Vestri (men's football)

For the women's team, see Vestri women's football.

The Vestri men's football team, commonly known as Vestri, is the men's football department of the Íþróttafélagið Vestri multi-sport club and is based in Ísafjarðarbær, Iceland.^[1] As of 2024, it plays in the Icelandic top-tier Besta deild karla.

Vestri

Full name	Íþróttafélagið Vestri
Nickname(s)	Djúpmenn
Founded	1986; 39 years ago (1986), as Badmintonfélag Ísafjarðar 1988; 37 years ago (1988), as BÍ'88 2006; 19 years ago (2006) as BÍ/Bolungarvík 2016; 9 years ago (2016) as Vestri
Ground	Torfnesvöllur, Ísafjörður
Capacity	1,596
Manager	Davíð Smári Lamude
League	Besta deild karla
2024	Besta deild karla, 10th of 12
Home colours Away colours

History

The club was founded in 1986 as the football department of Badmintonfélag Ísafjarðar, or BÍ for short.^[2] It first participated in the Icelandic tier-4 league, then known as 4. deild karla, that same year and their first coach was former Icelandic international player Björn Helgason. In 1988, Ísafjörður biggest club, Íþróttabandalag Ísafjarðar (ÍBÍ), folded after years of financial difficulties and most of their players moved over to BÍ who took over as the town's major football club.^[3][4] The club took up the name BÍ'88 to mark the new beginning and Jóhann Króknes Torfason was hired as the head coach.^[5] They won their group in 4. deild convincingly, scoring 46 goals while conceding only 3, with their biggest win being an 18–0 victory over Höfrungur. In the 4. deild playoff they came out on top and achieved promotion to 3. deild karla where they played the next three years. In 1991 the team achieved promotion to 2. deild karla after finishing as runner-up's in 3. deild. They played there for two years before being relegated back to 3. deild. After the 1996 season, the club withdrew from play due to financial difficulties.

From 2006 to 2016 the team fielded a joint team with Ungmennafélag Bolungarvíkur, called BÍ/Bolungarvík.^[6] In 2008 the team was promoted to 2. deild karla^[7] and in 2010 to 1. deild karla.^[8] In October 2010 the team hired Guðjón Þórðarson as their manager.^[9] In 2016 the club merged into Íþróttafélagið Vestri along with Skellur (Volleyball), Sundfélagið Vestri (Swim) and KFÍ (Basketball).^[10][11][12]

On 21 September 2019, Vestri won a 7–0 victory against Tindastóll in the last game of the season and secured a promotion to the second-tier 1. deild karla.^[13]

On 30 September 2023, Vestri defeated Afturelding in the 1. deild karla promotion playoff final to secure a berth in the top-tier Besta deild karla for the first time in its history.^[14]

Squad

Current squad

As of 23 July 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  DEN Benjamin Schubert 2 DF  DEN Morten Ohlsen Hansen 3 DF  SWE Anton Kralj 4 MF  NGA Fatai Gbadamosi 5 MF  RSA Cafú Phete 6 DF  ISL Gunnar Jónas Hauksson 7 FW  SRB Vladimir Tufegdžić 10 MF  SWE Diego Montiel 11 MF  ISL Arnór Borg Guðjohnsen (on loan from FH) 12 GK  NED Guy Smit 13 MF  ISL Albert Ingi Jóhannsson 14 DF  ISL Birkir Eydal

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 MF  ISL Guðmundur Arnar Svavarsson 16 MF  SEN Abdourahmane Diagne 17 DF  ISL Guðmundur Einarsson 19 FW  GHA Emmanuel Duah 22 DF  ISL Elmar Atli Garðarsson (captain) 23 FW  ZIM Silas Songani 26 DF  ISL Friðrik Þórir Hjaltason 28 MF  DEN Jeppe Pedersen 32 DF  ISL Eiður Sigurbjörnsson 40 DF  DEN Gustav Kjeldsen 77 FW  SEN Sergine Fall

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 FW  ISL Pétur Bjarnason (at KFK Kópavogur until 31 December 2025)

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  FIN Matias Niemelä (at Grindavík until 31 December 2025)

Player of the year

Year	Winner
1988	Guðmundur Gíslason[15]

Year Winner 2006 Sigurgeir Sveinn Gíslason 2007 Pétur Geir Svavarsson 2008 Goran Vujic 2009 Óttar Kristinn Bjarnason 2010 Sigurgeir Sveinn Gíslason

Year Winner 2011 Þórður Ingason 2012 Andri Rúnar Bjarnason 2013 Hafsteinn Rúnar Helgason 2014 Matthías Króknes Jóhannsson 2015 Loic Cédric Mbang Ondo

Year Winner 2016 Ernir Bjarnason 2017 Daði Freyr Arnarsson 2018 Elmar Atli Garðarsson 2019 Zoran Plazonic 2020 Nacho Gil

