Anna Westerlund is the soccer player who has played the most national matches in the Finnish shirt of all time. However, he is not going to come to the Helmarei celebration match.
Anna Westerlund played 147 national football matches in his career, more than any other Finnish male or female player. When the 50-year anniversary of the women’s A national team is honored in the Nations League match against Croatia on Friday in Helsinki, Westerlund will not be seen among the players who have ended their careers.
– Unfortunately, I’m not there. I’m definitely on the sofa, where it’s warm, and I’m watching the match on TV, says Westerlund, reached by phone after the workday.
Westerlund represented Åland United in his last seasons, and he stayed in Åland. Now he works in a wholesale shop that supplies raw materials to restaurants in Mariehamn.
That’s one reason why Westerlund won’t make it to the celebratory match.
– I can’t get off work and I now live in Åland, so I see no reason why I would take time off work to go watch one football match, Westerlund says and admits that the desire for football is no longer as great as before.
– Of course, I wish all the players, the whole Helmarit gang, a lot of luck. I believe there will be enough spectators there to cheer them on to victory.
Invitation by joint e-mail
Westerlund passed in February 2022 Jari Litmanen as the soccer player who has played the most A national matches in the Finnish shirt of all time. In December of the same year, the leader of the Helmareite defense announced that he would end his playing career.
Westerlund wondered at the beginning of October In an interview with Hufvstadsbladet, that Palloliitto did not contact him in any way after the notice of termination. He would have liked the opportunity to say goodbye to the supporters of the national team, for example, in connection with a national match. He also suspected that the male player might have been handled differently.
Before the celebratory match, the Balloliitto was now in contact with Westerlund via e-mail.
– All of us former Helmarit players received an email saying that we are welcome to the game. But nothing more. It was the kind of joint email they sent.
Westerlund thinks that his participation would have been too complicated, because if he takes time off from work, he plans to prioritize more important things.
A mistake that can be learned from
Vice-chairman of the Football Association and chairman of the Respect working group Kaarlo Kankkunen recently apologized for Westerlund’s situation in an interview with Urheilu. According to him, Westerlund’s consideration was planned for the season-ending Captain’s Ball.
That’s where Westerlund plans to go.
– I have taken time off from work for that and planned to come to that event.
Westerlund’s treatment has caused confusion and criticism, but he himself has not thought about it anymore. However, she thinks it is good that there has been a lot of talk about the issue and the status of women’s football.
– In my opinion, they (Palloliitto) have messed up, if I may say so. It was a mistake, but hopefully they will learn from their mistakes and if something like this happens in the future, hopefully they will learn what can be improved.
The Finnish women’s national football team Helmarit will face Croatia in the Nations League match on Friday 27 October. from 6:45 p.m. Broadcast on TV2 and Areena from 18:15.