Rúnar Kristinsson facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 September 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Reykjavík, Iceland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1979–1986 | KR Reykjavík | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1994 | KR Reykjavík | 126 | (21) |
| 1995–1997 | Örgryte IS | 59 | (13) |
| 1997–2000 | Lillestrøm | 71 | (14) |
| 2000–2007 | Lokeren | 189 | (37) |
| 2007 | KR Reykjavík | 14 | (0) |
| Total | 459 | (85) | |
| National team | |||
| 1984–1985 | Iceland U17 | 18 | (9) |
| 1987 | Iceland U19 | 11 | (1) |
| 1987–1991 | Iceland U21 | 10 | (3) |
| 1987–2004 | Iceland | 104 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2010–2014 | KR Reykjavík | ||
| 2014–2016 | Lillestrøm | ||
| 2016–2017 | Lokeren | ||
| 2017–2023 | KR Reykjavík | ||
| 2023– | Fram Reykjavík | ||
|
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Rúnar Kristinsson (born September 5, 1969) is a famous Icelandic former footballer. He played as a midfielder for many teams. After his playing career, he became a football manager. He is currently the manager of Fram.
Rúnar's son, Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson, is also a professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Danish team F.C. Copenhagen.
Contents
Rúnar's Football Journey
Rúnar first started playing football at a small club called Leiknir. Soon after, he joined KR Reykjavík. This is Iceland's oldest and most successful football club. He spent his youth years playing there.
His great skills on the field caught the attention of clubs in other countries. He moved to Sweden to play for Örgryte IS in 1995. In the middle of the 1997 season, he moved again. This time, he went to Norway to play for Lillestrøm SK.
Rúnar was very successful in Norway. Because of his strong performances, he moved to K.S.C. Lokeren in Belgium in 2000. He played there for many years and was a very important player for the team.
In May 2007, Rúnar decided to return to his home country. He rejoined his first club, KR Reykjavík, to finish his playing career.
From Player to Manager
After retiring as a player, Rúnar became a coach. He took over as the head coach at KR Reykjavík in the middle of the 2010 season. He managed the team for four full seasons.
Under his leadership, KR Reykjavík won two league titles. They were champions in 2011 and 2013. They also won the Icelandic Cup three times. These cup wins happened in 2011, 2012, and 2014.
Rúnar left KR in November 2014. He then moved back to Norway to manage his former club, Lillestrøm SK.
Playing for Iceland
Rúnar also played a lot for his country, Iceland. He played 104 games for the Iceland national team. In these games, he scored three goals.
For a long time, his 104 games were a record for the most appearances for Iceland. Another player, Birkir Bjarnason, broke this record in 2021. Rúnar was also the captain of the national team in 11 matches. He stopped playing for Iceland in 2004.
What Rúnar Won
As a Player
KR Reykjavík
- Icelandic Cup: 1994
As a Manager
KR Reykjavík
- Úrvalsdeild: 2011, 2013, 2019
- Icelandic Cup: 2011, 2012, 2014
- League Cup: 2012, 2019
- Icelandic Super Cup: 2012, 2014, 2020
