The management of the football association washed its hands of the commotion associated with Anna Signeuli. According to expert Jonne Kunnas, the fall World Cup qualifiers should see a new head coach.
Samu Saatsi,
Jussi Vainikka,
Hinn Hirvonen
The European Championship tournament of the Finnish women’s national football team ended on Saturday in England with a 0–3 loss to Germany.
The head coach Anna Signeulin pilot Helmarit could not challenge Germany, Spain and Denmark in the tough group. Finland conceded eight goals and scored only one.
The discussion about Signeul’s position has become heated because of the Swedish management style and Helmarie’s weak performances. His contract with Pallloiito expires at the end of the year. Before that, Helmarit will still play important World Cup qualifiers against Ireland (September 1) and Sweden (September 6).
Signeul stated after the match that he does not know what the fate of the head coach is.
– I won’t decide it, but I have a contract until the end of December. In any case, I have had the union’s full support until now.
President of the Football Association Ari Lahti and Secretary General Marco Casagrande were, like hundreds of other Finns, watching the match against Germany in Milton Keynes.
– Of course, now after the tournament we will analyze how everything went and how to continue from this. We wanted to put the coaching issue to rest for the duration of this tournament and now we will see what happens after it ends, Lahti said.
– The level difference was quite big, you could see it here. We are not satisfied with that result, Casagrande said in a stern tone a moment later.
According to Signeul, the commotion surrounding him somewhat disturbed his concentration on the EC tournament.
– It’s never nice when a lot of negative things are written. I don’t want to take a stand on those during the tournament. It wouldn’t be right for the players, the management or myself. We were here to play and we tried to focus on that.
The management of the football association washed its hands of motherhood
The board of the Finnish Football Federation held a separate meeting in England. Chairman Lahti said that the board discussed the media uproar related to Signeuli’s management informally.
Sports expert Maiju Rootsalainen said at the beginning of the games that she had experienced inappropriate treatment as an assistant coach of the women’s A national team in connection with the fact that she became a mother.
– Our clear view is that no discrimination of any kind has been practiced in Pallloliito regarding this issue. The Football Association respects motherhood above all else, Lahti said.
According to Casagrande, there is no conflict between actions and words in Balloliito.
– I don’t see that. If we talk about this individual case, it is clear that there has been enough information and that discrimination has not been possible on the part of the Football Association.
– Efforts have also been made to support the coach (Swedish) and offer further opportunities. We would also like to have a discussion with him about the matter other than through Yleisradio, he stated.
– Whatever values a community chooses, they are measured when there is a crisis that needs to be resolved. The Football Association has shown where they stand on this and it does not match those values.
– Maiju Ruotsalainen’s case has been under consideration (by the union) for some time and now we are talking about this. It’s the biggest mystery to me, Kunnas wondered.
Expert Liisa-Maija Rautio said that she hopes that the union will discuss in the future how the coaching path could be successful as a mother.
– In general, as a woman, such comments are outrageous and feel bad, Rautio said, referring to the maternity crisis.
Did the criticism come as a surprise?
Finland reached the European Championship from the qualifying group, which was an excellent achievement. Outside of that, however, the Helmareite’s style of play has not really developed, but the weaknesses have been more and more hidden.
The opponents in the first group of the European Championships took advantage of Finland’s weaknesses, which were already known in advance, and dulled their strengths.
Signeul’s preferred way of playing almost exclusively the konkar guard, which he has used throughout his five years as head coach, has also become a problem.
The average age of Helmaret’s established starting line-up was among the highest in the European Championships. In the Spain match, the average age of Finland’s starting line-up was 29.2 years, there were five players over 30 years old and only two under 25 years old.
The ending of Finland’s games and the awarding of the games were also discussed among the studio experts after the match. Urheilu’s experts perhaps left a slightly bitter taste in the team’s race break.
– I feel that the women’s A national team’s performances have hardly been critically discussed. It’s been felt that it’s cool when the women’s team does this, this, tota. When criticism has not been heard before, it may have come as a surprise, Kunnas, an expert and head coach of HJK in the National League, said emphatically.
– But, it’s part of sports and it’s a good thing for Finnish football in general that we talk about the game and be critical. You have to be able to respond to criticism. The future bearers of responsibility must be brought in – not by forcing, but steadily – so that it is easier for the A national team to move forward, he continued.
Kunnas would change the head coach for the World Cup qualifiers
Signeul’s strengths were also discussed in the studio. Rautio, an expert and coach at KuPS, stated that the biggest achievement of Signeul can be considered to be raising the standard of the women’s national team.
– He has brought operations in a more professional direction. But, it is also necessary to take into account how things are handled within the team when the level of demands increases, Rautio said and referred to the uproar related to Signeul’s management style.
The experts were also asked if Anna Signeul is the right person to continue as coach of the Helmarei in the World Cup qualifiers.
– I’m not the right person to say whether he’s the right person for it, but I don’t believe it myself, Jonne Kunnas commented.
– Related to that is how advanced the application process for the future head coach is at the moment. As well as how those two World Cup qualifying games can be carried through well and without big question marks. But I personally believe that he is not the right person for that, he continued.
Lahti said that Palloliitto will have “more official discussions” with head coach Signeuli after the games are over. The association also wants to listen to the team’s opinion regarding the continuation.
After these, the Pallloiitto board will make its further decision. He didn’t begin to speculate on a timetable for how things would progress, but said something would be announced before Signeul’s contract expires in December.