Alriika national football team

Alriika

Nickname(s)	Bohccot (The Stags)
Association	Alriikavaláštallansearvi
Confederation	FFA
Head coach	Siiggur Ráffobárdni
Captain	Jovvá Vullebárdni
Most caps	Jovvá Vullebárdni
Top scorer	Abel Krupp
Home stadium	Riikkaparká, Sangashámman
NSWC code	ALR
First colours Second colours Third colours
First international
Newrey 4–2 Alriika (Cyningburgh, Newrey; 2 March 1962)
Biggest win
Alriika 8–1 Vrnallia (Sangashámman, Alriika; 23 March 2005)
Biggest defeat
Qal'eh 12-0 Alriika (Kyderabad, Qal'eh; 10 April 1996)
Copa d'Aeia
Appearances	N/A (first in N/A)
Best result	N/A

The Alriika national football team (Almic: Alriikaálbmotlašspábbačiekčanstálla) is the football team that represents Alriika in international football competitions. It is currently governed by the Alriikavaláštallansearvi (Alriika Sports Association). The team's home stadium is the Riikkaparká in Sangashámman. The team's nickname is Bohccot (The Stags), taken from the mascot of both the Alriika Sports Association and the national animal of Alriika itself.

History

1962-1975: The Lads in Blue

The story of Alriikan football is a peculiar one, borne of a struggle for a national identity, and a desire to make a mark on Asuran, and later Aeian, history. While the Provisional Republic and later the Báitilstáhta government did not sanction or allow the formation of an official team, many unofficial Alriikan teams would form, all proclaiming that they should be the representatives of the nation. While this practice was disallowed, calls for an official team would join the multiple calls for reform during the 1960 Sangashámman Riots, and later, the coup that would establish the republic as it is known today. Afterwards, one of the first orders of business would be to take the best players from the unofficial clubs, as well as the already existing clubs in the Alriikan Sports Association, and form a team, leading to their first international against Newrey in 1962. Though a loss, Alriika would continue to use the team to further Alriikan ties with Asura, inspiring the youth of the nation to play sports, and unite the people in a continuation of national unity programs left over from the previous regime.

1975-2000: The Julesbárdni Era

1975 was a year of great change for the nation. After a brief war with Dosceriche, Hugo Julesbárdni, a seasoned veteran of multiple Asuran clubs, would take the reins of the Alriikan team as head coach. Though the struggle with securing adequate funding was rough, Hugo would do what he could to save the program from disrepair and reinvigorate the team with his aggressive play-style and leadership. He would help the team reach a respected stage, winning quite a few Asuran tournaments and friendlies in other nations. In 1985, in the first game played in Dosceriche since the war 10 years prior, Julesbárdni would lead the team to victory against the team. Riots broke out in the stands and, in an attempt to escape the stadium, the Goalkeeper, Hans Klinke, would suffer a head injury from a brick thrown from the stands, which would later kill him. For that reason, the team wears all black uniforms in the first game of the year, in remembrance and reverence of his life and death. As the Copa d'Aeia began in 1990, the team would qualify for it on several occasions, but would always remain winless. Despite suffering a 12-0 blowout by Qal'eh in their first game against a Sifharian team, fan pressure kept Julesbárdni from being fired by the Association, and he went on to coach the team until mid-2000, when he would pass away in his sleep.

2000-present: The Stags Today

With the passing of Hugo, the team would burn through coaches for three years until 2005, where Kris Elmo would take the job. He quickly adopted a reflexive-aggressive play-style more dependent on reads and fast paced and well-timed defensive plays opening up to offensive rallies. In 2005, after a 4 year drought, they qualified for that year's Copa, to which they would make it to the finals, the furthest they have ever made, only to fall to Vidoria.

The Alriikan team celebrates after advancing to the 2005 Copa d'Aeia final

Regardless of the loss, most Alriikans were simply happy to have made it so far, and were still welcomed home as heroes. Kris Elmo would go on to continue to coach until 2014, where he retired and has since pursued a writing career.

Since then, while Alriika has not quite been able to recapture the spirit of the years before, Siiggur Ráffobárdni, the new head coach, has taken the mantle of "making the team great again."

Team Image

Colours

Traditionally speaking, the kits of the Alriikan team has always been either navy or white, with alternating color shorts and grey socks. Until 1988, the shirts featured a seven pointed star patch with A.D. in the middle, standing for Alriika Dásseváldi. In the years following, the team adopted a variation of the modern logo, without the "Alriika" block letters above it. Also in 1988, the team would adopt a kit with side stripes on the sleeves and midsection. The numbers have always been white for the navy jersey, and navy for the white jersey. It is also not uncommon for the shorts to be mixed, with second color shorts being used with first color jerseys, and vice versa. In the 2005 Copa d'Aeia, the team would don a black and gray kit in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Ascania Riots during the first game against Dosceriche, and the 2 team members killed on the way to the airport after the game. The black and gray kit has been used during the first game of each season since then.

Badge

The badge of the Alriikan national football team consists of a navy shield with a silver trim. Above the badge is the nation's name. On the top of the badge is "Álbmotlašspábbačiekčanstálla," Almic for "National Football team." Inside the badge is a reindeer with one foot resting atop a football, while a seven pointed star shines above it. This is a direct representation to the flag and national symbol of the nation.

Home Stadium

The team has played its home games in the capital city of Alriika, Sangashámman, in Riikkaparká, though the stadium itself has seen three iterations. The most recent one, built on the grounds of the old Riikkaparká, known as R3, has a capacity of 20,000, and is covered by a roof made of 20,500m2 of ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) transparent roofing material. R3 was initially designed to serve as a means of creating a stadium capable of housing and cultivating a natural pitch. While such construction was a success, and the field was well-managed deep into the later portions of the season when winter would begin to set in, the cost associated with keeping the heat conducive to growing and maintaining grass, along with the lack of sunlight, made keeping a natural field more work than it was worth. The field now uses an artificial pitch, though the roof remains to open up the stadium's use for multiple events such as concerts.

In Media

The Alriikan national team has been covered by various media outlets in Alriika since its inception, with its first appearance on radio being in 1962, and the first appearance on television being of the 1985 game against Dosceriche. Since then, Alriika Televišuvdna (AT) has had exclusive rights to publish the games in Almic on the sports network branch of AT, Alriika Valáštallan Fierbmi (AVF).

Starting Squad

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Ivvár Rolfebárdni	(1990-02-28) 28 February 1990	97	0	Gonagas SK
2	2DF	Mihkku Silvabárdni	(1996-03-29) 29 March 1996	6	0	Nuortihámman VK
3	2DF	Ridwan Morsi	(1994-04-14) 14 April 1994	7	0	Sumeira FC
4	2DF	Márte Bierrelas	(1997-10-05) 5 October 1997	31	2	Geavvat SK
5	2DF	Pekka Juoksabárdni	(1992-11-11) 11 November 1992	41	2	Sangashámman Ovttastuvvat
6	3MF	Poalla Boeschen	(1998-05-01) 1 May 1998	20	2	SK Stuollu
7	3MF	Hans Nilke	(1999-03-16) 16 March 1999	35	3	Vestby FC
8	3MF	Jovvá Vullebárdni (captain)	(1986-12-23) 23 December 1986	93	12	Loahpalašsearvi
9	3MF	Aikio Linbárdni	(1996-07-02) 2 July 1996	24	1	Sangashámman Ovttastuvvat
10	4FW	Abel Krupp	(1991-06-16) 16 June 1991	53	41	Ráđđi SK
11	4FW	Egel Nilsebárdni	(1998-08-24) 24 August 1998	25	31	Nuortihámman VK