The Finnish national volleyball or basketball team had advanced to the playoffs in the prestigious competition every time they participated for 16 years. Now that unlikely pipe has been broken, writes Pekka Holopainen.
Pekka Holopainen Sports journalist
It was match balls away. The future European champion of volleyball, Spain, was on the ropes during the robbery of Finland’s golden generation players in Moscow in September 2007.
The passing of a historic opportunity in a five-set semi-final match was a traumatic experience, but at the same time it was the start of a streak of success that, considering Finland’s population base and player production, can be considered improbable.
When two sets of the European Championship match between Finland and Ukraine had been played a week ago, it was clear that Finland would remain in the first group. This was not a total disaster. After all, we were playing for the next place when the second set of the deciding match started.
No hat in the air
A little earlier, the crew of another giant ball game, namely basketball’s Susijeng, had also failed in the first group at the World Cup of the sport in Japan. The result was expected, but it came with performances for which even the most committed fans did not throw their hats in the air without self-deception. The next big tournament for both teams is the Olympic qualifier in Paris, but a place in the Games is mostly a matter of speculation.
So what is meant by this above-mentioned, improbable success pipeline considering the resources?
From the fall of 2007, the Finnish national men’s basketball or volleyball team had made it out of the first round of their prestigious competition every time either of them had participated in the competition. Depending on how you look at it, it’s about the second and third largest sport in the world.
In volleyball, this was successful at the European Championship level in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 and even at the World Cup level in 2014 and 2018.
Recently, all the greats of the sport fell in the World League, even in individual value competitions. The current team can’t even get a whiff of such opponents.
A long raven hike
The national basketball team returned from its 16-year raven migration to the European Championship final tournament level in 2011 and since then has not once been in the games without further game experience. Medal game experience was also offered at the 2022 German Games, but a lead of more than 20 points against the future champion Spain was too much to burn.
A place in the World Cup, which ended in disappointment, was now acquired by playing, 2014 with cash from the cynical auction of the international umbrella organization.
From that World Cup team, he flew to Okinawa to play again Sasu Salin. Still played in the European Championship in Germany Petteri Koponen and Shawn Huff assess the game sharply from the sidelines.
Time has not been kinder to volleyball.
Like Koponen, a passing legend who is one of Finland’s all-time ball players Mikko Esko were the great Finnish achievers of the Games. Critical analyzes didn’t even look for slowdowns from game situations, which the man in Urheilu’s commentary read like an open book. Koponen was just as successful as Ruuttu’s matchmaker for the World Cup broadcasts.
The most important thing was lost
According to the playmaking legend, Finland lost its best weapon in Japan, i.e. the cooperation honed to the end. The situation was hardly improved by the fact that a significant part of the players were without a valid club team contract, i.e. a job, completely different from the volleyball side.
Koponen doesn’t just talk about humility, solidarity and cooperation, he literally lives it in flesh and blood. The staple of his career were severe hip injuries. Now the millionaire gets a new joint, but not through the bypass lane of a luxurious private clinic, but from public health care in Jämsä.
The end of the long streak of competitive games is also a lesson for the Finnish sports people.
Olli KunnariMikko Esko, Oivanen brothers or Konstantin Shumov. Teemu CoastalPetteri Koponen, Sasu Salin or Hanno Möttölä.
The longing for new ones like them is part of the issue, but one can also ask how such players have even come from Finland considering the marginal conditions.