Tinja-Riikka Korpela will wear AS Roma’s shirt for the last time, when the club plays in the final match of the Italian Cup. Then it’s the turn of Helmareite’s EC qualifying matches against Holland.
Tinja-Riikka from Korpela became the women’s Italian soccer champion on Sunday, but the celebrations will have to wait. The season of AS Roma, represented by the Finnish goalkeeper, culminates in the final match of the Cup on Friday.
The Roman club was buzzing I beat Fiorentina 5–0 In the final round of Serie A. Korpela thinks that the opponent saved a little energy at the latest at the point when the game started to be clear.
Roma had already secured the championship, while Fiorentina had cemented the bronze position. The teams meet again in the cup final.
– It’s definitely a different game when you’re playing for a trophy. The only draw of our season came against Fiorentina on the away field, so we are equal with them, even if the game in the final round was a bit torn, Korpela estimated.
There is plenty to develop in the Italian league
In his career, Korpela has played for, among others, the German Bayern Munich and the English Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
He praises the framework of his current club, at the same time stating that there is plenty to improve in the Italian league. Especially when compared to the main leagues in Germany and England.
– This was only the second season when women played in the professional series in Italy. A little bit of everything shows that the development is still in a bit of a stage.
According to him, the league has a lot of potential. There are many skilled players and high-quality teams in the series. However, the league and clubs should get the conditions right and the coaching at the top level.
– Perhaps the players should also understand the requirements of professionalism a little better. There is still a bit to develop in such matters, especially in other teams.
Finnish national team player representing Real Sociedad San Francisco stated last week that the Spanish league is sometimes played on really bad artificial grass. Korpela says that he heard and saw the same thing in Italy.
– If you could play on really good pitches, the level of the game would rise and there would be more spectators – and thus more money.
According to Korpela, Roma’s home matches have had an average of 3,000–4,000 spectators. The situation is not the same in all localities. How could the interest in women’s Serie A grow?
– It would require that the Italian national team succeed. Unfortunately, they flopped really badly in last year’s World Championships. In addition, at the club level, you should do well in the Champions League. Unfortunately, we were left in the tough first group, even though Roma reached the quarterfinals last year. Success would help a lot.
Korpela changes club
Sunday’s league match was Korpela’s first series game since March, when he got on the field in the 60th minute of the game. Korpela had been on the sidelines due to an injury.
Korpela has played 12 matches in Roma’s shirt this season. As the team’s number one keeper, a Romanian has made a save Camelia Caesar. Korpela says he knew the goalkeeper situation when he joined the club in July last year.
– Still, I feel like I’m an important part of the team. I’ve been able to stay healthy for most of the season and get really high-quality, hard training every day. The number of matches is just fine at these clubs. I might not be able to play every game anymore, the 38-year-old goalkeeper evaluates his season.
Stephanie Öhrström, 37, started the final round match. Korpela says that the Swedish goalkeeper’s career will probably end this season.
The game was also Korpela’s last in Roma. He will wear the club’s jersey one more time in the cup final. The Finn’s contract ends this season and he is currently looking for a new club.
– The purpose is to play with Finland in the European Championships. For that, it would be good if I could play more.
Finland started the EC qualifiers in April. The team lost to Norway away, but won against Italy at home. Captain Korpela played full minutes in both matches.
Korpela describes the first qualifying window as interesting. All the teams in the group are on three points. Next up are two qualifiers against the Netherlands, the first away on May 31.
– Thinking ahead, Holland is the strongest team in the group – the top team in the world, with top individuals. We’re sure to have quite a hot pot waiting for us there in Rotterdam.
– The challenge is tough, but we showed in April that we can beat tougher countries. We go into that game with good confidence.
Helmareite’s EC qualifiers continue on 31.5. and 4.6., when Finland meets the Netherlands at home and away. shows the games live on its channels and follows the games moment by moment on its website.