Last January, Nikolai Alho made a deal with Volos FC, who plays in the Greek Super League. He has had a great time in Greece.
Owners Defender Nikolai Alho has played in the Greek Super League early this year. It is a slightly rarer choice for Finnish players, but Alho has been satisfied.
– In January, a contract came there and I got to play a lot. The teammates, the coaches and everyone have received it really well. There has been a lot of credit and the performances have been good, Alho says.
Alho’s family is also involved in Greece. Alho is the father of a girl just under three years old.
– Outside the field, the family and the little one also enjoy themselves. That, too, has been an important thing, of course. Isn’t it so that when everything is fine, then everything is fine, Alho laughs.
Greek football culture is at times wild: “There was someone stabbing”
The reason is probably the country with a wild football culture, but not many Finnish players are the first to look for a place in Greece. Of course, Finns have also played there. Among other things, both Hetemaj’n brothers, Joonas Kolkka, Robin Lod and Tim Sparv.
– I don’t really have any crazy stories yet, but I’ve heard them. I remember when I wrote the contract there, the same day Tim Sparv put in congratulations and then there came a long message that if you ever need a jeep, here are a few guys.
– The fan culture in Greece is unprecedented. There’s a pretty crazy mood in big matches. It was a really bad coincidence this year that there was some stabbing. It’s not very nice. I myself have been all pretty calm so far.
Alho has got a lot of playing time in his new club. He considers it perhaps the most important thing. The rhythm of the game is also different than in Finland.
– In Finland, when there are games on the weekends and in the middle of the week, I didn’t have much time to train there. But in Greece, the match is once a week, always on a Saturday or Sunday, so there may be a couple of workouts a day from the beginning of the week and then start reducing.
The owl defense knows each other
In the national team, there has been a generational change in the defense of the Owners. Some of the players are already familiar with each other from the young national teams.
– There have been changes here in the last two years, but I think we are pretty well welded together. Of course, there are new players involved, says Alho, who played in the Hungarian league last season.
– I have always said that Finns have such a humble mentality. It somehow unites us all that everyone wants to play in front of the team and the most important thing of all is to take this football forward. That is what we have been doing here and it is cool to be here.
Alho, 29, has played 18 national matches in Huuhkaji. He was part of last summer’s European Championship team.
– We’ve progressed playfully. If we compare five years ago to what we can do now.
Immediately afterwards, Alho says that there is enough to be developed.
– I have talked a lot about such boldness of play, the individual’s courage to bring their own things to that team game. It will certainly help in the future that players bring courage and positive energy to the field. It infects others as well.
Finland will play its first game of the League of Nations on June 4 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium against Bosnia and Herzegovina. shows the Owners matches live.