Markku Kanerva will continue as Huuhkajie’s head coach until 2026. His contract covers the Nations League games starting in autumn 2024, the World Cup qualifiers starting in spring 2025 and the possible World Cup final tournament in 2026.
The coaching staff of Kanerva will be renewed. They are in the new team Tim Sparv, Jani Honkavaara mixed Teemu Tainio.
At least some of the Huahkaji coaching team were left out Mika Nurmela and previously washed as HJK’s head coach Toni Korkeakunnas.
Huhkajie’s coaching team is still being completed, but at least the head of game analysis of the Football Association and the Huhkajie’s video analyst Henri Lehto confirmed in Urheilu’s EM studio that he will continue in the team.
– Management is based on teamwork. The player base is also in the center, so I want feedback from there as well. We are going through the same things with the new team. As the head coach, of course I make the conclusions and draw the lines, Kanerva commented on Monday to Urheilu.
Nations League matches are important for Huuhkaj in many ways. Of course, they prepare themselves for the World Cup qualifiers, but with good game performances they also open up additional opportunities for the 2026 World Cup final tournament.
– That is an important competition for us, because it is also a way to get to the World Championships. There are good matches that are needed for the World Cup.
Did the weak point get relief?
Essi Sainio mixed Toni Koskela during the break of the European Championship match between Ukraine and Romania in ‘s studio, they discussed Kanerva’s new contract extension.
– It’s a clear change, Sainio refers to the changes in the coaching group.
Koskela reminds that the national team players change frequently these days. Kanerva, who has been at the helm of Huuhkajie for eight years, is a clear exception in this sense.
Koskela adds that the new coaching team gives an opportunity for new ideas.
– Often, when we go with the same group, there are certain routines. Now there will be new routines and new thoughts.
Lately, Huuhkajie’s clear problem has been special situations. Koskela would have needed something new for this genre.
– Would it have been a place to hire someone who is a real specialist in this matter? With that, you could get to the point where those special situations wouldn’t be your Achilles’ heel.
Familiar to the expert
Sports expert Mehmet Hetamaj played under Jani Honkavaara in Seinäjoki Football Club in 2020–2021.
– I can say that he is tactically very good. He prepares well for the methods of his upcoming opponents and is able to create exercises that will help his opponents.
Hetemaj, who closely follows the Veikkausliiga, sees that Honkavaara, currently piloting KuPS, has developed even more as a creator of game situational solutions since his time at SJK.
– At the moment, KuPS plays really versatile and high-quality football at a very high level.
Hetemaj believes that former national team skipper Tim Sparv is also ready for national team circles. After his playing career, Sparv has worked in the organization of the Czech Sparta Prague, who announced on Monday that Sparv will join the coaching staff of the men’s national team.
– I could imagine that Tim will bring more such detailed training and points for the midfielders and defenders by position. How to move, what to expect from future opponents and thus what the players of those venues will face.
In Hetemaj’s opinion, Sparv is a good addition to coaching in the national team, where there is very little time available for preparation.
– Tim was always very thoughtful on the field. He wondered why certain tactical things were done. He gave good insights to the coaching staff about what is going wrong in the game or what the opponent is doing well. Quite often, those things could be fixed.
Markku Kanerva’s continuation in the national team was a hot topic since last fall, when the Huuhkajat had a good chance in the European Championship qualifying group, where a direct competition spot was already well within reach.
– I think “Rive” doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about other people’s opinions. That’s how you have to act at that level, because there are as many opinions as there are people. I don’t think this affects him in any way.