talent will be tested on the Stade de France pitch, can at least rely on home advantage in their bid to set up a more tradiional battle against Germany or Italy for a place in the final. 
 
&quot;We certainly do not underestimate Iceland but we belong to the best sides in Europe, we&#39;re among the favourites and we&#39;re at home,&quot; said right-back Bacary Sagna. 
 
(Reuters)

All of their six goals have so far been scored in the second half

France must take the game to Iceland right from the start of their European Championship quarter-final on Sunday or their dream of glory on home soil might end up buried in volcanic ash. The hosts, who have often had to rely on late rallies, with all of their six goals so far scored in the second half, must wake up early for a change to avoid becoming the next casualties of a tiny country with a heart the size of a continent. The smallest nation ever to appear at a major soccer event, Iceland reached the last eight with a shock 2-1 win over England and are now dreaming for a fairytale ending to their run, not unlike that of English club Leicester City, who stunned the soccer world by claiming the Premier League title last season. "I think I would like it to end like it ended with Leicester City," Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson told reporters. "They played on their strengths and we are trying to play on ours. There is the same team spirit in both teams. We are willing to work for each other." Iceland, a nation of 330,000 people known for its volcanoes, could also take inspiration from Denmark and Greece, who relied on a similar, defensive approach when they came out of nowhere to become European champions, in 1992 and 2004 respectively. Courtesy of England, who looked clueless after finding themselves trailing Iceland 2-1 less than 20 minutes into their game, France know exactly what they must not do. "Our opening minutes are very bad, we must improve in that department because we're not going to get away with it every time," said striker Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice to give France a 2-1 win over Ireland in the last 16. Not just rough As physical and tight at the back as they may be, Iceland should not be discarded as just another bunch of rough minnows with limited skills, warned France defender Patrice Evra. "People go on about long throws and all that but Iceland are not just that," said the veteran left back. "They're a good team who can play good football and they did not get to that stage by accident." France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his team since the start of the tournament, will be forced to rejig once again with centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N'Golo Kante suspended. New Barcelona signing Samuel Umtiti should step in for Rami, who will not be sorely missed after looking shaky a times, with the experienced Yohan Cabaye taking over Kante's crucial role in front of the defence. Iceland are likely to stick to their resolute 4-4-2 system with now familiar players such as bearded, tattooed midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who carries off the rugged Viking look to perfection and plays his club football in the second tier of the English league with Cardiff City. In goal will stand Hannes Halldorsson, a former film director who shot the video for Iceland's 2012 Eurovision song contest entry and became a full-time professional only in 2014. France, whose much more expensive talent will be tested on the Stade de France pitch, can at least rely on home advantage in their bid to set up a more tradiional battle against Germany or Italy for a place in the final. "We certainly do not underestimate Iceland but we belong to the best sides in Europe, we're among the favourites and we're at home," said right-back Bacary Sagna. (Reuters)

France will have to take the game to Iceland, right from the start

France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England&#39;s example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. 
 
&quot;We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths,&quot; Payet said, after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. &quot;That is what allowed us to win tonight.&quot; 
 
Payet also praised his understanding with Antoine Griezmann, now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Atletico Madrid striker set up Payet for his goal. 
 
&quot;It is a joy to link up with a player like that. We don&#39;t tread on each other&#39;s toes.&quot; He said Griezmann&#39;s pass for his goal had been &quot;a gift&quot;. 
 
Payet said France had to ignore Germany&#39;s injury problems going into the semi-final on Thursday. 
 
&quot;What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight.&quot; 
 
Two goal man-of-the match Olivier Giroud said his side would be out to avenge their 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany. France lost the game in Brazil 1-0. 
 
&quot;It will be a completely different match, they&#39;re the world champions and often in the last four of major tournaments,&quot; said Giroud. 
 
&quot;It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup.&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we&#39;ll come out once again with the right result.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

5-2 quarter-final win over the underdogs was because the French team worked on their opponent's weaknesses and strengths, said Payet

France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England's example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. "We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths," Payet said, after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. "That is what allowed us to win tonight." Payet also praised his understanding with Antoine Griezmann, now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Atletico Madrid striker set up Payet for his goal. "It is a joy to link up with a player like that. We don't tread on each other's toes." He said Griezmann's pass for his goal had been "a gift". Payet said France had to ignore Germany's injury problems going into the semi-final on Thursday. "What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight." Two goal man-of-the match Olivier Giroud said his side would be out to avenge their 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany. France lost the game in Brazil 1-0. "It will be a completely different match, they're the world champions and often in the last four of major tournaments," said Giroud. "It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup." "I'm very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we'll come out once again with the right result." (AFP)

France did reconnaissance on Iceland marauders: Payet

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. 
 
Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal&#39;s 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. 
 
In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. 
 
Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. 
 
Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. 
 
UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. 
(AFP)

A fan ran on to the pitch after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria in Paris and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. (AFP)

UEFA opens disciplinary probes against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium

<div style="text-align: justify;">Iceland defender Kari Arnason has responded angrily to Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s &quot;small mentality&quot; jibe after the 1-1 draw with Portugal at Euro 2016, saying that the Real Madrid star was no Lionel Messi. 
 
A visibly frustrated Ronaldo was furious at the defensive tactics of Iceland, the smallest country at the tournament, after Tuesday&#39;s Group F clash. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a fantastic footballer, but he&#39;s not a gracious human being,&quot; Arnason was quoted as saying on The Guardian&#39;s website (www.theguardian.com). 
 
&quot;Obviously we&rsquo;re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn&rsquo;t expect Messi to say that. It shows we got under his skin.&quot; 
 
The defender added: &quot;It was lovely to hear that.&quot; 
 
Iceland take on Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday, before ending their group stage campaign against Austria on June 22. 
 
