Helmareite’s interim head coach Marko Saloranta says that he was not completely surprised by Anna Signeul’s uproar.
Marko Saloranta was named on Tuesday as the temporary head coach of the Helmares, when Anna Signeulin the contract was terminated. Saloranta appeared in front of the media on Thursday.
The Football Association will choose the future head coach during the fall. Saloranta will be the head coach at least until the end of the year. He promises to do his best and then we’ll see what the future holds.
– I was rumored to be the next head coach for the first time in 2009, when Michael Käldin the contract ended. If asked, it’s always an honor to coach the Finnish national team, Saloranta said.
According to him, Signeul’s successor has a challenge ahead of him. Most of the current national team players will probably end their careers in the next few years.
– Maybe even too many people have to do a few at once. It would be important to gradually get players to the national team earlier.
Helmareite’s team was the second oldest of the ongoing European Championships. In addition, according to their own experience, substitute players did not have the opportunity to influence the starting line-up.
Will we see any surprising players in September?
In September, Helmarit will face Ireland (September 1) and Sweden (September 6) in the World Cup qualifiers. Finland still has a chance to qualify.
Saloranta said that there may be surprising players. Maybe we need players who haven’t played for the national team yet.
– Half of the team probably won’t change, but we have a lot of good young people who are close (to the national team).
According to Saloranta, we will see some changes in the way of playing in September, especially in attacking play.
– In the EC qualifiers, Finland was extremely good at defending its own area and the structure of the defense was good. We need to sharpen that and find that strength back, he added.
The uproar around Signeul was not surprising
Saloranta stated that the accusations against Signeuli “probably did not come as a complete surprise”. He was upset about it from the team’s point of view when the topic came up during the European Championship.
– I don’t see it as a big problem. You have to be able to talk critically about things – both bad and good. I am proud that Finland is becoming more of a soccer country every day.
According to him, everyone in the national team is a professional. Arguments are part of the issue, and discussing them shouldn’t be a problem, says Saloranta.
– If you want to get to the top, you have to be able to handle them. There will be different types of titles and other things. Then we still push forward. That’s something you have to be good at.
Saloranta does not want to change the coaching team very much before the World Cup qualifiers. He says that the head coach of HJK Jonne Kunnas joins as second coach.