Keeper Anna Koivunen21, and defense attorney Anni Miettunen, 25, representing IFK Kalmar has had a disastrous start to the season. The team has played seven matches, none of them have won. Instead, there are six losses, and the most recent two of them are by rough losses, when Heidi Kollanen a four-goal night helped KIF Örebro win 6–0, and Hammarby IF thrashed Kalmar no less than 8–0.
Adding to the chaos of the crisis team was the fact that in Tuesday’s practice, the head coach Jens Wedeborg and assistant coach Gytis Gelgota announced that they were leaving the team.
– It has been a time of chaos both on and off the field, Miettunen admitted.
The chaos outside has been caused, among other things, by the fact that the club has had financial problems and has not been able to replace important players who left after last season. The player base was already narrow at the start of the season, and when there have been injuries right at the beginning of the season, it has shown brutally on the field.
The coaches had enough
According to Miettinen, the team was realistic when starting the season and didn’t expect to play at the top of the league. Last season, however, the team was able to keep its place in the series reasonably easily, but this spring the dominoes have fallen one after another.
– When I signed the contract in December, I really did not expect that such a situation would occur in the early season, Koivunen said.
In Koivunen’s opinion, the team didn’t practice well enough before the start of the season, and the players didn’t go over game-related issues. The team played too fast practice matches, the players didn’t have a good idea of how the coaching wanted them to play. The team gave Wedeborg feedback about this, and in the end, neither Finnish player was surprised that the head coach decided to leave.
– Two games were lost big time. I don’t think he had anything left to give. I thought that he took a bit too big a job for himself and wasn’t ready to fill his boots, Koivunen said.
– On the other hand, I understand the decision. The coaches have had problems getting resources so that they could do their work, Miettunen stated.
The overworked goalkeeper coach took charge
Kalmar, which is in last place in Damallsvenskan, is currently coached by a goalkeeper coach Aleco Postinidis. The players are now waiting with great interest to see who will be their next head coach, as Postinidis is unlikely to continue for the entire season.
Koivunen says that he trusts Postinidis 100%, because he has worked closely with him. Koivunen has announced that he will help his coach if he is needed. It won’t be easy for Postinidis, however, because the players don’t think he’s the type of head coach.
– Aleco takes care of the coaching of the goalkeepers, does office work and is now also the head coach and the second coach. Everyone understands that it is not an ideal situation and in practice it cannot continue for long, Miettunen said.
“As low as can be”
When Wedeborg and Gelgota announced their departure to the team, the group held a meeting after practice. The board of the club had assured the players that the club has money to stay in the league, but a lot has to happen in terms of games as well.
According to Miettinen, the players have understood that the team must now be united. The players cannot turn against each other, but must act professionally and take responsibility for the result. Miettunen believes that the team’s difficult situation will also make him grow as a player.
– No matter what happens around us, our job on the field is to play better. The recent results are in no way acceptable. Now we have to try to give our all on the field and support Aleco, whatever he needs, Miettunen said.
Both Koivunen and Miettunen moved to Kalmar for this season. Koivunen left Linköping because he wanted playing time, Miettuse had a similar situation in Umeå IK as in Kalmar: the club was running out of money. However, neither of them has regretted their move or what happened in the relationship.
– We have played seven games and there is a lot left in the season. Nothing helps but to move on and see after the season how the whole thing went. It is still too early to think, Miettunen assured.
– The only direction is up, now we are as low as we can be. It’s no longer helpful to cast spells here. I still have a strong belief that now that this change has come, we are only here as a team. We are together. I believe we can turn this into a positive, Koivunen stated.
Koivunen is waiting for the stitches to be removed
Koivunen said he came to Kalmar to play. He has gotten playing time, even though he was unfortunately injured last week. of Hammarby Sara Fornes collided with the Finnish keeper in front of the buttons and the skin on Koivunen’s knee split open. He got ten stitches for it, but otherwise he survived the concussion with minimal injuries and will soon be back on the field.
– I can walk already and I will have the stitches removed on Monday of next week. Then we’ll see how the rehabilitation continues. I was lucky in a certain way, Koivunen admitted.
Next Sunday, Kalmar will face Uppsala in an important match. Uppsala is 12th in the league table, two points ahead of Kalmar.
Addition at 22:03: Added Finnish players’ ages and national teams.