Albert Gudmundsson has become important for Iceland’s hopes in the European Championship after he couldn’t play last year due to a criminal investigation. Iceland faces Ukraine on Tuesday, and Gudmundsson’s hat trick in a 4-1 win over Israel last week earned them a spot in the Euro 2024 qualifying playoff final.
Gudmundsson missed six games last year because he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman. But the investigation is now closed, and the 26-year-old Genoa forward, who comes from a family of soccer players, is cleared to play again.
“We needed goals earlier in qualification last year, and now we have Albert Gudmundsson back,” said Iceland coach Åge Hareide after the Israel win. “He proved that he’s a top player.” The soccer federation said it followed its rules and allowed Gudmundsson to return.
He denied the allegations and hasn’t talked about the case while with the national team. Iceland faced criticism for handling similar cases involving national team players.
Iceland had made headlines in global soccer, reaching the quarterfinals at Euro 2016 and playing at the World Cup in 2018. Now Gudmundsson is key as Iceland faces Ukraine in a playoff final.
He showed his scoring skills against Israel, scoring in different ways: with a free kick, one-on-one against the goalkeeper, and by capitalizing on a rebound.
With 10 goals in Serie A this season, there’s speculation he might join a bigger club soon. His family has a strong soccer background in Iceland, and his father, Gudmundur Benediktsson, was a national team player turned TV commentator.
They’re excited about potentially working together in Germany this summer, where Iceland would face Romania, Slovakia, and Belgium in the Euro 2024 group stage.
