They just keep on defying the odds and are edging ever closer to the promised land of top tier European club competition.
Faroe Islands minnows Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag have now beaten Erling Haaland’s former club as their quest for a place in the Champions League group stage proper continues
Having knocked out Ferencvaros of Hungary and BK Hacken of Sweden, the Faroese champions took a 2-1 lead over Molde of Norway in the first leg of the final qualifying round on Tuesday.
Klasksvik are punching far above their weight with the second leg to come next week – with a little help from their manager Magne Hoseth who just happens to be the highest top-flight goalscorer in Molde’s history with 84 goals.
Elimination at this stage would result in a Europa League play-off berth but Klaksvik are already guaranteed to make history with a place in the Europa Conference League – the first time a Faroes club will feature in the group stage of any major European competition. If they get through the Molde tie, they are into the Champions League play-off round with the mouthwatering prospect of advancing to the group stage proper.
Their win over Molde had to played 30 miles away on a different island, in the capital Torshavn, because their own ground was only approved to host games in the first two rounds.
Most of KI’s team, a mix of local players and foreign imports, have full-time jobs away from football but they have lost only two league games in more than three years.
KI press officer Suni Clementsen told the BBC: “Our ambition was to achieve the impossible, a European group stage. KI is trying to move Faroese football forward, by setting the bar higher then anyone thought was possible.”