– “Köpi” was the kind of roommate who always tidied up his room in a neat order everywhere. I was the complete opposite, and still am. We were a good couple, we complemented each other, Antti Siltala states
Tuomas “Köpi” Sammelvuo is a respected and liked man among his own people. According to the roommates from the national team days, Sammelvuo knows how to break the ice at the right time.
He is anything but a yo-yo man. Instead, Sammelvuo is a straight-forward, proud Finn who always thinks of other people and, above all, cultivates a wry sense of humor – and these men know it.
Siltala, an all-around player who played no less than 288 matches in the Finnish national volleyball team, was Sammelvuo’s roommate for so many years that his wife also remained second for a long time.
Parivaljakko played in the national team for seven years at the same time, and Siltala succeeded Sammelvuo as captain when he became Finland’s head coach.
Played 225 international matches Konstantin Shumov was with Sammelvuo in the national team both as a player and coached. In addition to this, he played with Sammelvuo in the Italian A1 league for Vibo Valentia and lived next door to him.
Timo Tolvanen and Sammelvuo’s friendship again started in the junior years, and the two went through the youth national teams and the A national team together, and sided with each other in Kuopio’s volleyball circles. Tolvanen is also the godfather of Sammelvuo’s daughter and Sammelvuo is the godfather of Tolvanen’s daughter.
Tuomas Sammelvuo represented the Finnish national team as a player for 294 matches.
He served as the head coach of the national team in 2013–2019.
When you run naked, you’ll break the ice
Pedantic, determined, ambitious, passionate, committed, straight-forward… Tuomas Sammelvuos is easily pictured as a truly professional volleyball player and coach. He is a man who lives and breathes volleyball.
– As a player, it felt like he was always thinking about volleyball, talking about other players or teams, Tolvanen recalls.
– As a roommate, he asked me all kinds of volleyball stuff. I should have known what is the first and last name of the Belarusian triple passer.
On the field, as a 193-centimeter all-round player, Sammelvuo was physical and made up for missing cents with relentless work, willpower and unyieldingness, as well as in other areas, such as good reception and defense.
The spirit of competition was strong from an early age, whether it was throwing stones between friends or a national team match. Sammelvuo was known for being meticulous even in small matters. With this, he showed others how to handle things if you want to get to the top.
Sammelvuo was a natural captain who led by example, and he was always ready to do everything for the team. He was – and still is – always ready to help and listen.
But at the same time, there was another side to Sammelvuo as a player and captain, which rarely showed itself to other than teammates. He was a well-known humorist and prankster who was ready to break the ice with his idiosyncratic antics.
– He could suddenly run naked – of course not in any public place – and lighten the mood that way. His bravura has also always been the fact that he stretches his rear a bit and then pulls the splits on the dance floor, Tolvanen reveals.
World citizen stuff in stock
Sammelvuo played for several years on international fields in France, Italy, Japan and Russia.
Konstantin Shumov admits that it was a big help for him to be able to play with Sammelvuo at the same time in Vibo Valentia. Already during his national team days, he had been able to ask Sammelvuo for advice about being a professional and playing abroad.
– From everything you could see how respected a player Köpi was in Italy. He had enough humor, he brought the necessary experience to the team and had even learned the language, Shumov assessed his neighbor at the time.
– Only once did we get a warning about excessive noise at the camp. And that too came from Tuomaksen’s wife downstairs.
Sammelvuo’s language skills have often confused his fellow players, as he learned French after moving abroad for the first time to play. After that, he learned Italian, Japanese, Polish and Russian.
– He understood in good time that it would make his own work and life easier. About Japan, he said that there were a few challenges with the letters, but that he does know something. That’s probably the only flaw in his perfection, Tolvanen laughs.
The hard playing years took their toll on Sammelvuo, but knee problems did not stop him from playing. No, even if he had to be tamed in the locker room or even if he was made to play as a libero.
– He was certainly the first guy who always wore Finland’s shirt. He didn’t refuse national team duties, unless he had to, says Siltala.
Siltala knows from his own experience that in order to succeed, you have to look for tougher playing fields abroad. Although Sammelvuo is a citizen of the world, he is also a proud Finn – whose goods also happen to be here and there.
According to Siltala, he has many Sammelvuo backpacks and bags full of old jerseys in his warehouse.
– He could pick them up the next time he visits Finland. I will sell them to someone soon, because they are valuable. Then we’ll see how the mouth is closed, Siltala laughs.
We can’t afford fooling around anymore
Sammelvuosta already saw during his playing years that he has enough fire to coach. At Aikalis, he was often advising younger players both in the national team and in the club team.
