Calm after the storm for Iceland
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
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Iceland's flight was not entirely straightforward, but the squad are now safely ensconced in their UEFA EURO 2016 camp in the picturesque town of Annecy in south-east France.
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Iceland touched down at Chambéry Savoie airport on Tuesday afternoon with their first-ever major tournament drawing ever closer.
If the Icelanders' journey to UEFA EURO 2016 was a thrilling one during qualifying, their flight to France was far from straightforward with thundery weather briefly threatening to divert their landing to Lyon.
Nonetheless, various dignitaries, including the Icelandic ambassador, were on hand to greet the team upon arrival in south-eastern France. The squad then boarded the bus to their team hotel in Annecy, a picturesque Alpine town close to the border with Switzerland. It promises to be a perfect calm environment for Lars Lagerbäck, Heimir Hallgrímsson and their players.
Iceland come into these finals buoyed by a 4-0 friendly win against Liechtenstein in Reykjavik on Monday. It was joint-coach Lagerbäck's last home match in charge, with more than 8,000 fans turning up to say goodbye. The Nordic side open their UEFA EURO 2016 campaign against Portugal in Saint-Etienne on 14 June.
Jóhann Sigurdsson will be in the Iceland camp throughout the tournament. Follow him @UEFAcomJohannS.