Kuopio Palloseura has been in discussions with the main sponsors since the selection of Jarkko Wiss as the head coach became public in the media.
Pihlajalinna, which sponsors the Kuopio Ball Club, expects more transparency in its communication from the club.
The company expects KuPS to open up more about the club’s operating methods and how the club promotes the things Pihlajalinna values: equality, equality and diversity.
– We also want clarity on how to deal with inappropriate behavior and thereby, for example, the operating culture that takes into account the right to sexual self-determination, says the director of communications and responsibility Tuula Lehto.
KuPS announced yesterday Thursday that it has chosen Jarkko Wiss as head coach, who was fired from Inter in November 2023 after harassing a female employee of the club. The information about the selection came out already on Tuesday.
At yesterday’s press conference, the club said, among other things, that they had a lot of value discussions with Wiss over the course of the spring and summer. This is also taken into account in the contract.
Pihlajalinna wants to know if the choice of head coach reflects the way of thinking of the entire club.
– Through the individual, this matter expands to everything in which KuPS is involved, says Lehto.
CEO of Kuopio Palloseura Tomi Erola says that Wiss’ harassment scandal does not reflect the club’s activities in any way.
– What has happened in the past has not happened at KuPS. And that would not be accepted in the club, he states.
Erola also emphasizes KuPS’s strong value base, which has already been sharpened.
– The club is like a family where everyone can join. We are under the same umbrella. We take everyone into account and do not discriminate against anyone, says Erola.
Almost 3,000 people play, work and work in Kuopio’s Palloseura.
The situation has been closely discussed
KuPS has been in talks with the main sponsors since the information about the coach selection came out in the media. The last meeting was this morning.
In addition to Pihlajalinna, the club is sponsored significantly by Laitila wirvoitusjuomatehdas. Icecapital’s founding partner has invested the most funds in KuPS Ari Lahti. Today, other sponsors were also involved in the discussions.
CEO of Laitila Wirvoitusjuomatehta Olli Heikkilä stated to earlier this week that harassment is a serious and unfortunate matter.
In Heikkilä’s opinion, KuPS now has a good opportunity to take over the social responsibility of the Finnish football championship. Heikkillä has a clear recipe for that:
– First of all, what is said and how to communicate, secondly the actions and thirdly the training, says Heikkilä.
According to Pihlajalinna’s director of communications and responsibility Tuula Lehto, training the people involved in the club’s activities could be one concrete way to move a responsible culture forward.
– KuPS does important work and now we are discussing how we can do it together and even better, says Lehto.