reenland’s football
association is
planning to drop
long-cherished
ambitions of joining
UEFA, and is instead
applying to join CONCACAF.
The world’s biggest island is a
self-governing part of the Kingdom of
Denmark and has long-standing cultural
ties to Europe, but the Football Association
of Greenland (KAK) is changing tack.
“We don’t feel the Danish FA will assist
us in our work. That’s why we now have
decided to look on the CONCACAF
route,” says Toennes Berthelsen, a
former national team manager and
board member at KAK, which was
founded in1971.
Greenland’s only regular competitive
outing is the football tournament at
the biennial Island Games. The Polar-
Bamserne have competed in all but
one tournament since the first edition
back in1989 and were runners-up in
2013 and 2017.The tournament proved a springboard
for the Faroe Islands (winners in1989
and1991) and Gibraltar (champions in
2007) as both went on to secure UEFA
and FIFA membership, which is currently
worth around $1 million a year.
UEFA subsequently changed itsGreenland turns
to CONCACAF
Island hoping to join the North, Central America
and Caribbean confederation after UEFA rejectionmembership criteria so that only places
recognised as countries by the United
Nations can join. As a result,Jersey
opted to join the English non-league
pyramid, but Greenland still have
international aspirations.
Transport links are mainly with Europe
but the Greenlanders already take part
in the futsal tournament at the Arctic
Winter Games, which has been hosted in
parts of North America. Berthelsen adds:
“We can either go over Denmark which
is a long detour or we can fly direct to
Iceland and from there to US or Canada.”
The KAK would like to make contacts
with the US and Canadian bodies for
advice before approaching CONCACAF.
“Secondly we would like to attend a
CONCACAF meeting as observers
so we can meet people and get an
idea how an optimum application
can look like,” explains Berthelsen.
With no road network, Greenland
cannot run a league. Instead, one town
stages an annual championship for
clubs from across the island. This
year’s event will be in the western
coastal town of Ilulissat.
With a population of 56,000 and
a strong, established football culture,
the Greenland national side would
be a match for most of the smaller
Caribbean islands at the bottom rung
of the CONCACAF Nations League.
If accepted into CONCACAF,
Greenland would be unable to progress
to FIFA membership – and the relative
riches that brings – due to similar
membership criteria as UEFA. However,
CONCACAF
has used
money
from FIFA’s
Forward
Programme
to help
non-FIFA
members – such as the Dutch island of
Bonaire and the French territory Saint
Martin – take part in the Nations League.
The next edition starts thisJune but
that would be too early for Greenland,
whose players will likely have to settle
for the next Island Games. This has
been pushed back a year due to
COVID-19 and will be held in Guernsey.
Morten Rutkjaer, the Dane who took
over as Greenland coach in 2020, plans
to be in Guernsey with the team and
also to play in CONCACAF competitions.
“IhopewewillbeapartofCONCACAF
in 2023,” says Rutkjaer. “It’s better and
will be the same travelling. It’s a big
thing for the country to be a part
of the football family.”
After decades as one of football’s
outcasts, Greenland could be about
to come in from the cold.G
Greenland team
... players take a
break during the
2015 Island GamesEx-Greenland
boss...Toennes
BerthelsenGreenland
STEVE MENARY“We don’t feel the Danish FA will assist us in
our work. That’s why we now have decided to
look on the CONCACAF route”
Toennes Berthelsen, former national team manager