Helsinki Seagulls, who won the Korisliiga, skip the Champions League qualifiers. Playing in a hall that meets international criteria would involve too many risks.
Henri Kaukonen,
Janne Karinkanta
Helsinki Seagulls, who won the basketball league, will not participate in the basketball Champions League qualifiers. The reason for the decision is financial, which stems from the hall issue plaguing the Helsinki club.
Helsinki does not have a hall that meets international standards, so in possible follow-up games, the events should be organized in, for example, Vantaa Energia Areena or some other hall that does not already have the framework required for international basketball games.
– Both options are financially too expensive for us and the risks are too great, explains the CEO of Helsinki Seagulls Milla Valjus.
All risks culminate in the hall
– These questions could also be addressed to the decision-makers of the city of Helsinki, because they have the influence on the matter.
Valjus sees that international games will not be played in Helsinki as long as the city does not have a suitable hall.
– We should be prepared to play the league and other games. Of course, we would love to play, but we are in a different position when you think about Kataja and Karhu, which have modern halls.
According to the original plans, the Seagulls should have started the upcoming season in the planned Helsinki Garden in Töölö, the foundation stone of which has not even been laid yet.
– Everything lasts in Helsinki. Yes, I am envious of the fact that halls can be built in the provinces in a year or two.
Not embarrassing, but planned action
In public discussion, the Helsinki club’s absence from the Champions League has even been considered embarrassing.
– Generally, those who comment do not have the ability to visualize what things cost, Valjus responds to the criticism.
In the case of the Seagulls, international games would mean an additional loan of at least 100,000 euros, so that it would be possible to cover the costs of the matches. It’s about the hall, a sufficient number of players and the organization of the event with personnel costs. The club does not have a volunteer network, so all labor for the events must be purchased.
– Our operating model is such that everything is done as planned and we think about who we are doing things for.
When making such decisions, the club’s office considers whether the public is accessible, what the costs of the events are and what can be recovered from them. In addition, the demand for tickets for international games is a puzzle.
– It would be even more embarrassing that the economy would be in a bad place when we finally get our own hall. However, our goal is to make the business profitable.
According to Valjus, the spectators have found the Helsinki club good for the matches. However, he hopes that the association would direct the support euros reserved for the Seagulls’ international games to, for example, the marketing of Korisliiga.
– The fact that people would go to games and buy tickets stabilizes the club’s finances.