will show the National League match KuPS – PK-35 Vantaa from 6 pm on TV2 and Areena.
Pauliina Miettinen51, learned to like dramatic arcs and happy endings while living in the United States.
He has had enough drama in his own life more than many others. Now he would like at least one more happy ending: the Finnish championship as head coach of KuPS.
In his hometown team, which he became the coach of in the middle of the season and which he already coached to the first cup championship in the club’s history.
Miettinen says that the Cup championship players played for their club. Today in the dressing room, Miettinen plans to ask for something for himself.
KuPS has a chance to secure the championship on Wednesday against PK-35 Vantaa.
– I selfishly thought for the first time to ask you to play this game for me, Miettinen said on Tuesday.
A couple of years ago, Miettinen fell ill with breast cancer when he was coaching the TiPS league team. He went through severe cytostatic treatments and at times thought his life was ending.
Miettinen refused to give up and stay on the bed. He also didn’t give up coaching, but arrived at trainings and matches under his own conditions, occasionally threw up in the middle of the match, but still continued until the end of the game.
At the end of the season, as in the previous year, TiPS achieved silver.
Now winning the championship would mean a lot to Miettinen. Not just as a medal or first place. It would be a great achievement for him mentally.
When Miettinen himself once played in Kuopio, the idea was instilled in him that one day he would become a champion – specifically a champion from Kuopio.
During his playing career, he won the championship at HJK in KontU, and as a coach he coached PK-35 Vantaa to a double champion in two consecutive years, but now Miettinen has the opportunity to raise the victory flag as a proud Kuopio resident.
– All these years that I’ve been away from here. I have grown as a person elsewhere, but this is where I left and this is where I want to give everything back, Miettinen said.
– I thought I would never get into this situation again. That I’m alive, have been through cancer and fought from there to here. And I get to coach a team like this that has a chance to win.
Pulling the right strings
Miettis was asked to coach KuPS at the end of May, after piloting the team since 2019 Ollipekka Ojala stepped aside due to sick leave.
Miettinen has been able to realize his dream and work in good conditions during this season. In many respects, the situation has been different from his previous teams, as KuPS has been striving for professionalism for a long time.
Although the women’s team is still not on the same track as the men’s team, the conditions have been quite good compared to many other clubs.
It has been reflected in the results, but also in the expectations. When Miettinen arrived in Kuopio, KuPS had already won two consecutive championships.
– The expectation is that KuPS will beat everyone with eight goals. The pressure is hard, completely different from a basic gang, Miettinen said.
– I was confused at first when the players didn’t even celebrate the goals. The players expected that they would have to win the matches by eight goals. I taught them that you don’t have to win by just one goal.
Miettinen has studied both early childhood education and psychology in the United States. This summer, he has used more psychology in his team than before in order to get his team to play the way he wants. He has pulled from various strings, even if he has sometimes even offered money to the scorer of the winning goal.
– Before the Cup final, I said that I wouldn’t give a penny. Now the motivation has to come from within each player, Miettinen laughed as he recalled the situation.
So did the players and scored five goals in HJK’s net.
Miettinen returned to the side of the field in the Cup final
When KuPS had the opportunity to secure the championship already in September at HJK’s home field, it had to leave with a 2–4 loss on its back. At that time, Miettinen even argued with his players, because the loss was so frustrating.
By the final of the Finnish Cup, the team had completely turned the situation around. Miettinen, who usually follows matches from the stands, was with his team on the bench.
– I told the players that I was their biggest fan. I shouted and encouraged them from the bench, of course I gave some instructions, but we only focused on positive energy.
According to Miettinen, tonight’s match would be completely different if KuPS had lost the Cup final.
– We gained a lot of confidence from that game and I believe that everyone wants to play their best match. I don’t really want anything else in that game other than let’s go and win.
Important perspective
When this season is over in mid-October, Pauliina Miettinen is once again facing a tight spot. His contract is ending and there would be a lot of desire to continue, but decision-making is not that simple. At the moment the situation is 50-50.
Miettinen says he works for the best company in Finland. He has a group of great players to coach, he loves his job and everything is fine in Kuopio.
But Miettinen’s spouse and dogs do not live in Kuopio.
– I’m away from home all the time and I miss it all the time. My life values are somewhere other than work. I don’t live life just for work. I also want to do other things when I can’t know how many years of life are left in this.
Miettinen is doing well at the moment – at least partially, if you don’t take the constant muscle pain into account. Miettinen believes he got this symptom from cytostatic treatments.
– However, I’m already in my fifties. I probably won’t see healthy days anymore, but I can still play padel and enjoy life. Many others have it really bad. Compared to that, this thing of mine is nothing.
Miettinen says that he also taught his players perspective. He understands that football is important to them – it is to him too – but it is not the whole of life.
– The more important thing is that we enjoy all of this. We appreciate and are grateful that we get to play.