According to the KuPS press release, Simo Valakari lost the trust of the coaching team at KuPS. KuPS board member Matti Reinikainen explains why the head coach’s contract was terminated.
19:36•Updated 19:40
Kuopio Palloseura announced on Friday that the head coach Simo Valakarin the contract has been terminated. The release stated that the contract was terminated “by mutual consent”. The contract between KuPS and Valakari was valid until the end of 2023.
KuPS bulletin formats (you switch to another service) were exceptionally sharp.
According to the association, Valakari had informed his employer “that he no longer has the passion and ability to coach the KuPS representative team”. The release also said that the KuPS coaching team had lost their trust in Valakar.
KuPS board member and lawyer Matti Reinikainen says that other coaching brought the matter to the board’s attention in writing.
– When trust goes, it goes. Trust has slowly eroded. This was the last straw, we couldn’t stand this situation. It would have endangered the entire organization, Reinikainen commented to Urheilu.
Urheilu tried to reach coach Valakari and the owner of KuPS Ari from Lahta about the matter, but neither party responded.
“Motherwell connection got me started”
Valakari became the head coach of KuPS in 2021. He achieved two Finnish Cup victories and two Championship silvers at the helm of the Kuopio team. In the European Games, KuPS advanced to the last qualifying round of the Conference League.
Success was good during Valakar’s era. So what are you talking about?
Valakari had received job offers from abroad. The KuPS organization felt that if the coach does not want to coach in his current position, then the matter is doomed.
– Actually, the trust started to crumble from there, when we led the Veikkausliiga by five points, and the Motherwell connection became public. Härdelli started it when he received a contract offer from abroad, Reinikainen admits to .
Reinikainen is not willing to comment on the matter further.
In August, Valakari was one of the candidates for the head coach of Motherwell, which plays in the Scottish Premier League. Valakari was willing to move to a familiar club in the middle of his playing career. However, the Finn was not selected for the position.
After this episode, KuPS’ game performances went down and the team was left with silver in the Veikkausliiga.
MTV Urheilu says (you switch to another service), that Latvian FK Auda is probably Valakar’s next job. Reinikainen confirms that the Latvian club in question has been after Valakari and has also been in contact with KuPS.
KuPS has not yet announced who will replace Valakari as head coach.