Year Winner 2021 Nicolaj Madsen

Top scorers by season

Season	Player	League	Total Goals	Domestic League	Domestic Cup
2021	Pétur Bjarnason	1. deild	14	11	3
2020	Nacho Gil	1. deild	10	10	0
2019	Pétur Bjarnason	2. deild	12	7	5
2018	Pétur Bjarnason	2. deild	17	14	3
2017	Pétur Bjarnason	2. deild	6	6	0
2016	Sólon Breki Leifsson	2. deild	8	8	0
2015	Pape Mamadou Faye	1. deild	5	5	0
2014	Andri Rúnar Bjarnason	1. deild	11	7	4
2013	Ben Everson	1. deild	12	10	2
2012	Pétur Georg Markan	1. deild	8	5	3
2011	Tomi Ameobi	1. deild	12	11	1
2010	Andri Rúnar Bjarnason	2. deild	22	19	3
2009	Andri Rúnar Bjarnason	2. deild	8	8	0
	Goran Vujic	2. deild	8	8	0
2008	Andri Rúnar Bjarnason	3. deild	14	14	0
2007	Pétur Geir Svavarsson	3. deild	25	25	0
2006	Óttar Kristinn Bjarnason	3. deild	10	0	0
2005	Þröstur Pétursson	3. deild	4	4	0
2004	Hálfdán Daðason	3. deild	9	9	0
	Pétur Georg Markan	3. deild	9	9	0
2003	Pétur Georg Markan	3. deild	10	7	3
2002	Pétur Georg Markan	3. deild	4	4	0
1993	Djordje Tosic	1. deild	5	5	0
	Jóhann Þór Ævarsson	1. deild	5	5	0
1992	Jóhann Þór Ævarsson	1. deild	7	6	1
1988	Stefán Tryggvason[15]	3. deild	10	-	-

Players in bold are currently playing for Vestri.

Former notable players

Players who have played for Vestri (Badmintonfélag Ísafjarðar, BÍ'88 and BÍ/Bolungarvík) and earned international caps at senior level. Correct as of 1 May 2021.

Nat.	Player	Date of birth	Current club	Position	International career
	James Charles Mack	(1988-08-10) 10 August 1988 (age 37)	Albion W. Eagles	Forward	2018–present
	Andri Rúnar Bjarnason	(1990-12-12) 12 December 1990 (age 34)	Esbjerg fB	Forward	2018–present
	Kundai Benyu	(1997-12-12) 12 December 1997 (age 27)	Vestri	Midfielder	2017–present
	Loïc Cédric Mbang Ondo	(1990-10-05) 5 October 1990 (age 34)	Kórdrengir	Defender	2017–present
	Emil Pálsson	(1993-06-10) 10 June 1993 (age 32)	Sarpsborg 08	Midfielder	2016–present
	Brentton Muhammad	(1990-09-11) 11 September 1990 (age 34)	Vestri	Goalkeeper	2014–present
	Matthías Vilhjálmsson	(1987-01-30) 30 January 1987 (age 38)	FH	Forward	2009–2016
	Gilles Mbang Ondo	(1985-10-10) 10 October 1985 (age 39)	retired	Forward	2007–2013
	Nigel Quashie	(1978-07-20) 20 July 1978 (age 47)	retired	Midfielder	2004–06

Managerial history

Dates[6]	Name	Notes
1986	Björn Helgason
1987	Jakob Ólason
1988	Jóhann Króknes Torfason
1989	Örnólfur Oddsson	Player-manager
1990	Jóhann Króknes Torfason
1991–1992	Ámundi Sigmundsson	Player-manager
1993	Helgi Helgason
1994	Einar Friðþjófsson
1995	Björn Ingimarsson	Fired midway through season
1995	Örnólfur Oddsson	Interim player-manager
1996	Ómar Torfason	Player-manager
2002–2004	Haukur Benediktsson	Player-manager
2005	Örnólfur Oddsson
2006–2007	Jónas Leifur Sigursteinsson
2008	Slobodan Milišić
2009	Dragan Kažić
2010	Alfreð Elías Jóhannsson	Player-manager
2011	Guðjón Þórðarson
2012–2014	Jörundur Áki Sveinsson
2015	Jón Hálfdán Pétursson
2016	Ásgeir Guðmundsson
2017	Daniel Osafo-Badu	Player-manager
2017–2020	Bjarni Jóhannsson
2020–2021	Heiðar Birnir Torleifsson
2021	Jón Þór Hauksson
2022	Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson
2023–	Davíð Smári Lamude[16]

Honours

• 2. deild karla
  • Runner-up (3): 1991, 2010, 2019
• 3. deild karla
  • Winners (1): 1988
  • Runner-up (1): 2008