Icelandic football coach Guðjón Þórðarson dies aged 71

Guðjón Þórðarson, one of the most successful coaches in Icelandic football history, has died aged 71, mbl.is reports. He coached for 35 years, leading teams in Iceland and England, and managed Iceland’s men’s national team from 1997 to 1999.

Þórðarson made his name with KA, a football club in Akureyri, which he led to the Icelandic league title in 1989. He later took charge of ÍA after the club was relegated from the top division in 1990. ÍA returned to the top flight in 1991 and won the league the following year, then claimed the Icelandic Cup in 1993.

He managed KR to consecutive Icelandic Cup victories in 1994 and 1995, before returning to ÍA in 1996 and winning both the league and cup. He therefore won the cup four years in a row.

After managing the national team, Þórðarson moved to England to take charge of Stoke City, following the club’s purchase by Icelandic investors. He led Stoke to promotion to the second tier in 2002. The club also won a cup competition for lower-division teams, beating Bristol City in the final at the old Wembley Stadium. It was the last match played at the ground, and Þórðarson later described the win as the greatest moment of his career.

He went on to manage Start in Norway and then three more English clubs: Barnsley, Notts County and Crewe Alexandra. No other Icelandic coach has managed as many clubs in England, according to mbl.is.

Þórðarson returned to ÍA in 2007. His final coaching job was with Víkingur Ólafsvík, where he left in 2022.

He had Parkinson’s disease, diagnosed in 2023, and spoke about his health in an interview with RÚV earlier this year. He said he was also dealing with back problems that affected his legs and caused him to lose strength.