PROFILE | Lille's Hákon Arnar Haraldsson metamorphosed in 2024
Yesterday at 05:50 AM
It took time for Hákon Arnar Haraldsson to settle into life in France following his move from Copenhagen to Lille ahead of the 2023/24 season. The young Icelandic winger was joining an unfamiliar country with a language he admittedly found difficult to learn. It took until after Christmas for Haraldsson to find his feet and begin showing on a regular basis the clear potential that the club had spotted.
Haraldsson's first and second goals for the club came in January during a 12-0 demolition of Golden Lion in the Coupe de France. This was followed in the next round with the winning effort in the 1-0 victory over Racing Club de France. In February, Haraldsson scored against more fancied opposition when he registered his first league goal in the 3-1 defeat to Toulouse FC.
However, his best performances were perhaps saved for the Europa Conference League where the winger helped guide Les Dogues to their first-ever European quarter-final where they were eventually eliminated by Aston Villa in a somewhat infamous penalty shootout. Haraldsson failed to score in Europe but assisted in both games against SK Sturm Graz in the Round of 16 and during the second leg against Aston Villa.
For his then-manager Paulo Fonseca, the highest praise for Haraldsson was that "Today, he's another player." He was no longer a prospect who needed to adapt, he was someone who could be relied upon in the club's biggest games. Lille ended the season in fourth place and with an opportunity to earn a spot in this year's Champions League via the playoffs.
Broken foot halts Haraldsson’s progress
Fonseca would leave but the trust placed in Haraldsson would only grow with the new manager Bruno Génésio. In the middle of Lille's qualification campaign, Génésio would state, "I expect him to give his all for the group… [and] to lead the whole team towards qualification." The winger would do his part earning another European assist during the 2-0 victory against SK Slavia Prague. However, Haraldsson's year would take an unfortunate twist.
The winger suffered a broken foot during a training session with the Icelandic national team at the start of September. It was a serious injury meaning that Haraldsson has missed a lot of games for Lille this season including most of their impressive Champions League campaign. However, the burgeoning star has returned from this setback and will hopefully carry on his progress into 2025.
