broadcasts all Huuhkajie EC qualifying matches live. The live broadcast of the San Marino match starts on Monday at 18:15 on TV2, Areena and the app. The match starts at 19:00.
The Finnish men’s national football team is now of extraordinary interest. On Monday, Huuhkajat will meet football’s lilliputia San Marino at the Olympic Stadium and play for the second time in four days in front of more than 30,000 spectators.
– Finns want to come and see Huuhkaji and Huuhkaja players. That’s a big change. In the past, we have reached more than 30,000 spectators mainly against Spain, Germany, France and England, the marketing director of the Finnish Football Association Mikko Laitinen grant.
Laitinen messaged Urheilu shortly before this story was published that there are only a few dozen tickets left for Monday’s match against San Marino.
In addition to cheerleaders, spectators want to enjoy the atmosphere of the events.
– When you look at visitor surveys, the atmosphere is the biggest reason why you attend the match event. For that, a big thank you to SMJK and their long-term activities. I think people get a little fomo (fear of missing out). When something grows and grows, you want to be a part of it.
San Marino as an opponent is not the most attractive. The bottom of the FIFA world rankings has won only one of the 199 international matches it has played, when Liechtenstein fell in 2004.
A phenomenon has emerged from the fan account of the “worst football country in the world”, because the team, which mainly consists of players who play in the country’s own league and in the Italian lower leagues, rarely celebrates goals. Because joy is also torn from own goals.
When Huuhkajat last met the country in November 2010, at the Olympic Stadium Jari Litmanen more than 8,000 spectators witnessed the farewell match. In 1994, there were even fewer people in the stands: just over 3,100 – of course this match was also played in December.
According to Laitinen, the Finnish Football Federation will net a six-figure sum from the tickets for the San Marino match, when the costs of the Olympic Stadium are deducted from the box office receipts.
On Monday, 32,000 tickets had been sold – that is, almost as many people as live in San Marino, which has a population of just over 33,000.
– If some kind of research was done, Huuhkajat would probably be the most loved sports brand in Finland. It can be seen and heard in everything. Of course, the beautiful summer days and the sold-out Olympic Stadium add to the boost, but the Slovenia match at the latest guaranteed that even though the opponent is now clearly weaker compared to prior expectations, it is no longer an issue. The public will enjoy the event and the shared, happy atmosphere, Urheilu’s expert Antti Pohja comment.
Soccer drug
According to Pohja, the Huuhkaja brand is currently doing better than ever.
– Success will come on the field and the expectation is again to get to the Games. In addition, marketing, reach and getting close to people make the brand interesting in the eyes of a large audience as well. Match events are fascinating in themselves: people get to rejoice and rejoice not only from the team’s performances, but also from celebrating with like-minded people.
Pohja describes the atmosphere in the matches as carnival-like. Viewers can be found in all age groups.
– A family has been created from Huuhkaj, which is very united. The team has also understood that this is done strongly together with all futsi people.
“The highlight of the whole of June”
At Friday’s Slovenia match, many of the spectators were there for the first time – or after a break of years, like the one who arrived with two friends Maria.
– We bought the tickets in February and have been waiting for the match ever since, this is the highlight of the whole June, Maaria said.
The previous experience of a national match was years ago, when she was in the game as a ball girl.
– After all, the Huhkajahuuma is now quite clear, palpable. We also wanted to experience it ourselves, having arrived from Jyväskylä with his family Retta comment.
– After all, that drug has been around for some time, this is a continuation of the EC buzz, Pete your comp.
The atmosphere is the biggest reason to come
Pallloiito’s marketing manager Mikko Laitinen himself does not talk about drugs when it comes to Huuhkajie.
– It is about the result of long-term work. The team’s actions on and off the field enable popularity. In marketing and communication, we aim to maximize popularity and try to attract new viewers, Laitinen explains.
According to visitor surveys, the most significant reason for going to the matches is the atmosphere, which, even on the scale of European national teams, the extraordinary Pohjoikaarre is able to create.
Palloliitto also invests in match events: on Friday, a program was built around the Slovenia match with a Finnish theme, and Monday’s match is marketed as a family match. On Friday, for example, you could see a sauna truck at the Event Market, and there was a chance to win seats in the baljukatsomo from the raffle organized by the association.
One of the factors that positively influenced the Huuhkajie’s popularity is the videos published by the association, which have garnered widespread praise on social media.
The last time one was seen was on Friday. The latest video tells about the Finnishness represented by Huuhkajie.
“Huuhkajat writes a story about Finland, where old traditions meet a new, modern and open Finland. We represent the Finland of the future, where no one is left out,” the video explains, among other things.
Huuhkajie’s and Helmarei’s videos have garnered praise before. The videos have been made in cooperation with Palloliitto and Joltter ie Valtteri Jormanainen with.
The cooperation between Joltter and Palloliitto started already in 2020.
– We decided that we will release the new jersey in a cool way, differently than before. As I remember, we sent him a message on Instagram asking if he would be interested in such a project, Laitinen explains.
Joltter, who made kicking and kicking videos on YouTube, was interested.
– These are also passion projects for him. We are really happy that we found such a partner.
Laitinen himself entered the service of Pallloliitto in 2017. He sees the growth in popularity already starting from the Nations League matches before the first place in the European Championships in men’s history.
– Things started to get better on the field and since then we have received more human resources for communication and marketing, Laitinen explains.
The first competition place in history and the European Championships increased popularity. Now Huuhkajat is marching towards his second EC final tournament and seems to be more popular than ever before.
– Finland has long been full of people who love football. Now it has blossomed, so to speak, with Huuhkajie. It is no longer a matter of a single event, but Huuhkajat is a topic of conversation even when there are no matches, Urheilu’s expert Antti Pohja concludes.