When rumors that Sammelvuo would be the new head coach of the Finnish national team began to spread in the fall of 2012, Sammelvuo remained silent. Even Tolvanen couldn’t get the information out of him in advance, although he tried.
– If Köpi had an unfathomable knowledge bank about the sport up until then, as head coach he found even more. It was completely incomprehensible how he put himself into things, Tolvanen marvels.
Although the idea of the former captain of the national team as the head coach of the national team sounds like a dream union, many questioned Sammelvuo’s choice. He was considered too inexperienced for the job and his authority was doubted.
Sammelvuo distanced itself from the players, but the conversational connection remained good. As a coach, Sammelvuo’s working days were much longer than the players’, so he no longer went out to dinner with the group.
– It was a place of growth for Köp. He had to live with stricter rules than when he was a player, there was no more room for fooling around. We had to think about 12–14 different personalities, Shumov reminds.
The first season was not easy for Sammelvuo. The success was weak, and the new methods did not sink in, although they did not deviate much from the predecessor, Mauro Berruto operating procedures. Sammelvuo’s inexperience was reflected in the first years, especially in tight situations.
– However, it was a rebirth for the team, and that need for change and a boost was needed. It went in the right direction, says Siltala.
Many of Sammelvuo’s edges were smoothed out already in the first year as a coach. The players also adopted the new way of playing and Sammelvuo’s style of coaching.
Sammelvuo, on the other hand, managed to select for the team those players who wanted to play for the team, not just for themselves. It brought the national team a place in both the World Championships and the European Championships, success in these prestigious competitions.
At the sports gala, the team was awarded the Team of the Year selection and the Sammelvuo Coach of the Year title.
It was a dream union after all.
A real string puller
Sammelvuo has been under a lot of pressure in his coaching career, but one of the toughest situations was when Russia attacked Ukraine in the spring of 2022. At that time, Sammelvuo was living in Russia with his Ukrainian spouse Alina’s with, and the most important thing for them was to get out of the country safely, but paperwork, among other things, took a long time.
During that time, the Sammelvuo situation was of interest to many, but he chose to remain silent.
– I myself wonder why he doesn’t just open up. I think I told him in the message that something should be said publicly when there is so much shouting about it, says Tolvanen.
– But as Tuomas himself said, it was necessary and wiser to remain silent. There were so many things that people don’t necessarily know what affects what. No matter how mentally strong you are, there were definitely things that hurt.
According to former roommates, Sammelvuo’s way of facing difficulties or pressures is to take them as a challenge.
On the sidelines of the field, you can’t necessarily see what’s going on inside of him, unless you can watch the way he clenches his teeth. However, you can read how much charge there has been inside Sammelvuo from vents or happy tears.
Sammelvuo’s way of coaching is very people-oriented. Although victories are the most important thing in top sports, Sammelvuo is always also interesting to the person, the player.
He knows how to read his players and finds the information on how to best help the player. Even if he is not on the same wavelength as the player.
– He knows how to look for the strings he can pull. At one time, for example Kerminen to Lauri could not sit the rules. Tuomas found out that the NBA basket is important to Lauri and was able to talk about it. That way they were able to build a bridge between them, Tolvanen says.
Sammelvuo’s way of reading people could be a good trump card in politics, which he is also interested in. According to Tolvanen, Sammelvuo once had a strong idea that he would become an MP.
Sammelvuo also had a plan for how he would get started: the first thing he had to do was get on the board of the housing company. However, these steps were not taken.
Tolvanen and Sammelvuo often talked about the Olympics when they were younger. It was a big dream for both of them, but Sammelvuo’s desire for the Olympics was much greater.
He was able to realize this goal at the Tokyo Games as the head coach of the Russian Olympic team, even though the Games ended with a silver medal and a big disappointment.
Once again, Sammelvuo gets to enjoy the Olympic high in Paris when, to everyone’s surprise, he coached the Canadian national team from underdog status to the Games.
It was a good demonstration of Sammelvuo’s skills in assembling a team around him, whose players and other personnel always give their all for the goal.
In Shumov’s opinion, Sammelvuos has always shown that he is not satisfied with things. When Sammelvuo has achieved something, he takes on the next challenge to move towards. According to Tolvanen, only the sky is the limit for Sammelvuo.
– Tuomas doesn’t need any sea rites anymore, but performances like that of the Canadian national team are great stories. There’s no need to doubt that the guy would make it. It’s been downright cool to do. I always get to “copypaste” the same message to him: good luck, damn it, Tolvanen laughs.