The football Veikkausliiga season starts on Saturday and the biggest champion favorite is familiar: HJK, the champion of the previous four seasons and winner of 12 of the last 15 championships.
The coaching situation has been talked about all winter around HJK. He became the head coach in the middle of last season and led HJK to the championship Toni Korkeakunnas was allowed to leave and a Spanish coach was hired from Sweden to replace him Ferran Sibila. However, it was then revealed that Sibila lacks a Uefa Pro license, which is required for the head coach of a league team.
As the head coach, someone thought to be an assistant coach starts the season Ossi Virta, who is known as a passionate and analytical football player. But what is HJK’s coaching situation in reality?
– I am the acting head coach. When Sibila gets to the Uefa Pro course, the roles change. In any case, we work closely together as a coaching team, no matter what the title is, explained Virta.
According to Virra, the cooperation with Sibila has worked very well. There has been a lot of talk about football since the fall, and the duo’s thoughts are similar in many respects.
– Now that I’m the head coach, I manage the daily routine of the coaching team. In the exercises, we work closely together. Sometimes I pull a training section, sometimes Ferra and sometimes Oscar García Rodriguez, who is the third coach on the team. The same applies to meetings and leading the match, Virta described.
– For me, the role in everyday life is the most important. I want to be responsible on the field and in the planning of coaching activities. The role would have been big anyway. It’s great to work with the best players in Finland on a daily basis.
Sibila stated that the situation around the Uefa Pro license has also been beneficial.
– It helped to understand that it is not about individuals, but about teamwork. If we work as a team in coaching, hopefully the same will be seen in the players as well.
Sibila said that the first five months in Finland have been not only cold but also busy.
– We have created a game system and acquired new players.
Sibila also confirmed that the two have talked about football a lot.
– We’re not talking about cooking or anything else, we’re talking about football, Sibila smiled.
– We spend a lot of time together and synchronize how we want to play.
A lot of changes in the team
HJK’s team has changed a lot again. There have been changes, especially in the defensive end, when there has been enough demand for players in Europe and beyond. They have left the defense Tuomas Ollila, Matti Peltola, Miro Tenho and Jukka Raitala. The situation has become, however, substitutes of an equally hard level, such as Noah Pallas, Diogo Tomas, Carlos Moros and the organization of Tottenham Brooklyn Lyons-Foster.
HJK needs a wide circle of players, especially in the summer, when the European games start.
– I am really satisfied with the team at the moment. We have very strong, high-quality and versatile player material, Virta said.
Exotic opponents
HJK’s training season has included exotic opponents. At the training camp, the Turkmen and Tajik teams faced each other. HJK has also played against Ykkönen teams, but there haven’t been many domestic league teams. However, Virta is satisfied with the practice games and reminds that HJK went to beat the Allsvenkan team Hammarby.
Sibilak is satisfied with the preparation. Right in the opening round, we will see a tough match, when HJK travels to KuPS as a guest.
– We are ready. It’s fun to see in the first game where KuPS goes and where we go. You can never know the balance of power until 3-4 games have been played, Sibila stated.
The commotion that arose around HJK in the winter is by no means unique, but there is often turbulence around Finland’s number one club and everything it does is interesting.
– Personally, I enjoy the pressure. It brings meaning to everyday activities. It’s great that HJK is interested, Virta said.