Many in football circles would be rubbing their eyes on Wednesday night. Emma Immonenone of Finland’s most promising football goalkeepers, said on his Instagram account, (you will switch to another service) that his football career had come to an end – at only 21 years old.
Immonen tells Urheilu by phone that there is no major drama involved in the decision.
– At this point I got a strong feeling that he has given enough of himself on the playing field and has received more from football than I would have hoped for. I am studying for the second year at Aalto University’s School of Economics, and my studies have taken a while. Investing in the future in the field of education feels right at this point. I have seen the futs world and now I want to see the rest of the world.
Immonen switched to FC Honga from Espoo for the last remaining season. The season was interrupted at the end of April due to a nasty injury, but Immonen returned to Honga’s goal at the end of July after the national team break. The young team from Espoo ended up in the lower secondary league, and in September Immonen went on loan to Norwegian Kolbotni.
It was the Finnish guard’s first game abroad, but unfortunately he didn’t get any minutes.
– The club had a difficult situation when they were fighting tooth and nail for a place in the league. Perhaps, understandably, they played the whole season with a proven lineup. However, I got games in the club’s farm team.
Immonen assures that the experience did not leave a bad taste, and the decision to quit had already matured earlier.
– Last autumn, when I started my studies at Aalto, I already made the first move towards the fact that soon the games will end and I will start focusing on my studies. I have had signs in the air for a long time.
– During the trip, it was confirmed that giving everything to football has already been seen, it was no longer a source of passion for me. It was confirmed there that what I want more: to give to sports in support groups and organizations, but not on the playing field.
Immos had a contract with Honga until next season, but the Espoo club was understanding about the decision.
– They respected my decision to cancel the player contract on my own initiative because I am not able to give the team the contribution that would be needed in the National League next season.
Football doesn’t stay
Although Immo has been considered as one of the options for the goal of Helmariten in the future, no attempt has been made to turn the promising goalkeeper’s head after the decision.
– Quite a lot of people who know me know that I don’t make hasty decisions. Maybe my reasons for studying were understandable. I have received more congratulations on my career and encouraging comments for the future. I assumed that there could have been more persuasions to stay on the playing fields, but everyone understood the decision very well.
However, Immonen does not abandon football: he started working at the Football Players’ Association in the spring.
– Improving the status of athletes in Finland is still a bit in its infancy and I feel that I still have something to contribute.
During a short but successful career, Immonen celebrated twice the gold of the Championship and once the silver of the Championship, the bronze of the Championship and the silver of the Finnish Cup. In KuPS’s championship season, Immonen was chosen as the season’s best goalkeeper, and he also represented Finland in all youth national teams. Immonen was with the Finnish under-17 national team at the World Cup in Uruguay in November 2018.
Immonen’s most significant achievement is winning the championship with KuPS.
– It was the club’s first and a great award for football from Kuopio at that stage. I was able to participate in the youth national teams from the beginning, in every camp, and I have very good memories of them. During a short career, I have been able to create lifelong friendships that are really valuable, Immonen praises.
The national team pilot was surprised by the decision
Having given up the main coaching responsibility of the women’s A national team in the summer after the European Championships Anna Signeulin after taken Marko Saloranta was surprised by Emma Immonen’s decision. On Thursday, he received the information from the team’s spokesman at the Spanish camp of the Helmares.
– Shock may be a bit of an exaggerated word, but I had to take a breath for a while. The information came as such a surprise. There were no signs that his career was on the wane. On the contrary, I thought going to Norway as a starting shot, that he will definitely be able to play in even tougher leagues, Saloranta times.
Before his retirement, Saloranta was the head coach of the women’s national team, leading youth national teams. Immonen was one of Saloranta’s credit players in the national team born in 2001. There were three tough defenders in the age group, because in addition to Immonen, they also blocked Linköping in the national team Anna Koivunen and with KuPS recently won the SM gold Fanny Söderström.
Saloranta says he will talk with his former protégé during the winter.
– He was one of the most promising goalkeepers in our country and also an excellent trainee. As a football person, I feel a bit empty when I heard the news. But I’ve always known that Emma is extremely good academically. He will surely have a great career there. Emma is certainly many times smarter than me, she must have thought the decision through many times.