Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar is the handball section of Icelandic sports club KA from Akureyri. The team currently competes in the Úrvalsdeild karla, the top tier of handball in Iceland. They play their home matches at KA-heimilið. The team enjoyed a successful period in the late 90's and early 2000s becoming league Champions three times, cup winners three times and champions of Iceland two times.
In 1991 former KA player Alfreð Gíslason took charge of the team, he would lead the team to its most successful period in its history. The 1994–95 Season marked a significant chapter in the history of KA handball club. KA had strong players in Valdimar Grímsson and goalkeeper Sigmar Þröstur but now they were joined by one of the nation's most promising handball players, Patrekur Jóhannesson. The highlight of the season was the intense cup final against Valur. The match went into double overtime, with KA emerging victorious with a score of 27-26, claiming their first cup title. Patrekur Jóhannesson scored 11 goals for KA in the match. Valur got their revenge by beating KA in the final to become Icelandic champions.[1] The following season Valdimar Grímsson would depart however there were notable acquisitions in Julian Duranona and Guðmundur Arnar Jónsson. KA made its European debut, the season culminated in triumphs, including a cup victory over Víkingur and the club's first league title. However, the team lost to Valur in the final playoff game to become Icelandic champions. Individual honors went to Julian Duranona as top scorer and Patrekur Jóhannesson as best defensive player. After the season Patrekur Jóhannesson would leave to Tusem Essen in his place KA would acquire the talents of Belarusian, Sergei Ziza.[2]
In the 1996-1997 season, KA performs well in European matches, winning the series against Amiticia and Herstal and then with a notable victory against Fotex Vesprém, despite losing against them in the series. The team finished 3rd in the league and reached the playoff finals this time beating Afturelding to become Icelandic champions for the first time. They reached the cup finals for the fourth consecutive year, however, they lost to Haukar. Julian Duranona and Ziza shine throughout the season. At the end of the season Alfreð Gíslason departs, which marks the end of an era, but KA looks ahead with optimism, focusing on youth development and the continued success of the club. The KA club house and home-ground (KA-heimilið) becomes an integral part of the team's success, fostering a unique atmosphere during matches.[3]
Becoming Icelandic champions for the 2nd time (1997-2006)
Alfreð's successor was Atli Hilmarsson. In his first season, 1997-1998, he would lead the team clinch the league title for the second time in their history. KA's success was unexpected to many, as they had undergone significant changes since last season. A key to KA's success at this time was the arrival of Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson in 1998, who came from Grótta's academy but had yet to play in the first teams. He would prove to be very successful winning the league's award for best player in 2000 and 2001. In the 2000-01 season, KA managed to become league champions for the third time and came second in the playoffs finals.[4]
In 2002, the KA team reached he final of playoffs in a match against Valur for the Icelandic handball championship. The KA team lost the first two games and was therefore in a very difficult position as Valur only needed one more win to secure the title. However, KA won the next two matches and forced a tiebreaker. The game ended with a KA victory bringing them their second Icelandic champions title, with player Halldór Jóhann Sigfússon being key to KA's success. Atli Hilmarsson had declared that this would be his last season as manager.[5]
From 2002 to 2005, Jóhannes Gunnar Bjarnason managed KA, with the team experiencing less success compared to previous years. A highlight was their victory against Fram in the Icelandic cup in 2004, securing KA's third cup win.[6] Andrius Stelmokas was named the league's best player in 2003, while young Arnór Atlason emerged as a key player, winning both the best player and best young player awards in 2004.[7]
Akureyri Handball club (2006-2017)
From 2006 to 2017, KA and rival team from Akureyri, Þór, fielded a joint first-team in the Úrvalsdeild karla, the team was called Akureyri Handboltafélag. The team achieved its best result in 2011 finishing as the runner-up in the Icelandic Cup and reaching the Úrvalsdeild finals where it lost to FH. In 2017, the club was relegated from the Úrvalsdeild and shortly after, KA decided to break off from the cooperation and field their own team starting from 2017–2018.
KA's handball section reinstated (2017-)
In 2017, KA resumed playing under its own emblem in men's handball after competing under the banner of Akureyri Handboltafélag since 2006. Stefán Árnason coached the men's championship team, competing in the second division. They secured second place in the league, earning a spot in the top flight.[8]
Over the following years, the team established itself in the top tier, albeit with mixed results. In their inaugural two seasons, they secured 9th place in 2018/19 and 10th place in 2019/2020.[9] In the 2020/21 season Jónatan Magnússon took solely over as manager of the team. KA finished 6th in the league, marking their first playoff qualification since their reinstatement. However, they were eliminated by Valur in the first round, ending their playoff journey. Árni Bragi Eyjólfsson, a KA player, had an outstanding season, winning the league's Best Player award and finishing as the top scorer.[10] The subsequent season saw KA secure 7th place, only to be knocked out in the first round by Haukar. This marked the second consecutive season where a KA player claimed the league's top scorer title, this time being Óðinn Þór Ríkharðsson.[11] In the cup competition that year, KA enjoyed success, reaching the final but ultimately losing to Valur. Moving on to the 2022/23 season, KA competed in the EHF European Cup, exiting in the first round against HC Fivers. Domestically, the team battled relegation, finishing 10th in the league, ultimately parting ways with manager Jónatan Magnússon.[12] For the third cconsecutive year in a row a KA player was the top scorer in the league as Einar Rafn Eiðsson claimed the title.
In 2023 Halldór Stefán Haraldsson was appointed head-coach of the team.[13]
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