(Reuters)</div>

Cristiano Ronaldo added: "It was lovely to hear that"

Iceland defender Kari Arnason has responded angrily to Cristiano Ronaldo's "small mentality" jibe after the 1-1 draw with Portugal at Euro 2016, saying that the Real Madrid star was no Lionel Messi. A visibly frustrated Ronaldo was furious at the defensive tactics of Iceland, the smallest country at the tournament, after Tuesday's Group F clash. "He's a fantastic footballer, but he's not a gracious human being," Arnason was quoted as saying on The Guardian's website (www.theguardian.com). "Obviously we’re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn’t expect Messi to say that. It shows we got under his skin." The defender added: "It was lovely to hear that." Iceland take on Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday, before ending their group stage campaign against Austria on June 22. (Reuters)

Ronaldo is no Messi, counters Iceland's Arnason

Iceland&#39;s footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. 
 
Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow. 
 
Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in the crushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday, said he was happy to be home. 
 
&quot;It was a dream come true to get that support,&quot; he said of the estimated 30,000 fans - some 10 per cent of the population - who followed the nation to France. 
 
&quot;We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country,&quot; he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud. 
 
The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous huh - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping. 
 
&quot;Fairy tales still exist! It&#39;s rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch,&quot; Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters. 
 
&quot;You are a national treasure!&quot; he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players. 
 
To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the huh watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a &quot;team performance&quot; and confided he felt &quot;at home&quot; whenever he was in Iceland. 
 
Many present had also followed the team to France. &quot;They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes,&quot; said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m just so proud!&quot; added Sverrir Gardarsson. &quot;What will happen next? We will rule the world!&quot; 
 
Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France. 
 
(AFP)

The team plane landed at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water

Iceland's footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow. Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in the crushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday, said he was happy to be home. "It was a dream come true to get that support," he said of the estimated 30,000 fans - some 10 per cent of the population - who followed the nation to France. "We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country," he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud. The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous huh - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping. "Fairy tales still exist! It's rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch," Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters. "You are a national treasure!" he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players. To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the huh watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a "team performance" and confided he felt "at home" whenever he was in Iceland. Many present had also followed the team to France. "They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes," said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday. "I'm just so proud!" added Sverrir Gardarsson. "What will happen next? We will rule the world!" Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France. (AFP)

Euro 2016: Iceland returns home to cheering crowds and Viking war chants

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. 
 
Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. 
 
Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. 
 
&quot;Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don&#39;t think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player,&quot; Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. 
 
&quot;For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it.&quot; 
 
Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. 
 
&quot;I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher,&quot; Arnason said. 
 
Sigurdsson, added: &quot;We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult.&quot; 
 
Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn&#39;t think they are seen as a weak team any longer. 
 
&quot;In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs,&quot; Bjarnason said. &quot;It doesn&#39;t matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don&#39;t think, I don&#39;t think anyone will underestimate us at this point.&quot; 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. 
 
&quot;We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come,&quot; he said. &quot;And like you were asking, we&#39;re really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let&#39;s hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Iceland have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before beating England by 2-1 on Monday

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. "Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don't think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player," Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. "For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it." Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. "I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher," Arnason said. Sigurdsson, added: "We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult." Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn't think they are seen as a weak team any longer. "In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs," Bjarnason said. "It doesn't matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don't think, I don't think anyone will underestimate us at this point." Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. "We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come," he said. "And like you were asking, we're really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let's hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition." (Reuters)

Iceland gear up for the biggest game in their history

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. 
 
It was a miserable evening for Portugal&#39;s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo&#39;s record of 127 caps for his country. 
 
Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani&#39;s first-half opener. 
 
Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. 
 
&quot;We should have scored more goals but we didn&#39;t and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage,&quot; Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. 
 
&quot;It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. 
 
&quot;Considering today&#39;s results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen,&quot; added Santos. 
 
With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. 
 
A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo&#39;s wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. 
 
They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder&#39;s first effort. 
 
Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland&#39;s back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. 
 
PERFECT CROSS 
 
The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. 
 
Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. 
 
Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. 
 
Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. 
 
It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal&#39;s sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. 
 
Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. 
 
Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker&#39;s stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team&#39;s hopes of reaching the last 16. 
 
&quot;With a win against Hungary we&#39;d probably be almost there and holding the group&#39;s strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It&#39;s difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game,&quot; said Hallgrimsson. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his team, but that was pretty much it

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. It was a miserable evening for Portugal's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his country. Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani's first-half opener. Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. "We should have scored more goals but we didn't and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. "It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. "Considering today's results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen," added Santos. With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo's wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder's first effort. Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland's back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. PERFECT CROSS The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal's sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker's stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team's hopes of reaching the last 16. "With a win against Hungary we'd probably be almost there and holding the group's strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost," he explained. "Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It's difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. "It's really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game," said Hallgrimsson. (Reuters)

Debutants Iceland hold Portugal to shock 1-1 draw

Propelled by an impressive European Championship campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of England, in the FIFA world rankings released today. 
 
Chris Coleman`s charges reached the last four in France in Wales` first major tournament since 1958 and lost to eventual winners Portugal.&nbsp; 
 
England, the 1966 World Cup winners, exited in the round of 16 after a humiliating defeat to Iceland which saw them drop two places to 13th. 
 
Iceland, the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the European Championship, with a population of 330,000, saw their fairytale run end in the quarter-finals but saw their rankings jump 12 places to 22. 
 
There were no changes in the top five rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany and Chile. 
 
Five times World champions Brazil, who failed to progress past the group stages of Copa America for the first time since 1987, are on the brink of dropping out of the top 10, ranked at ninth, ahead of Italy. 
 
