Kári Árnason facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 October 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Gothenburg, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.90 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2001 | Víkingur | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2004 | Víkingur | 41 | (3) |
| 2004–2006 | Djurgården | 35 | (0) |
| 2006–2009 | AGF Aarhus | 51 | (3) |
| 2009 | → Esbjerg fB (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Plymouth Argyle | 72 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Aberdeen | 33 | (3) |
| 2012–2015 | Rotherham United | 116 | (5) |
| 2015–2017 | Malmö FF | 37 | (2) |
| 2017 | Omonia | 8 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | Aberdeen | 21 | (3) |
| 2018–2019 | Gençlerbirliği | 13 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Víkingur | 41 | (2) |
| Total | 476 | (26) | |
| National team | |||
| 2005–2021 | Iceland | 90 | (6) |
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Kári Árnason (born 13 October 1982) is a former professional footballer from Iceland. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position. Kári also played in midfield sometimes.
He played for many clubs like Djurgården, Plymouth Argyle, Aberdeen, Rotherham United, and Malmö FF. Kári also played for the Iceland from 2005 to 2021. He played 90 games for his country and scored 6 goals. He was part of the Iceland team at UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting His Career
Kári Árnason was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. He started playing football as a young player in 1999. His first club was Víkingur in his hometown of Reykjavík, Iceland. He played there for five years.
He also played college soccer in the United States. He played for Gonzaga University from 2002 to 2003. He then played one season for Adelphi University in 2004.
After playing well for Víkingur in 2004, Kári joined Djurgårdens IF in Sweden. In 2005, his team won both the Swedish league and the cup. Later, in 2007, he moved to the Danish club AGF Aarhus. He also played for Esbjerg fB on loan.
Time at Plymouth Argyle
In the summer of 2009, Kári had a tryout with Plymouth Argyle in England. He played well in friendly games and signed a one-year contract. He played his first game in August 2009. Kári quickly became an important player in the team's defense.
He scored his first goal for Plymouth Argyle on December 28, 2009. This made him the 500th player to score a league goal for the club since 1903. In January 2010, he signed a new contract to stay until 2012.
Playing for Aberdeen
In July 2011, Kári joined Aberdeen in Scotland. He played his first game on July 23, 2011. He scored his first goal for Aberdeen on October 15, 2011. He scored another important goal against Dundee United on January 2, 2012.
Aberdeen offered him a new contract, but Kári decided to leave the club. He wanted to find a better deal elsewhere.
Success with Rotherham United
Kári Árnason joined Rotherham United in June 2012. He played over 100 games for this club. During his time there, the team was promoted twice. They moved up from League Two to the Championship. He mostly played in defense, but sometimes in midfield.
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Joining Malmö FF
On June 29, 2015, Kári went back to Sweden to play for Malmö FF. He signed a contract for two and a half years. Malmö FF had sold two of their main defenders. Kári became a new central defender with Rasmus Bengtsson.
Even though the team was struggling in the league, they made it to the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League group stage. Kári quickly became a leader in the team. He was made vice-captain. In 2016, Malmö FF started winning again. Kári wore the captain's armband when the main captain was injured. He helped the team win the Allsvenskan title with two games left to play.
Short Time at AC Omonia
On January 30, 2017, Kári joined AC Omonia in Cyprus. He played 8 games for them. He then moved back to Aberdeen.
Return to Aberdeen
On July 14, 2017, Kári rejoined Aberdeen. He had played for them before in the 2011–12 season. He left Aberdeen in May 2018 when his contract ended.
Playing in Turkey
On July 24, 2018, Kári signed a one-year deal with Gençlerbirliği, a team in Turkey.
Back to Víkingur
After his contract in Turkey ended, Kári returned to his first club, Víkingur. He signed a two-year deal to play until the end of the 2020 season.
Playing for Iceland
Kári Árnason was first called to play for the senior Iceland squad in March 2005. He played his first game against Italy. Seven months later, in October 2005, he scored his first goal for Iceland against Sweden.
He was chosen by coach Lars Lagerbäck for UEFA Euro 2016. This was Iceland's first time playing in a major football tournament. In their first game, Kári played very well against Cristiano Ronaldo and his team, Portugal. That game ended in a draw, and Portugal later won the whole tournament.
In their last group game, Iceland beat Austria to move on to the next stage. Kári helped score a goal and was named the best player of the match. He also helped score a goal in Iceland's big win against England.
In May 2018, Kári was chosen for Iceland's team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Career Numbers
Kári Árnason played many games for his country. Here's a look at his appearances and goals for Iceland:
| National team | Year | Games Played | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | |||
| 2005 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 90 | 6 | |
Trophies and Awards
Kári Árnason won several titles during his career:
Víkingur FC
- Icelandic Cup: 2019, 2021
- Icelandic Premier Division: 2021
Malmö FF
- Allsvenskan: 2016 (Swedish League Champions)
Rotherham United
- Football League Two runner-up: 2012–13
- Football League One play-offs: 2013–14 (Promoted to Championship)
Djurgården
- Allsvenskan: 2005 (Swedish League Champions)
- Svenska Cupen: 2005 (Swedish Cup Winners)
See also
In Spanish: Kári Árnason para niños
