The European Championship 2026 is about to begin and the excitement is naturally high. At Arion Bank, we have been one of the main sponsors of the men's national handball team since 2004, or for a full twenty-two years. It has been quite an adventure with a lot of water under the bridge during this time. For instance, we reached the medal podium at a major tournament for the first time when Iceland finished second at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. In 2010, we won our first final match at the European Championship when we defeated Poland in the bronze medal game. These were new milestones in the history of Icelandic handball that delighted the nation and created high expectations for the years to come.
Various stars have made their mark during these twenty-two years. In Arion Bank's new marketing campaign, which aims, among other things, to strengthen and maintain the nation's interest in handball, we decided to bring together several nationally renowned former national team players with current representatives of Iceland on the court. The result can be seen in these highly entertaining photographs and videos where the warmth, unity, and affection of the players toward each other shines through. These guys have been through a lot together, both bitter and sweet.
For a small nation like Iceland, there is something truly magical about achieving success in sports on the international stage. Few nations stand as firmly behind their national team as we do. Sverre Andreas Jakobsson, the former defensive stalwart and current Arion employee, said that it was "an honor every time to wear the national team jersey." It has been our genuine pleasure to have stood firmly behind such powerful athletes, who think in such a way, with our decades-long support.
We also simply love the atmosphere at major handball tournaments, when relatives and friends gather in front of the television to support our boys in thrilling battles against the sport's finest players. Handball is a sport that brings us together while bridging the gap between generations.
At Arion Bank, we look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation with the Icelandic national team.
