Marko Saloranta continues as the head coach of the Finnish women’s national football team.
In addition to the Nations League, which starts in September, Saloranta’s contract covers the European Championship qualifiers for the summer 2025 games and an option for the games.
– I am very proud and grateful to have this kind of credit. I’m excited to continue working on where we left off in the Wales matches in Spain. It was an excellent event and we took a step forward in our game again, Saloranta commented to Urheilu.
– Of course, it’s easier when you know what you’re doing next year. I knew I wasn’t going to be unemployed, I had a few options. Now you can focus all your energies on the future.
Saloranta was named temporary head coach of Helmareit in the summer after Anna Signeul left after the poorly run European Championships.
Saloranta served as Helmareite’s temporary head coach also in 2016–2017. He has worked for girls’ and women’s football in the Finnish Football Association for a long time, as he started as the head coach of the under-16 and 17-year-olds in 2011. Under his leadership, the under-17 national team made it to the European Championship and World Cup in 2018 and the European Championship in 2022.
Saloranta believes that the long experience in the girls’ and women’s national teams was also useful in the selection process.
– The team is in a transition phase, after the European Championships, great player careers ended. In the European Championships, Finland had the second oldest team and the change is now happening. One trump card is that I know Finnish players very well, many age groups. I have a good feel for about 250 players, Saloranta talks.
– During the interview process, we went through things very carefully. I would think that my previous actions have given credit and maybe even the four games this fall, how the game has developed, I think that has mattered.
Winless streak to break
Saloranta’s coaching group has not yet been published in connection with the selection of the head coach.
– The whole group is not assembled yet, because I just received confirmation that I am continuing. This affects many directions. It affects the background groups of the A national team and the youth, when I do not return to the national team of 16 and 17 years old. Many things are open, and we are working hard on them. The next few weeks will be busy, so that we can get the package in order before Christmas, says Saloranta.
The games of the Helmares have not gone as expected this year, as the only victory of the year came in the World Cup qualifying group’s throw-in game in Georgia in April. After that, the team lost seven games in a row. At the national team camp in November, Helmarit played a draw against Wales. Wales wanted to play the teams’ second meeting behind closed doors, and Finland won the unofficial international match.
– Wales is a really tough team that, according to the current ranking, is starting the Nations League in the A-League and was only a couple of minutes away from the World Cup. In two matches, Wales shot at our goal twice. The first game was unfortunately 1–1, but in all aspects the probabilities were on our side, we should have won the game, commented Saloranta.
Nevertheless, he has followed the development of the game with satisfaction. Saloranta has renewed the team by inviting many new names and players who were previously involved in the activity.
– 27 players have been on the field in four matches, that is inevitably a big number. However, the game is not broken. In addition, there are still interesting players who have not participated in these events. I see that we have a good competitive situation. We have options and it is possible that new players will emerge from outside the group, Saloranta reveals.
Helmareit’s next competitive matches will be next fall, when the new League of Nations starts. Saloranna has a clear goal for the new competition.
– Yes, it is clear that we have to raise our ranking step by step. As far as I can see, our clear goal is to enter the top 16 in the A-League and start the qualifiers from there next spring.
Before that, Helmarit hones his game in the spring and summer during the three Fifa game windows.
– There is no extra time to waste in those events. Securing a background group is also a big deal. Player monitoring starts right away in a big way already at the beginning of the year.
With former head coach Anna Signeul, the Swedish pilot’s international relations often came up, which are said to have helped not only when choosing training opponents, but also helped many players to better club environments.
But what kind of relations does Marko Saloranna have with the world?
– I feel that my relationships are quite good. Players are assisted by agents in player transfers. To some countries, Anna certainly had personal relationships with certain clubs, but I feel that I had pretty good doors open already in 2017. I have been involved in international futs for quite a long time and the circles are relatively small. Until now, if he has asked to go somewhere, the doors have been open.