Pays d'Aix UC, France
Kristján Örn Kristjánsson, better known as "Donni", was born 25 December 1997, and plays for Pays d'Aix UC and the Icelandic
national team. Donni is one of the lefthanded players of the team.
R I G H T B A C K
Kristján Örn Kristjánsson, better known as "Donni", started playing at an early age for Fjölnir, the local team in Grafarvogur, Reykjavík. He made the "first team" in Fjölnir in 2013.
In 2018, Kristján Örn joined ÍBV, a team located in Vestmannaeyjar, an island group south of Iceland. During a successful two-year run with ÍBV, he caught the attention of French team Pays d’Aix Université Club Handball, PAUC.
Kristján has played a pivotal role with PAUC, emerging as the top scorer for the team in the 2020/21 season.
The upcoming EHF Euro 2024 won't be Kristján's first big tournament, as he already represented the national team at the World Championship in 2021 and the European Championship in 2022.
Following a fantastic player such as Kristján Örn, one can't help but wonder where it all started. "I was introduced to handball during the 2008 Olympics. I watched it for the first time with my dad, who then challenged me to give it a try. Since that moment, I've never looked back."
When asked about his pre-game rituals, Kristján says he doesn't really have any specific routine, but emphasizes: "I always aim for a good night's sleep so I'm well-rested for the game".
Having spent two successful years with ÍBV, it comes as no surprise when Kristján Örn reveals that his favorite place in Iceland is Vestmannaeyjar. When asked about his favorite place in Germany he says "Gummersbach; I visited there once on a school field trip".
It's always interesting to hear from successful people who they look up to, and when asked about his favorite handball player of all time, Kristján mentioned Guðjón Valur, a former player for the Icelandic national team.
Lastly, does Donni have any hidden talents? "It's not really a hidden anymore but I do play both guitar and piano".
I love listening to Coldplay's catalogue. But if I have to choose I'd say "A sky full of stars".
