Helmareite’s EC qualifying group culminates on Tuesday, July 16. Ylen channels. The live broadcast of the Italy–Finland match starts at Areena at 19:40 and on TV2 at 20:00.
Helmareit’s stage-rich EC qualification will be decided in the evening in Bolzano. Emma Koiviston an overtime goal in Turku on Friday against Norway kept the dreams of a direct European Championship place alive.
On Tuesday night, only a win will do for Helmari. If Finland beats Italy and Holland does not lose to Norway in the second group match played at the same time, Finland will qualify directly for next summer’s European Championships.
– Italy has more pressure than us and they are the early favourites, but we believe we can win. The group must have thought that Finland is here to watch a bit, head coach Marko Saloranta reflects on Finland’s underdog status for .
Koivisto’s goal in the eighth minute of added time may therefore be part of an exceptional qualifying story. Big things are happening in the full-back’s career anyway, as he will be moving to Italy for the upcoming season in the ranks of the big club AC Milan with a three-year contract.
The previous two seasons he played in England for Liverpool, who finished fourth in the rock-hard English Super League last season. Koivisto admits that the threshold to leave England was high. The series is the toughest in Europe.
– I had the feeling that I could experience there what I had to experience. The offers that came from there were not exactly from top teams, so I felt that it was the right time to move elsewhere, Koivisto tells .
According to him, football in Italy is very different from England. The 29-year-old defender believes that the difference supports development as a player, even though the series is not as tough as the Superliga.
– I can develop different qualities than in England. There, the game is physical and we go head to head at speed. In Italy, the game is more tactical and more of a “skill game”, Koivisto estimates.
The move was a surprise
Midfielder for Helmares I am Sevenius was happy about Koivisto’s transfer, because they will be teammates. Sevenius is a contract player of AC Milan. Last season he played on loan at another Serie A club in Como.
Sevenius has not previously had a Finnish teammate in Italy.
– We have shared a lot of information and thoughts about next season and also spent a lot of time together at the camp, 20-year-old Sevenius says about the relationship between the two.
He has given Koivisto tips on what to be prepared for in the boot country.
– You shouldn’t be surprised by anything. It could be that, for example, things still change from what has been said before, Sevenius laughs.
– I’m still learning that things will work out when the time is right. Emma hasn’t seemed very stressed, so she hasn’t needed to calm down yet, Sevenius smiles.
‘s expert Hanna Ruohomaa admits that he was surprised by Koivisto’s transfer. The full-back played a big role in England for years, first in Brighton and then in Liverpool. The status of the traditional club in Liverpool is told by Koivisto’s picture in the huge wall advertisement of the home stadium.
– I was surprised, because the level of the women’s Serie A is not as good as the Superliga. The length of the contract also surprised me, but on the other hand, it gives peace of mind when the stress of the future goes away, Ruohomaa reflects.
Saloranta also thinks that Koivisto achieved a big role in England’s top league.
– This can still be a leap forward, because AC Milan is an absolutely top club, the head coach of the national team estimates.
He sees that the three-year contract indicates the club’s desire to sign Koivisto in particular. Saloranta was happy about the move also for a personal reason.
– Of course, it warms my heart a little when I’ve been a fan of AC Milan since I was a little boy, he smiles.
Ruohomaa reminds that Koivisto has certainly received a goalkeeper from, for example, Sevenius and who played in Rome Tinja-Riikka from Korpela information about the Italian Premier League. The expert believes that the transfer has been carefully analyzed.
– Certainly a really thought-out move. Emma had knowledge of what it is like in Italy, Ruohomaa summarizes.
Helmareite’s EC qualifying group culminates on Tuesday, July 16. Ylen channels. The live broadcast of the Italy–Finland match starts at Areena at 19:40 and on TV2 at 20:00.