The passionate monologist unexpectedly became the head coach of HJK ​​- dispelled one of the doubts about his team’s abilities | Sport

HJK’s coaching scandal, which was widely publicized at the turn of the year, was resolved when HJK announced that Ossi Virta35, is the head coach of the Veikkausliiga team.

Virta unexpectedly became the head coach, because the Spaniard originally appointed as head coach by HJK From Ferran Sibila35, lacked the mandatory Uefa Pro license in the Veikkausliiga.

Read more: HJK made this mistake in the coach’s jacket – the sports boss received severe hate mail

Who is Ossi Virta?

Although Virta has previously only worked at the main league level as an assistant coach, he has not gone unnoticed by fans of domestic futsal.

Last fall, Virta delivered breath-taking monologues to Viaplay as HJK’s assistant coach in the Conference League matches.

In 2022, FC Haka shared the highlights of his assistant coach’s vents on social media, which were particularly gratifying.

Virta has drawn a picture of herself as a charming and analytical coach who never stops talking. This picture was confirmed on Monday at HJK’s press conference.

What kind of coach personality?

Virta emphasized that coaching competence consists above all of human interaction skills, content knowledge and pedagogical skills.

Virta also emphasized these areas when asked what kind of person she is.

– As a person, I am very similar to as a coach. In coaching, my strength is specifically leading people, meeting people. I am approachable, I listen and I genuinely care about the players and the members of the background team.

– Secondly, I am a passionate student of the game. I study the game analytically, but I’m also extremely passionate. I bring my energy and positivity to the field and to the locker room.

The new head coach pointed out that there is always room for improvement in people management, content and pedagogy.

– Every day I want to get better at them, but in my case I would also raise them as the most important strengths.

Already at the time of Sibila’s hiring, it was pointed out that she had not previously worked as a head coach at the adult level.

Virta has only coached KäPaa in Kakkone for a season and KTP in Ykkösen for half a season.

It has been considered how the HJK coaching has enough charisma and authority when the goals are tough and the battle for playing spots notoriously fierce. According to Virra, there is no reason to worry, because the official titles do not tell the truth about the coach’s work experience.

– I have practically played a big role in my previous teams as well. The most important thing is what the everyday is on a practical level.

Virta emphasized that he has coached for almost 20 years, different personalities and players, in different cities and at league levels. The most important thing is what kind of entity the coaching team is made of.

– A single person cannot know everything perfectly. It is a fact and human. Someone in the team must have a really good command of people management and someone with a very strong content side. In some coaching teams, the head coach is super good with people and then the assistant coaches are outrageously good on the field, or vice versa.

HJK’s everyday life was not revolutionized

Virta may return as an assistant coach quickly. Sibila will become the head coach as long as he gets to the Uefa Pro course, maybe already in the summer.

Virra was asked if he is not afraid that there is only something to lose in the surprising head coach race.

– I am glad and happy that I get to work at HJK and that my responsibilities are increasing. Whatever the role, my role in practice on the field is what counts. Practical coaching is something I enjoy and love.

Virta emphasized that the appointment as head coach did not change anything.

– Of course, this role is a really great thing for me in my career, but we still do strong teamwork, as we had planned.

So far, HJK has not run amok in the player market. The only significant acquisition has been the Fullback who has broken through to Huuhkajik Noah Pallas.

Sports director Vesa Mäki emphasized that HJK’s goals are the Finnish championship, the rejuvenation of the national team and better performances in European games. He praised the coaching team’s skills and courage in developing young players.

This was also reflected in Virtra’s answer when asked about player acquisitions.

– First of all, we trust our current players. Secondly, HJK has 4,000 junior players. Every year, we want to raise young people from the academy to representation and give them a fair chance. The third and most important thing is that new recruits must be real reinforcements and bring a lot of added value.

Also the CEO of HJK Aki Riihilahti said that the team wants to invest in quality instead of quantity, but that does not mean that the goals are less ambitious.

– Last season we had by far the highest player budget in the club’s history due to many random reasons. We went many times over everything that had been thought of.

Before the start of the season, HJK’s player budget was announced as 2.1 million euros.

A similar situation in SJK

Seinäjoki Football Club faced similar considerations as HJK. In December, SJK announced that the Scot Stevie Grieve takes responsibility for coaching the representative team. Grieve lacks a Uefa Pro license.

Last Friday SJK announcedthat it has named as its head coach Toni Lehtinen. Like Virra, the 39-year-old Lehtinen emphasizes that coaching is a team effort in any case.

– The areas of responsibility and division of labor are already very clear. Of course, now my title is head coach. And what I think about it, of course I’m really proud, I’m from Seinäjoki.

Lehtinen was aware of a possible head coaching job when he returned from Jyväskylä to Seinäjoki. Regardless of the title, he would have joined the coaching staff of the representative team anyway.

SJK finished fourth in the Veikkausliiga last season. Now the team is already well assembled. The training games have also been opened, when SJK defeated the Estonian main league team Paide Linnameeskond 3–0.

The ideas for next season are clear.

– We want to be aggressive and brave. We even want a certain kind of chaos foot. We strive for a certain lack of place in the game and to confuse the opponent’s game with free movement in the ball phase.

Lehtinen describes himself as a coach who is calm and strongly involves the players.

– For me, it is important that the players have the feeling that they dare to try. That’s when creativity is at its best.