European Championship finalists France jumped 10 places to move to 7th, one place behind winners Portugal. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

No changes in top 5 rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Chile

Propelled by an impressive European Championship campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of England, in the FIFA world rankings released today. Chris Coleman`s charges reached the last four in France in Wales` first major tournament since 1958 and lost to eventual winners Portugal. England, the 1966 World Cup winners, exited in the round of 16 after a humiliating defeat to Iceland which saw them drop two places to 13th. Iceland, the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the European Championship, with a population of 330,000, saw their fairytale run end in the quarter-finals but saw their rankings jump 12 places to 22. There were no changes in the top five rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany and Chile. Five times World champions Brazil, who failed to progress past the group stages of Copa America for the first time since 1987, are on the brink of dropping out of the top 10, ranked at ninth, ahead of Italy. European Championship finalists France jumped 10 places to move to 7th, one place behind winners Portugal. (Reuters)

Wales climbs 15 spots, overtakes England in FIFA rankings?

Marco Streng is a miner, though he does not carry a pick around his base in south-west Iceland. Instead, he keeps tens of thousands of computers running 24 hours a day in fierce competition with others across the globe to earn bitcoins. 
 
In the world of the web-based digital currency, it is not central banks that add new money to the system, but rather computers like Streng&#39;s which are awarded fresh bitcoins in return for processing blocks of the latest bitcoin transactions. 
 
Bitcoin can be used to send money instantly around the world, using individual bitcoin addresses, free of charge with no need for third party checks, and is accepted by several major online retailers. 
 
The work Streng&#39;s computers and others do serves two purposes: they record and verify the roughly 225,000 daily bitcoin transactions and, because they earn new bitcoins for the work they do, steadily increase the currency in circulation, worth around $10 billion at present. 
 
The process has come to be known as &#39;mining&#39; because it is slow and intensive, reaping a gradual reward in the same way that minerals such as gold are mined from the ground. 
 
But on Saturday, the reward for miners will be slashed in half. Written into bitcoin&#39;s code when it was invented in 2008 was a rule dictating that the prize would be halved every four years, in a step designed to keep a lid on bitcoin inflation. 
 
From around 1700 GMT on Saturday, instead of 25 bitcoins up for grabs globally every 10 minutes, worth around $16,000 at the current rate, only 12.5 will be available. 
 
That means only the mining companies with the leanest operations will survive the ensuing profit hit. 
 
&quot;The most important thing is to be the most efficient miner,&quot; said Streng, the 26-year-old co-founder of German firm Genesis Mining, which has &quot;mining farms&quot; in Canada, the United States and eastern Europe, as well as in Iceland. &quot;When the others drop out, that means that they leave the market and give you a bigger share of the pie.&quot; 
 
Solving puzzles 
 
The currency was founded eight years ago by a person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto, whose real identity has not been established. It was set up to operate independently of any single authority, instead relying on a decentralised global network. 
 
Because the bitcoin miners operate autonomously, it is hard to track their numbers and size. But in terms of computing capacity, it was estimated earlier this year that the network is 43,000 times more powerful than the world&#39;s top 500 supercomputers combined. 
 
Computers like Streng&#39;s solve complex, automatically generated mathematical puzzles to help secure each block of transactions and keep the bitcoin network safe from hacking or manipulation. For bitcoin users, that security is one of the currency&#39;s main attractions. 
 
After the first miner secures a block of transactions, its work is verified by the other miners in the network, and that block is added to the &quot;blockchain&quot; - a shared record of all the transaction data - which is virtually impossible to tamper with. The mining, therefore, keeps the whole system going. 
 
Bitcoin is now accepted by major organisations including US online retailer Overstock.com and travel company Expedia. 
 
The speed and anonymity of bitcoin transactions, and lack of a central authority overseeing the currency, has drawn in many users, including those who want to get around capital controls. It has also attracted investors who see it as a potentially lucrative commodity in itself. 
 
Keeping cool 
 
Bitcoin mining started out as a hobby for tech geeks using their home computers in the early years of the virtual currency, but has become more specialised as bitcoin usage expands. 
 
As the bitcoin price has risen, as transaction numbers have grown and as the computers have become so specialised that they can only perform the function of bitcoin mining, a whole industry has emerged. 
 
It can be profitable if firms are able to keep their expenses low. But the costs of running these machines, which cost around $1,800 each, and keeping them cool are fiendishly high. 
 
Streng reckons that, on average, it costs about $200 in electricity, including cooling power, to mine one bitcoin. Equipment, rent, wages and business running costs are on top. 
 
On Saturday, all else being equal, the halving of the reward will double that cost, to $400, leaving a small margin for profit at the current exchange rate of around $640 per bitcoin. 
 
In the same remote region of Iceland as the Genesis mining farm, on a former Cold War US military base lies a bitcoin mining facility belonging to US firm Bitfury. A nearby sub-station means electricity transmission costs are minimal. 
 
In the farm&#39;s two vast buildings, tens of thousands of mining machines whir away, producing a huge amount of heat, so the buildings are open to the cold Icelandic air at either side, save for particle filters to trap dust. 
 
Fans in the ceiling allow hot air to escape, but spin so fast that no rain or snow can enter during the winter. The noise produced by computers and fans is deafening. 
 
It is no coincidence that so many mining companies have chosen to build farms in Iceland - Chinese giant Bitmain also has a huge farm there. The volcanic island&#39;s cheap, bountiful, renewable energy supply, good internet connectivity, and cool temperatures make it an ideal location. 
 
The Icelandic authorities welcome the boost to the economy that the bitcoin miners have brought. Bitmain opened its farm after an approach by the Icelandic embassy in Beijing. Genesis&#39;s Streng says he is such a valued client that the Icelandic energy companies fly him around in helicopters. 
 
