The president of Iceland is here: "Gothia Cup is very popular in Iceland"

Iceland's president Gudni Th. Jóhannesson is happy to be here.

The president of Iceland, Gudni Th. Jóhannesson, is attending the Gothia Cup. He’s here to support his son Duncan, who plays for Stjarnan 2’s B15 team.
– Gothia Cup is a huge event. It’s speaking for itself that Icelandic teams come here year after year. I’m very happy here, says the president.

The president has a lot of good things to say about being here.
– It’s good fun. We're not used to this heat. We’re doing okey and we’re giving the kids a lot to drink. And we use sun protection, which we’re not used to back home. I enjoy it, says Gudni Th. Jóhannesson.
The president likes the tournament.
– It’s very popular in Iceland. Many kids are looking forward to it when they’re still too young to attend. Then they hear stories from older kids and they definitively get determined to come here and have a good time. It’s been the case so far.
His son’s team has had a tough tournament, but they have fun anyway.
– The results could be better, but we can just ask them to do their best. We have over 70 teams from Iceland here. It shows how popular this event is in Iceland. You get to see parents you also meet at games back home. It’s almost like a reunion for us Icelanders.
The president is a big sports fan.
– I happen to love all kind of sports. Ever since I was elected president, I have taken advantage of the fact that if I want to attend a match I just say so and the ticket is there for me. It’s a very good thing, he says with a laugh.
He thinks that sports unite people all the time.
– Sport is a good thing for the national identity when you do it in the positive and right manner. In sports, everyone should be equal regardless of your faith and skin colour and so on. It’s just a game there everyone should be able to enjoy themselves. If we build on that, football is a good force in the world today.

His brother Patrekur played 241 times for Iceland’s national team in handball.
– Yeah, he learned all the tricks from me! But I decided to take a different path. Handball has been my biggest love in the world of sports but I enjoy football as well. We’ve been a good handball nation for years, with both the men’s and women’s team. In recent years, men’s football team made it on the international scene. It brings us together. The national teams unite us, says Gudni Th. Jóhannesson.
The president has also heard good things about the Partille Cup.
– I have heard it’s a very good event. And I like Gothenburg. It’s a bit too warm to my liking, I’m not used to this. But it’s so easy to commute. The buses and trams are very efficient, fast and clean. We can actually learn from the good people of Gothenburg how to do public transports.
How is the president as a football dad then? Good if you ask him. 
– I’m a good football dad. I don’t like then parents shout at their own kids, other kids, referees and opponents. The kids don’t even hear 90 percent of the shouting. So parents, stay out of the match when it’s going on and respect the fact that the kids are there to have fun. It’s an ongoing process in Iceland, where we’re determined to change it to the better. I don’t say that it’s a big problem, but now and then people lose it unfortunately, says the president of Iceland.

Nice to have you here, Mr President!