Iceland manager Lars Lagerback after qualifying for Euro 2016: 'I wouldn't say that I am a hero'

As the rain poured down on the 10,000 supporters at Laugardalsvollur who represented three percent of Iceland's population, Lars Lagerback, co-manager of the country's national team, knew he had achieved something special.

With a population of 329,000, Iceland became the smallest nation to qualify for the European Championship by virtue of a scoreless draw versus Kazakhstan on Sunday that secured the Nordic island nation's place at Euro 2016. Never before had Iceland qualified for any competition.

"Someone said it is like a fairytale and I guess that is true in a way, but not in another," said Lagerback, according to Marcus Christenson and Magnus Mar Einarsson of the Guardian. "This is the result of hard work from a lot of people. Everyone has improved.

"There has been a lot of talking about my role and that I am going to become president, but all it is about is that we are a group of people who have worked incredibly hard in a good environment. And then we have some very, very good footballers."

Lagerback was appointed as Iceland's manager in October 2011 after the national team had suffered a brutal qualifying campaign for Euro 2012, losing six of its eight fixtures. He subsequently appointed Heimir Hallgrimsson as his assistant, and the immediate result was Iceland narrowly missing out on a spot at last year's World Cup.

"It has been fantastic," said Lagerback, who featured at three European Championships as manager of Sweden's national team. "It was big to qualify with Sweden, but this is extra special. People are proud here and you can feel that proudness. I say that from the bottom of my heart. Yes, I am struggling to find words to describe this."

He added: "I wouldn't say that I am a hero. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and people like that are real heroes."