Iceland football coach Heimir Hallgrimsson steps down after seven years in role

Reykjavik: Heimir Hallgrimsson, the coach who led Iceland to its first World Cup in the recently concluded event in Russia, has stepped down from his role.

The Icelandic Football Association announced that Hallgrimsson decided to leave at his own request, ending seven years in the role.

Hallgrimsson was the co-coach with Lars Lagerback of Sweden at the European Championship in 2016, when Iceland reached the quarter-finals of the quadrennial event after beating England.

After Lagerback left, Hallgrimsson, a part-time dentist, assumed sole control of the national team, which became the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup.

The most momentous result for the nation at the World Cup was when Iceland drew with the Lionel Messi-led Argentina in its opening group game. However, Iceland failed to advance to the knockout stage.