Malena Josephsen

Malena Josephsen (born 3 January 1977) is a Faroese football midfielder who captains KÍ Klaksvík of the Faroese 1. deild kvinnur. From 2004 until 2015, she represented the Faroe Islands women's national football team at senior international level.

Malena Josephsen
Playing for the Faroe Islands in October 2013
Personal information
Full name Malena Josephsen
Date of birth (1977-01-03) January 3, 1977
Place of birth Klaksvík, Faroe Islands
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 KÍ
Number 8
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994– KÍ 373 (307)
National team‡
2004–2015 Faroe Islands[1] 41 (10)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 April 2017
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 April 2017

Club career

Josephsen broke into the team at KÍ Klaksvík in 1994 and remained loyal to the club for two decades, during which she captained the team to a period of sustained dominance at domestic level. Speaking in 2005, following KÍ's sixth successive league title, she admitted to concerns about the level of competition: "We know when we go on the pitch that we will win the match, the only question is how much we will win. We are not getting any better by playing in this league."[2]

As of 2013–14, Josephsen has made 39 appearances and scored seven goals for KÍ in the UEFA Women's Champions League, formerly known as the UEFA Women's Cup.

International career

The Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF) scrapped their women's team in 1996, following a fruitless 1997 UEFA Women's Championship qualification campaign which culminated in a 9–0 defeat to Belgium. The association was unwilling to fund travel to away fixtures.[2]

When the senior women's national team was relaunched in 2004 after an eight-year hiatus, Malena Josephsen started their first match, a 2–1 friendly defeat to Ireland.[3] The game was staged in Klaksvík on 12 October 2004, the day before the nations' senior men's teams met at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

She featured as the Faroe Islands won the football tournament at the 2005 Island Games in Shetland.[4]

Josephsen's first matches in UEFA competition came in November 2006, at the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying series. At a preliminary round mini-tournament held in Strumica, Macedonia, Josephsen's injury time goal in the Faroe Islands' first match was not enough, as they lost 2–1 to Wales. The team was eliminated after another defeat, 1–0 to Kazakhstan. In the final match the Faroe Islands beat hosts Macedonia 7–0. Josephsen netted twice in a result which remains the Faroe Islands' record win.

In 2012, Josephsen and her KÍ teammates Randi Wardum and Rannvá B. Andreasen simultaneously became the first Faroese players to win 25 caps.[5]

In June 2016 she announced that she would no longer play for the national team.[6] She has played 41 matches and scored ten goals for the national team of the Faroe Islands.

International goals
Scores and results list Faroe Islands' goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Source
1 18 November 2006 Stadion Mladost, Strumica, Macedonia  Wales 1–2 1–2 UEFA Women's Euro 2009 Qual. - Preliminary round [7]
2 23 October 2006 Stadion Kukuš, Strumica, Macedonia  Macedonia 1–0 7–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2009 Qual. - Preliminary round [8]
3 6–0
4 7 November 2007 Panevėžys, Lithuania  Latvia 2–0 3–0 UEFA friendly competition [9]
5 15 May 2008 Luxembourg, Luxembourg  Luxembourg 3–0 4–2 UEFA friendly competition [10]
6 27 October 2008 ARVI Football Arena, Marijampolė, Lithuania  Luxembourg 6–2 6–2 UEFA friendly competition [11]
7 11 April 2009 Sportski park Podravac, Virje, Croatia  Croatia 3–1 3–1 UEFA friendly competition [12]
8 16 April 2009 Gradski stadion, Križevci, Croatia  Lithuania 3–1 3–1 UEFA friendly competition [13]
9 5 March 2011 Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta  Malta 1–0 2–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying - Preliminary Round [14]
10 28 November 2012 Stade Jos Haupert, Niederkorn, Luxembourg  Luxembourg 6–0 6–0 Friendly [15]

References
  1. "Landsliðsleikarar 1995-2016" (in Faroese). Faroe Islands Football Association. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  2. "Interview: Malena Josephsen (KI Klaksvik)". Soccerway. 24 September 2005. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  3. Duret, Sébastien (5 April 2005). "International Matches (Women) 2004". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  4. "Competitor Details - Malena Josephsen". NatWest Island Games - Rhodes 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  5. "Leiktu dyst nr 25" (in Faroese). Kvinnu Fotbolt. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  6. Patursson, Steinar (28 June 2016). "Malena gevst á landsliðnum" (in Faroese). Portal.fo. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  7. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Wales - Føroyar
  8. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Makedonia - Føroyar
  9. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Letland - Føroyar
  10. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Føroyar - Luxembourg
  11. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Føroyar - Luxembourg
  12. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Kroatia - Føroyar
  13. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Litava - Føroyar
  14. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Føroyar - Malta
  15. www.kvinnufotbolt.com Luxembourg - Føroyar
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