Bitfury CEO Valery Vavilov, who estimates electricity makes up between 90 and 95 per cent of bitcoin mining costs, says one way his firm stays competitive is by making its own hardware. 
 
He also says the company, founded in 2011, is prepared for the mining reward cut. &quot;We&#39;re prepared - we already went through one halving event in 2012,&quot; he said. &quot;You can forecast this... so you have time to prepare, and if you&#39;re prepared you can live quite easily&quot;. 
 
Vavilov, and other miners, say the prospect of new supply halving has already helped drive bitcoin up over 50 per cent this year, which should help ease the pain. 
 
Competition from China 
 
Despite the fact that the halving was expected, and that the price has risen, it has already claimed one casualty: Sweden&#39;s KnCMiner filed for bankruptcy at the end of May, citing the hit to its profits that the reward cut would bring. 
 
Daniel Masters, who runs a Jersey-based bitcoin hedge fund and who bought a part of KnC&#39;s business, said the Swedish firm, like everybody else, had faced competition from miners in China, which are estimated to make up more than two-thirds of the bitcoin network&#39;s computing power, or &quot;hashpower&quot;. 
 
&quot;It turned out that the Chinese, who really stormed into the mining market in the last couple of years, could just do this whole thing cheaper,&quot; Masters said. 
 
Some Chinese miners get hydroelectric power from disused dams, while others use cheap coal-powered electricity. 
 
Bitfury and Genesis, though, say their lean operations allow them to fight off the competition. Genesis, for example, keeps cost down by remotely monitoring conditions in its mining farms and adjusting its fans and cooling accordingly. 
 
And the next time the mining reward is halved, in 2020, they hope the number of bitcoin transactions will have grown sufficiently to mean that the small fees paid by users will make up enough of their income to smooth out the profit cut. 
 
&quot;By 2020, we will definitely have had the tipping point,&quot; said Bitfury&#39;s Vavilov. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Written into the online currency's code is a rule that the reward for miners gets cut in half every four years to limit inflation

Marco Streng is a miner, though he does not carry a pick around his base in south-west Iceland. Instead, he keeps tens of thousands of computers running 24 hours a day in fierce competition with others across the globe to earn bitcoins. In the world of the web-based digital currency, it is not central banks that add new money to the system, but rather computers like Streng's which are awarded fresh bitcoins in return for processing blocks of the latest bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin can be used to send money instantly around the world, using individual bitcoin addresses, free of charge with no need for third party checks, and is accepted by several major online retailers. The work Streng's computers and others do serves two purposes: they record and verify the roughly 225,000 daily bitcoin transactions and, because they earn new bitcoins for the work they do, steadily increase the currency in circulation, worth around $10 billion at present. The process has come to be known as 'mining' because it is slow and intensive, reaping a gradual reward in the same way that minerals such as gold are mined from the ground. But on Saturday, the reward for miners will be slashed in half. Written into bitcoin's code when it was invented in 2008 was a rule dictating that the prize would be halved every four years, in a step designed to keep a lid on bitcoin inflation. From around 1700 GMT on Saturday, instead of 25 bitcoins up for grabs globally every 10 minutes, worth around $16,000 at the current rate, only 12.5 will be available. That means only the mining companies with the leanest operations will survive the ensuing profit hit. "The most important thing is to be the most efficient miner," said Streng, the 26-year-old co-founder of German firm Genesis Mining, which has "mining farms" in Canada, the United States and eastern Europe, as well as in Iceland. "When the others drop out, that means that they leave the market and give you a bigger share of the pie." Solving puzzles The currency was founded eight years ago by a person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto, whose real identity has not been established. It was set up to operate independently of any single authority, instead relying on a decentralised global network. Because the bitcoin miners operate autonomously, it is hard to track their numbers and size. But in terms of computing capacity, it was estimated earlier this year that the network is 43,000 times more powerful than the world's top 500 supercomputers combined. Computers like Streng's solve complex, automatically generated mathematical puzzles to help secure each block of transactions and keep the bitcoin network safe from hacking or manipulation. For bitcoin users, that security is one of the currency's main attractions. After the first miner secures a block of transactions, its work is verified by the other miners in the network, and that block is added to the "blockchain" - a shared record of all the transaction data - which is virtually impossible to tamper with. The mining, therefore, keeps the whole system going. Bitcoin is now accepted by major organisations including US online retailer Overstock.com and travel company Expedia. The speed and anonymity of bitcoin transactions, and lack of a central authority overseeing the currency, has drawn in many users, including those who want to get around capital controls. It has also attracted investors who see it as a potentially lucrative commodity in itself. Keeping cool Bitcoin mining started out as a hobby for tech geeks using their home computers in the early years of the virtual currency, but has become more specialised as bitcoin usage expands. As the bitcoin price has risen, as transaction numbers have grown and as the computers have become so specialised that they can only perform the function of bitcoin mining, a whole industry has emerged. It can be profitable if firms are able to keep their expenses low. But the costs of running these machines, which cost around $1,800 each, and keeping them cool are fiendishly high. Streng reckons that, on average, it costs about $200 in electricity, including cooling power, to mine one bitcoin. Equipment, rent, wages and business running costs are on top. On Saturday, all else being equal, the halving of the reward will double that cost, to $400, leaving a small margin for profit at the current exchange rate of around $640 per bitcoin. In the same remote region of Iceland as the Genesis mining farm, on a former Cold War US military base lies a bitcoin mining facility belonging to US firm Bitfury. A nearby sub-station means electricity transmission costs are minimal. In the farm's two vast buildings, tens of thousands of mining machines whir away, producing a huge amount of heat, so the buildings are open to the cold Icelandic air at either side, save for particle filters to trap dust. Fans in the ceiling allow hot air to escape, but spin so fast that no rain or snow can enter during the winter. The noise produced by computers and fans is deafening. It is no coincidence that so many mining companies have chosen to build farms in Iceland - Chinese giant Bitmain also has a huge farm there. The volcanic island's cheap, bountiful, renewable energy supply, good internet connectivity, and cool temperatures make it an ideal location. The Icelandic authorities welcome the boost to the economy that the bitcoin miners have brought. Bitmain opened its farm after an approach by the Icelandic embassy in Beijing. Genesis's Streng says he is such a valued client that the Icelandic energy companies fly him around in helicopters. Bitfury CEO Valery Vavilov, who estimates electricity makes up between 90 and 95 per cent of bitcoin mining costs, says one way his firm stays competitive is by making its own hardware. He also says the company, founded in 2011, is prepared for the mining reward cut. "We're prepared - we already went through one halving event in 2012," he said. "You can forecast this... so you have time to prepare, and if you're prepared you can live quite easily". Vavilov, and other miners, say the prospect of new supply halving has already helped drive bitcoin up over 50 per cent this year, which should help ease the pain. Competition from China Despite the fact that the halving was expected, and that the price has risen, it has already claimed one casualty: Sweden's KnCMiner filed for bankruptcy at the end of May, citing the hit to its profits that the reward cut would bring. Daniel Masters, who runs a Jersey-based bitcoin hedge fund and who bought a part of KnC's business, said the Swedish firm, like everybody else, had faced competition from miners in China, which are estimated to make up more than two-thirds of the bitcoin network's computing power, or "hashpower". "It turned out that the Chinese, who really stormed into the mining market in the last couple of years, could just do this whole thing cheaper," Masters said. Some Chinese miners get hydroelectric power from disused dams, while others use cheap coal-powered electricity. Bitfury and Genesis, though, say their lean operations allow them to fight off the competition. Genesis, for example, keeps cost down by remotely monitoring conditions in its mining farms and adjusting its fans and cooling accordingly. And the next time the mining reward is halved, in 2020, they hope the number of bitcoin transactions will have grown sufficiently to mean that the small fees paid by users will make up enough of their income to smooth out the profit cut. "By 2020, we will definitely have had the tipping point," said Bitfury's Vavilov. (Reuters)

