The Finnish Football Association’s internal audit is currently investigating the refereeing activities of Finnish top football.
The Swedish Football Association has been investigating the alleged abuses for more than three months.
General Secretary of the Football Association Marco Casagrande says that the union started the process after anonymous reports.
– To some extent, things came to light about which it has not been clarified how things really went. We want to get more information about what types of reports there have been and what has actually happened so that we can react to them, Casagrande tells Urheilu
About the topic with news Helsingin Sanomat the persons interviewed accuse three former top referees of misconduct. According to HS interviewees, a referee observer Jouni Hyytächairman of the referee committee Petteri Kari and coach of top referees Matthias Gestranius have misused their power.
Hyytä and Kari have been working as referees in the association for years. Gestranius has been working in his position since 2022.
According to HS, they have also bullied, discriminated, belittled referees and acted arbitrarily in several situations.
– We should go deeper into what these accusations and claims are. Over the years, there has been more than average effervescence, which has been addressed in certain matters before, Casagrande begins.
According to the Secretary General, the cases are related to conflicts between people, among other things. He points out that the referee committee works independently and its task is to appoint referees for matches and select them for international matches.
– Of course, referees in general are always heavily criticized and evaluated after every match. Judges in a certain way compete with each other for their own position.
– Sometimes there will be disappointments and on the other hand, there will certainly be conflict situations with different views towards the decision makers. There have been more of these than average, that there have been conflicts related to individuals.
The Football Association has known for years
According to Helsingin Sanomat, the management of the Football Association has known about the problems of the referee function for years. According to Casagrande, issues have been dealt with when they have become known.
– There was information about some issues a few years ago and they have been dealt with. Notes, instructions or something were given, but they were dealt with in that moment.
Last fall, Casagrande himself was involved when the differences of opinion between the parties were discussed.
During Hyytä’s tenure as manager in 2017–2021, the Balloliitto conducted an internal audit of the refereeing activities. Casagrande does not remember exactly how it ended.
– I remember the conversations well. There were a lot of things that were very difficult to see in the end what had happened in a certain matter.
Hyytä finally moved to work in Russia in 2021. He currently works as a referee observer for the Swedish Football Association.
– We certainly went through things with him as well, but he moved to the kv position in 2021 and after that the matter was no longer discussed in depth.
Very opposite views
It is said that the management of Pallloiitto has known about the difficulties in the referee function for years. How has the activity been able and allowed to continue for so long?
– The things that have come up now, yes, they have been dealt with at the time and, in my opinion, exactly in the way that was appropriate at that moment.
– Very often conflicts between people are such that there are very opposing views on things and it is difficult to get evidence of what has actually happened. There has been information about individual issues and they have been dealt with.
– Similarly, recently we have had the Whistleblower system in use and there have also been reports of refereeing activities. We have dealt with them every time, because it is clear that, basically, we always have to intervene, try to find out and give instructions so that such activities do not take place.
According to HS, at the moment the criticism has largely been aimed at Gestranius, who works as a coach for the top referees. According to the interviewees, he has disparaged female judges and women. He also did not invite a single female referee to the training session for referees.
– I myself have not noticed such (rejection), but we will wait to see what the internal audit says about this matter. I have heard opinions, yes, but I can’t say anything else at this point in the middle of the process.
The inspection will be completed at the beginning of the year
The internal inspection process of the Finnish Football Federation is still ongoing and will be completed at the beginning of the year. The Swedish Football Association’s measures in this regard depend on the outcome.
– Often these types of processes have led to new guidelines being made with superiors.
– Of course we can take the process forward to, for example, Suek or, in an extreme case, to the authorities. At the moment, there is no such information that there is a need for larger follow-up processes.
According to Casagrande, Palloliitto has, however, been considering and pondering for several years how to clarify the cooperation between the referee committee consisting of trustees and the referee function.
– We have to think about how to make these responsibilities even better. That is also one possibility that the referee committee would have full-time employees.