Today, the Olympic Stadium is half-empty, and it puts the glow of last summer in a new light, writes Urheilu’s Roope Visuri.
Roope Visuriruheluth reporter
Last year, Huuhkaji was hailed by all Finns as a wild phenomenon, but on Thursday night there will be a nasty dent in those talks.
The Olympic Stadium will be half-empty on Thursday, even though the Huuhkajat will face Ireland in a significant and generally challenging game of the Nations League in terms of their new beginning.
Of course, there are many logical reasons for this situation. First of all, a not-so-quick opponent will be faced in October on a Thursday evening at 21:45. It is natural that many would rather choose the match between England and the world stars at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday at 19:00.
It is then easier to get to Helsinki from the provinces, and you can also take the children with you. It’s no wonder that the England match has been sold out for a long time.
The timing is not the only reason for the lackluster ticket sales for the Ireland match. The results of recent times have been so minor that they won’t bring success-crazed Finns to the football stands on Thursday.
I don’t think the cheerleaders will fill the Olympic Stadium purely regardless of the results or the opponents.
President of the Football Association Ari Lahti and Huuhkajie’s head coach Markku Kanerva also showed with their words and actions in the games in September that this season’s Nations League matches are treated as events similar to training games.
Kanerva showed it in his bold decision to switch Ilmari Niskanen on the field against England and justifying it specifically as “getting additional information”.
Ari Lahti on the other hand reminded in Helsingin Sanomat after two disappointing losing games, that Huuhkajat has not lost a single point considering the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers and that “everything is aimed at”.
Why should you get excited about the Nations League if prominent Finnish football influencers talk like this?
In the past, the League of Nations has been marketed in addition to doing well in the actual tournament, so that if you succeed in it, you have better chances of getting to the prestigious tournament. Finland has previously also received so-called spare cartridges from the League of Nations.
However, getting a so-called reserve cartridge from the Nations League for the World Cup qualifiers is very difficult for Finland compared to the European Championship qualifiers.
Another important thing in the Nations League now would be the draw baskets for the World Cup qualifiers starting next year. Ending in the third draw basket in the World Cup qualifiers also seems 100% sure played in the Nations League now anyway, so in any case there would be two teams better than Finland in the qualifying group.
In that sense, Kanerva and Lahti’s comments are also logical. Especially when there are a lot of winds of change in Huuhkaj anyway.
The attitude reflected in Kanerva and Lahti’s comments still reflects the attitudes of the larger public towards the League of Nations. Home games in the Nations League have never been popular hits before.
The number of spectators for Thursday’s Ireland game will follow the same line as the previous home games of the Nations League two years ago, even if they will be a little less now.
Against Romania in September 2022, there were 20,130 spectators at the Olympic Stadium. Among the home games in June, the audience for the match against Montenegro was 17,009 and for the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina 20,181.
The League of Nations was supposed to add more competitive matches and bring more excitement, but the tournament, which is now being played for the fourth time, seems to be too difficult for non-specialists to absorb. It is difficult for the general public to see the value of the Nations League compared to the actual qualifiers.
In the big picture, even the meaningfulness of the Nations League in a game jam can be questioned. In Europe’s leading countries, the headlines have now been raised by injuries and absences. For example, the superstar of Finland’s toughest opponent, England Harry Kane playing is uncertain. Three England players have already definitely left the sidelines.
Despite everything, Huuhkaji has a huge stake in tonight’s match. A credibility problem is developing for the new beginning of the Huahkaji. It would be nice to sometimes win games, score goals or even get a shot towards the goal.
There is plenty to watch in the Olympic stadium’s stands and at the TV receivers, even though “everything is now aiming towards the World Cup qualifiers”.
Football Nations League match between Finland and Ireland on Thursday at 21:45. Live broadcast on TV2, Areena and app from 21:00.