Bitcoin 'miners' face fight for survival

England soccer coach Roy Hodgson&#39;s four-year reign came to an abrupt end after their shock 2-1 defeat by tiny Iceland at the Euro 2016 round of 16 stage on Monday. 
 
Hodgson, 68, wasted little time in announcing he was stepping down at the end of his contract when he read a prepared statement at the post-match news conference. 
 
&quot;We are out of the Euros so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players,&quot; said the man who replaced Italian Fabio Capello. 
 
&quot;My contract was always going to be up after this tournament. I would have loved to have stayed on another two years, but now it is time for someone else to take over this group of players,&quot; he added. 
 
Hodgson had good record in qualifiers&nbsp; 
The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington, who sat with Hodgson at the news conference, are also leaving. 
 
The much-travelled Hodgson was handed the post after a club career mostly served in England and Scandinavia and with a spell as Switzerland coach on his CV. Harry Redknapp had been the media favourite for the job but was overlooked by the FA. 
 
Hodgson had a good record in qualifiers, with England enjoying a perfect 10 wins in their section to reach Euro 2016, but he won only three of 11 games at major tournaments. 
 
England reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, losing to Italy on penalties, before a dismal 2014 World Cup where they exited at the group stages without winning a game. 
 
Hodgson paid tribute to his squad on Monday although their poor performance in the defeat by Iceland did not reflect well on players who mostly feature in the Premier League. 
 
&quot;They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them. When I arrived I was told that players would not turn up or pull out at the last minute but I haven&#39;t seen any of that,&quot; said Hodgson. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a fantastic journey, the last four years. I will look back on it with pride. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m sorry it&#39;s ended in another exit but these things happen and I wish you the very best and I hope you can still see an England team in a final of a major tournament very soon, something that we have been unable to deliver.&quot; 
 
FA backs Hodgson&#39;s decision&nbsp; 
The FA issued a statement saying: &quot;Like the nation, we are disappointed to lose this evening and that our run in Euro 2016 has come to a premature end. 
 
&quot;We had high hopes of progressing through to the latter stages of the competition and accept that we have not met our own expectations or those of the country. 
 
&quot;We back Roy Hodgson&rsquo;s decision to step down as England manager and will discuss next steps imminently. 
 
&quot;For now, we congratulate Iceland for reaching the quarter final and wish them well against France at the weekend.&quot; 
 
England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the favourite to take over from Hodgson followed by Crystal Palace&#39;s Alan Pardew. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington are also leaving

