From Cleaning Classrooms to Golden Boots: In an interview with 365Scores, European football’s top scorer talks about his passion for Brazilian players and his job as a school janitor.
Probably not even the biggest European football expert has heard the name Klaemint Olsen. It’s understandable; after all, the 35-year-old striker plays for the modest NSI Runavik, from the distant Faroe Islands, an archipelago north of the United Kingdom inhabited by fewer than 50,000 people.
Olsen, however, has scored more goals than any other striker in Europe this season and leads the race for the Golden Boot. Okay, okay, a very important observation needs to be made: the Faroe Islands’ championship, like that of many other Nordic countries, is already ending, while the major leagues have just begun.
But, looking at the cold numbers, the 35-year-old center-forward who divides his time between the pitch and his routine as a school janitor has more goals (26) so far than Harry Kane (11), Erling Haaland (9), and Kylian Mbappé (9). Olsen’s rights are valued by the website Transfermarkt at 75,000 euros, a tiny fraction compared to the salaries of the three stars from Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.
The most famous citizen of the small town of Runavik, which has about 600 inhabitants, and one of the most well-known in the entire country, Klaemint Olsen was even surprised to be approached by 365Scores for an interview. “What would it be about?” Informed that the topic was his season with an average of more than one goal per game so far (26 in 25 games), he didn’t hesitate: “Cool, I’m in.”
In the exclusive interview with Renato de Alexandrino for 365Scores Brazil , Klaemint Olsen talks about his playing style, his passion for Brazilian players, and even mentions some clubs he knows.
Do you think this has been your best season so far? It has been one of my best seasons, yes. But in 2019, I also scored 26 goals in the championship. I hope I can score a few more this season; we still have two games to go. The record for most goals in a season is 27.
Are you aware that you are leading the Golden Boot race as the top European scorer at the moment? No, I wasn’t aware of that. But our season is almost over and all the other leagues have just started, so that ranking will probably change in the coming months.
How do you describe your playing style? I am an old-fashioned penalty area striker. I score goals with the first touch most of the time, and I am probably strongest with my head and in reading the timing inside the box.
I read in an interview that Ronaldo was one of your favorite players. Do you like any other Brazilian players? R9 was and is one of the best strikers. He was always my favorite player. Ronaldinho, at Barcelona, was also spectacular. Brazilian players are always fun to watch; they have a different way of playing football than our ‘normal’ European players. The technique and passion for the game are special.
The main European top scorers today are Kane, Haaland, and Mbappé. Which one do you like the most? All three are world-class! They are three very different players with distinct qualities. Maybe Kane is the best finisher, but those three on the same team would be a dream for any coach.
You’ve played your entire life for NSI Runavik, except for a loan spell in Iceland. Did you dream of playing in a big league, for a big club? Of course, when I was younger, I wanted to be a professional football player in one of the top leagues, but I was always realistic and knew it would be very difficult. That’s why I decided to study to be a carpenter after primary school. My focus has always been on NSI and the Faroe Islands national team, and now I am the all-time top scorer in Faroese football history, both in the league and for the national team.
Do you know any Brazilian clubs? I know a few, but we don’t watch Brazilian football on TV here. But Flamengo, Palmeiras, São Paulo, and Corinthians are familiar to me.
Do you have another job besides playing football? Yes, I work as a janitor in a school from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., I train with the team.
Klaemint Olsen’s Career Numbers:
Games: 451
Goals: 286
Assists: 6
