Finnish women’s national football team striker Amanda Rantanen, 26, had to miss the season again due to a broken tibia.
Amanda Rantanen answers the phone in his hometown in Helsinki.
If everything had gone according to plan, he would be in Linköping preparing for the weekend’s away match against AIK.
However, the Finnish soccer player’s season ended in disappointment again – before it even started. Rantanen didn’t even get a hundred and fifty playing minutes.
– Around the middle of August, it was noticed that there is a new stress fracture in the left leg, which, like the right leg, needs surgery. When I saw the pictures of the leg, it was pretty clear that the season was here, Rantanen’s time.
The Finnish striker’s previous season ended in disappointment for the same reason: a stress fracture was found in both lower legs, but the right leg injury required surgery.
He got on the field after a long, almost year-long rehabilitation, in May of this year.
Rantanen only had time to play in six matches in the summer before he had to leave his beloved sport again.
– It was really heartbreaking to have to experience the same thing for the second time. How much did you work for its return, Rantanen begins.
– It was devastating that when we came back from the summer break, for the first time in over a year, I recognized the futar that I really am in training. That now I play from the spinal cord without extra thought. Then a couple of days passed, and a new fracture appeared. It made me really sad.
Many questions were running through Rantanen’s mind.
– Why did this happen again? Why didn’t the shin last? Why do I have to experience this and why can’t I enjoy futs and just play?
Now Rantanen is waiting to go into surgery. He hopes that the surgery would be performed in Finland.
– It’s good that I know exactly what lies ahead, because I had exactly the same surgery a year ago. I’ve been trying to put my thoughts into it and back again.
Teammates, friends, a boyfriend and a football-loving family have supported Rantanen in difficult moments.
Despite the difficult situation, quitting has not crossed Rantanen’s mind.
– After almost three years of playing with shin pain, it starts to feel a bit like there is some sense in this. Right from the start, however, I got the feeling that this would not stop here. I won’t stop at getting hurt again. I have given so much to football and received so much back that this is not the end of my story. This will really come back and even harder, Rantanen promises.
What motivates you to do the heavy rehabilitation work again?
– I know that I haven’t reached my peak. I want to see what it is, how good I can get. And futs is a wonderful profession where you get to work with wonderful people. Is there anything better? Rantanen laughs.
Good memories of Scotland
For next year, Rantanen’s plans are completely open as to whether his career will continue in Finland, abroad and at what level.
– First, I try to put all my thoughts into the surgery and recovery, and then we’ll see next year’s patterns.
Rantanen moved to Sweden, first to the ranks of Örebro, from PK-35 in the summer of 2021. More than half a year earlier, he had debuted in the A national team and scored a memorable goal in his debut match. Helmarit won 1-0 on Scotland’s away field with a goal in extra time and secured a place in at least the European Championship play-offs.