England soccer coach Roy Hodgson's four-year reign came to an abrupt end after their shock 2-1 defeat by tiny Iceland at the Euro 2016 round of 16 stage on Monday. Hodgson, 68, wasted little time in announcing he was stepping down at the end of his contract when he read a prepared statement at the post-match news conference. "We are out of the Euros so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players," said the man who replaced Italian Fabio Capello. "My contract was always going to be up after this tournament. I would have loved to have stayed on another two years, but now it is time for someone else to take over this group of players," he added. Hodgson had good record in qualifiers The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington, who sat with Hodgson at the news conference, are also leaving. The much-travelled Hodgson was handed the post after a club career mostly served in England and Scandinavia and with a spell as Switzerland coach on his CV. Harry Redknapp had been the media favourite for the job but was overlooked by the FA. Hodgson had a good record in qualifiers, with England enjoying a perfect 10 wins in their section to reach Euro 2016, but he won only three of 11 games at major tournaments. England reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, losing to Italy on penalties, before a dismal 2014 World Cup where they exited at the group stages without winning a game. Hodgson paid tribute to his squad on Monday although their poor performance in the defeat by Iceland did not reflect well on players who mostly feature in the Premier League. "They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them. When I arrived I was told that players would not turn up or pull out at the last minute but I haven't seen any of that," said Hodgson. "It's been a fantastic journey, the last four years. I will look back on it with pride. "I'm sorry it's ended in another exit but these things happen and I wish you the very best and I hope you can still see an England team in a final of a major tournament very soon, something that we have been unable to deliver." FA backs Hodgson's decision The FA issued a statement saying: "Like the nation, we are disappointed to lose this evening and that our run in Euro 2016 has come to a premature end. "We had high hopes of progressing through to the latter stages of the competition and accept that we have not met our own expectations or those of the country. "We back Roy Hodgson’s decision to step down as England manager and will discuss next steps imminently. "For now, we congratulate Iceland for reaching the quarter final and wish them well against France at the weekend." England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the favourite to take over from Hodgson followed by Crystal Palace's Alan Pardew. (Reuters)

Hodgson quits

Icelanders elected historian Gudni Johannesson on Saturday as their first new president in 20 years, amid distrust of politicians and business leaders after the 2008 global financial crisis and the Panama papers scandal.&nbsp; 
 
The final count showed 39 per cent of Icelanders voted for Johannesson as president, public broadcaster RUV reported. The post is largely ceremonial, but does carry powers to block legislation. 
 
Contenders included a former prime minister and central bank governor.&nbsp; 
 
Johannesson, a lecturer at the University of Iceland who has said he has never been a member of a political party, will take office on August 1. 
 
In his campaign, he advocated a constitutional clause allowing citizen-initiated referendums over parliamentary bills, saying it would help ensure the nation always had the final say in the largest issues affecting it.&nbsp; 
 
Icelander&#39;s faith in authorities was shaken by years of austerity measures and capital controls, which were imposed to restore a shattered economy after the country&#39;s largest banks collapsed in 2008 during the global financial crisis. 
 
Former president Olafur Grimsson, 73, who has served five straight four-year terms, had been ahead in polls until May, when he withdrew his candidacy after leaked documents called the Panama papers showed his wife had links to offshore accounts.&nbsp; 
 
Grimsson had begun his candidacy citing a need for stability after then-prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson resigned in 2015 when the Panama papers showed he also had owned an offshore company in a tax haven together with his wife.&nbsp; 
 
Neither Gunnlaugsson nor Grimsson have been accused of doing anything illegal related to the offshore dealings. But the links still raised ire among many Icelanders, sparking demonstrations in the capital.&nbsp; 
 
Iceland has been gradually recovering from the 2008 financial meltdown in recent years. Economic growth is expected to reach 4 per cent this year and unemployment is at a pre-crisis levels. 
 
But gross national income per capita is still down by a quarter since 2007 and a tenth of the 330,000 Icelanders have fallen into serious loan default, with thousands of homes repossessed. 
 
Candidates in presidential elections in Iceland run as independents. 
 
(Reuters)

The final count showed 39% Icelanders voted for Gudni Johannesson as their first new president in 20 years

Icelanders elected historian Gudni Johannesson on Saturday as their first new president in 20 years, amid distrust of politicians and business leaders after the 2008 global financial crisis and the Panama papers scandal. The final count showed 39 per cent of Icelanders voted for Johannesson as president, public broadcaster RUV reported. The post is largely ceremonial, but does carry powers to block legislation. Contenders included a former prime minister and central bank governor. Johannesson, a lecturer at the University of Iceland who has said he has never been a member of a political party, will take office on August 1. In his campaign, he advocated a constitutional clause allowing citizen-initiated referendums over parliamentary bills, saying it would help ensure the nation always had the final say in the largest issues affecting it. Icelander's faith in authorities was shaken by years of austerity measures and capital controls, which were imposed to restore a shattered economy after the country's largest banks collapsed in 2008 during the global financial crisis. Former president Olafur Grimsson, 73, who has served five straight four-year terms, had been ahead in polls until May, when he withdrew his candidacy after leaked documents called the Panama papers showed his wife had links to offshore accounts. Grimsson had begun his candidacy citing a need for stability after then-prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson resigned in 2015 when the Panama papers showed he also had owned an offshore company in a tax haven together with his wife. Neither Gunnlaugsson nor Grimsson have been accused of doing anything illegal related to the offshore dealings. But the links still raised ire among many Icelanders, sparking demonstrations in the capital. Iceland has been gradually recovering from the 2008 financial meltdown in recent years. Economic growth is expected to reach 4 per cent this year and unemployment is at a pre-crisis levels. But gross national income per capita is still down by a quarter since 2007 and a tenth of the 330,000 Icelanders have fallen into serious loan default, with thousands of homes repossessed. Candidates in presidential elections in Iceland run as independents. (Reuters)

History professor creates history, wins Iceland's presidential election

Iceland is expected to elect a political newcomer as president on Saturday with polls predicting a landslide victory for Gudni Johannesson, a history professor and political commentator who has never held public office. 
 
Johannesson, 47, only decided to run for the post after the &quot;Panama Papers&quot; leak in April detailing offshore accounts implicated several senior Icelandic politicians, including the then-prime minister who was forced to resign. 
 
Johannesson has vowed to restore Icelanders&#39; faith in the system after years of public anger toward politicians for miring the country in scandals and financial woes. 
 
But while outraged Icelanders massed in the streets for days in April calling for the prime minister&#39;s ouster, that anger appeared to dissipate somewhat in the final days of the presidential campaign, overshadowed by euphoria after the Icelandic football squad achieved an historic feat at the Euro 2016. 
 
A North Atlantic island of just 334,000 people, Iceland beat Austria 2-1 on Wednesday to qualify for the last 16 in the country`s Euro debut, facing off against England on Monday. 
 
The news dominated headlines, with only sparse election coverage in the final days of the campaign.Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union also dominated the news on the eve of the election in Iceland, a country that itself applied for EU membership in 2009 but abandoned the bid six years later. 
 
Like most of Iceland&#39;s voters, Johannesson is opposed to EU membership. 
 
The president holds a largely ceremonial position, acting as a guarantor of the constitution and national unity. 
 
The constitution does allow the president to dissolve parliament, as well as veto bills in parliament and put them to a referendum, though those powers have rarely been used. 
 
The current president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, is stepping down at 73 after five straight terms spanning 20 years. The only president to ever do so, he exercised his veto right three times over two decades. 
 
More important legislative elections are due in the autumn. 
 
In opinion polls, Johannesson has held a commanding lead over the other eight candidates since announcing his candidacy in early May.&nbsp; 
The latest polls credited him with between 45 and 49 &#39;per cent of voter sympathies. 
 
David Oddsson, a 68-year-old former prime minister and central bank chief who has been Johannesson`s closest rival for most of the campaign, garnered around 16 &#39;per cent. 
 
Oddsson, who served as Conservative prime minister from 1991 to 2004 and central bank governor from 2005 to 2009, is a divisive figure in Iceland, inextricably linked to the excesses of the banking boom that led to the country`s devastating 2008 financial crisis.Johannesson meanwhile was until recently known to Icelanders as one of the country`s most prominent political commentators from the University of Iceland. 
 
Contrary to Oddsson, Johannesson is non-partisan, putting &quot;emphasis on presenting himself as a neutral candidate,&quot; Gretar Eythorsson, a political science professor at the University of Akureyri, told AFP. 
 
In a nation basking in a strong economy, low unemployment and robust purchasing power, Johannesson`s views are generally seen as moderate and centrist.&nbsp; 
 
His calm nature, conciliatory tone, and consensus-oriented approach, as well as his stated desire to restore Icelanders` faith in the political system, has appealed to voters. 
 
He has also vowed to modernise political life and give voters more of a voice, by, among other things, introducing citizen-initiated referendums. 
 
The president &quot;is expected to unite the people rather than scatter them,&quot; Johannesson told AFP in an interview. 
Oddsson`s campaign has meanwhile been more combative and &quot;is all about trying to harass Johannesson and find weak spots,&quot; says Eythorsson. 
 
Polling stations open across the country at 0900 GMT and close at 2200 GMT, with the first results expected shortly afterwards. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Gudni Johannesson is a history professor, only decided to run after the Panama Papers implicated several senior Icelandic politicians

Iceland is expected to elect a political newcomer as president on Saturday with polls predicting a landslide victory for Gudni Johannesson, a history professor and political commentator who has never held public office. Johannesson, 47, only decided to run for the post after the "Panama Papers" leak in April detailing offshore accounts implicated several senior Icelandic politicians, including the then-prime minister who was forced to resign. Johannesson has vowed to restore Icelanders' faith in the system after years of public anger toward politicians for miring the country in scandals and financial woes. But while outraged Icelanders massed in the streets for days in April calling for the prime minister's ouster, that anger appeared to dissipate somewhat in the final days of the presidential campaign, overshadowed by euphoria after the Icelandic football squad achieved an historic feat at the Euro 2016. A North Atlantic island of just 334,000 people, Iceland beat Austria 2-1 on Wednesday to qualify for the last 16 in the country`s Euro debut, facing off against England on Monday. The news dominated headlines, with only sparse election coverage in the final days of the campaign.Britain's vote to leave the European Union also dominated the news on the eve of the election in Iceland, a country that itself applied for EU membership in 2009 but abandoned the bid six years later. Like most of Iceland's voters, Johannesson is opposed to EU membership. The president holds a largely ceremonial position, acting as a guarantor of the constitution and national unity. The constitution does allow the president to dissolve parliament, as well as veto bills in parliament and put them to a referendum, though those powers have rarely been used. The current president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, is stepping down at 73 after five straight terms spanning 20 years. The only president to ever do so, he exercised his veto right three times over two decades. More important legislative elections are due in the autumn. In opinion polls, Johannesson has held a commanding lead over the other eight candidates since announcing his candidacy in early May. The latest polls credited him with between 45 and 49 'per cent of voter sympathies. David Oddsson, a 68-year-old former prime minister and central bank chief who has been Johannesson`s closest rival for most of the campaign, garnered around 16 'per cent. Oddsson, who served as Conservative prime minister from 1991 to 2004 and central bank governor from 2005 to 2009, is a divisive figure in Iceland, inextricably linked to the excesses of the banking boom that led to the country`s devastating 2008 financial crisis.Johannesson meanwhile was until recently known to Icelanders as one of the country`s most prominent political commentators from the University of Iceland. Contrary to Oddsson, Johannesson is non-partisan, putting "emphasis on presenting himself as a neutral candidate," Gretar Eythorsson, a political science professor at the University of Akureyri, told AFP. In a nation basking in a strong economy, low unemployment and robust purchasing power, Johannesson`s views are generally seen as moderate and centrist. His calm nature, conciliatory tone, and consensus-oriented approach, as well as his stated desire to restore Icelanders` faith in the political system, has appealed to voters. He has also vowed to modernise political life and give voters more of a voice, by, among other things, introducing citizen-initiated referendums. The president "is expected to unite the people rather than scatter them," Johannesson told AFP in an interview. Oddsson`s campaign has meanwhile been more combative and "is all about trying to harass Johannesson and find weak spots," says Eythorsson. Polling stations open across the country at 0900 GMT and close at 2200 GMT, with the first results expected shortly afterwards. (AFP)

Iceland elects a new President today, probably a man who has never held public office

Cristiano Ronaldo slammed minnows Iceland for proverbially `parking the bus` in front of their goal as the north Atlantic Islanders held Group F favourites Portugal to a 1-1 draw.&nbsp; 
Real Madrid ace Ronaldo had ten of Portugal`s 24 shots on goal in Saint Etienne on Tuesday, but failed to become the first man to score in four separate European Championships. 
The 31-year-old equalled Luis Figo`s record number of caps with both the Portugal legends now on 127 appearances. 
A superb finish by Nani gave Portugal the lead before Iceland`s industrious midfielder Birkir Bjarnason volleyed the equaliser. 
But Ronaldo stormed off after the final whistle, clearly frustrated by his own failure in front of goal, while Iceland scored by converting one of only four chances. 
Iceland`s dogged defence was capped by an outstanding display from Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson.&quot;It was difficult over the 90 minutes, because they scored one goal and that was after they had put every player behind the ball,&quot; fumed Ronaldo. 
&quot;They put the bus in the net. (Parked the bus in front of goal). 
&quot;We tried our best, we created many chances and kept the ball. 
&quot;Iceland didn`t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. 
&quot;We`re frustrated, they didn`t try and play. 
&quot;It`s why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it`s a small mentality. 
&quot;It`s difficult when Portugal tries to win the game and the other team doesn`t.&quot; 
Portugal are now under pressure in their second game against Austria, who earlier lost their opening match 2-0 to Hungary in the other pool match in Bordeaux. 
But Ronaldo is confident of victory in Paris on Saturday. 
&quot;It`s a little bit of frustration for us, but this is just the beginning, we`re not worried about that,&quot; said the former Manchester United star. 
&quot;If you look at Spain and France, they are strong teams in the tournament and they had difficulties winning their first game. 
&quot;It was tough, but we are 100 percent confident we`re going to win the next game.&quot; 
Ronaldo was not the only Portugal forward to feel the effects of a lack of finishing. 
&quot;We had enough chances, but we couldn`t score another one,&quot; added Nani, who also used to grace Old Trafford. 
&quot;It`s only the first game and we have to win our next two games. 
&quot;We were on top, we were the better team and we played the better football, but Iceland are a good team and played a lot of long balls, which caused us problems. That`s football. 
&quot;We`ve shown we are a good team, but this was the first game, there was a lot of anxiety. I think we will relax more from now, but we have to score more.&quot; 
Portugal boss Fernando Santos lamented Nani`s first-half header which smashed off the boot of Iceland goalkeeper Halldorsson. 
&quot;Nani`s header was blocked by their goalkeeper, who still doesn`t know how he did it, that`s football,&quot; said the Portugal manager 
&quot;We could have done better in defending the cross which led for their goal, but this was the first game, there were a few nerves and we need to play better for the next two games.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

After which he refuses to shake hands with any of the Icleandic players

Cristiano Ronaldo slammed minnows Iceland for proverbially `parking the bus` in front of their goal as the north Atlantic Islanders held Group F favourites Portugal to a 1-1 draw. Real Madrid ace Ronaldo had ten of Portugal`s 24 shots on goal in Saint Etienne on Tuesday, but failed to become the first man to score in four separate European Championships. The 31-year-old equalled Luis Figo`s record number of caps with both the Portugal legends now on 127 appearances. A superb finish by Nani gave Portugal the lead before Iceland`s industrious midfielder Birkir Bjarnason volleyed the equaliser. But Ronaldo stormed off after the final whistle, clearly frustrated by his own failure in front of goal, while Iceland scored by converting one of only four chances. Iceland`s dogged defence was capped by an outstanding display from Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson."It was difficult over the 90 minutes, because they scored one goal and that was after they had put every player behind the ball," fumed Ronaldo. "They put the bus in the net. (Parked the bus in front of goal). "We tried our best, we created many chances and kept the ball. "Iceland didn`t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. "We`re frustrated, they didn`t try and play. "It`s why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it`s a small mentality. "It`s difficult when Portugal tries to win the game and the other team doesn`t." Portugal are now under pressure in their second game against Austria, who earlier lost their opening match 2-0 to Hungary in the other pool match in Bordeaux. But Ronaldo is confident of victory in Paris on Saturday. "It`s a little bit of frustration for us, but this is just the beginning, we`re not worried about that," said the former Manchester United star. "If you look at Spain and France, they are strong teams in the tournament and they had difficulties winning their first game. "It was tough, but we are 100 percent confident we`re going to win the next game." Ronaldo was not the only Portugal forward to feel the effects of a lack of finishing. "We had enough chances, but we couldn`t score another one," added Nani, who also used to grace Old Trafford. "It`s only the first game and we have to win our next two games. "We were on top, we were the better team and we played the better football, but Iceland are a good team and played a lot of long balls, which caused us problems. That`s football. "We`ve shown we are a good team, but this was the first game, there was a lot of anxiety. I think we will relax more from now, but we have to score more." Portugal boss Fernando Santos lamented Nani`s first-half header which smashed off the boot of Iceland goalkeeper Halldorsson. "Nani`s header was blocked by their goalkeeper, who still doesn`t know how he did it, that`s football," said the Portugal manager "We could have done better in defending the cross which led for their goal, but this was the first game, there were a few nerves and we need to play better for the next two games." (AFP)

Ronaldo whines about Iceland 'parking the bus' in front of goal, then accuses them of having a 'small mentality'

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