Will we see Finnish colors in the EC final? The judge legend who has experienced everything tells why Lina Lehtovaara is successful and what it’s like to whistle in prestigious competitions

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Even though the Helmarei’s time in the European Championships will surely be interrupted by the German match that ends the first group on Saturday, we will probably see one Finn in the playoff phase of the Games.

He whistled the Champions League final between Barcelona and Lyon in the spring Lina Lehtovaara has even been raised as a possible referee for the EC final. Lehtovaara, 41, has so far whistled two matches in the first group in the EC tournament.

Finnish refereeing legend Kirsi Heikkinen is the right person to tell why Lehtovaara does well on the value competition stage. In his career, Heikkinen got to experience practically everything: he whistled at the Olympics, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Champions League final. At the EC and WC levels, Heikkinen refereed the semi-final match.

Heikkinen is a classroom teacher by profession – just like Lehtovaarak – but still works in refereeing as well. In Finland, Heikkinen trains referees and works as a referee observer, in addition he is an observer of the European football association UEFA. During the current European Championships, Heikkinen is not at work, but is enjoying the games on his sofa at home.

– In Lina’s making, certainty, calmness and very strong movement give elements for good decisions and performances, Heikkinen describes.

– It’s wonderful to see that the work done over the years gives you the opportunity to trust yourself and be your own person, and through that to make the players meet, that is, lead the game.

Lehtovaara has reduced civilian jobs to pursue his dreams as a referee and, among other things, hired a personal physical trainer.

The tempo of football, played by both women and men, has constantly increased. The referee has to be able to stay involved in the game and even so that the heart rate does not rise too much, so that the head remains sharp and the decision-making sharp.

Heikkinen also praises how Lehtovaara’s physique has strengthened as a result of determined work.

Lehtovaara awarded the first penalty kick of the Norway-Northern Ireland games in his prestigious tournament debut. Lehtovaara received information about a possible hand foul in his earlobe, went to check the situation himself on the VAR screen and pointed to the foul. The match ended 4–1 for Norway.

It’s cold in value tournaments. If the referee makes a significant mistake or is otherwise unsure, the match will be the last of the tournament.

Decisions about match referees are made by the UEFA referee committee. In each match, of course, there are observers who evaluate the referees.

According to Heikkinen, the referee can only focus on trying to maintain his level from match to match – other people make the decisions about the continuation. With some of the referees, the tournament ends in the first block.

Refereeing in a value tournament differs from everyday life in series games, when you are away from home for several weeks.

– It’s a mental thing, how the referee finds a good mood from the beginning to the end of the tournament. Being able to maintain a top level all the time is one’s own skill, Heikkinen points out.

Sometimes a certain kind of politicking is associated with refereeing, at least in discussion forums. French By Clement Turpin got to whistle in the men’s Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool in the spring, when the final was played in Paris. Now, in the discussions, an Englishman has been raised as one of the possible referees for the EC final Rebecca Welchwhen the games are played in England.

On the other hand, a referee cannot whistle for matches of his own country. England is one of the biggest champions of the tournament. It is logical to think that Lehtovaara’s chances of progressing in the EC tournament will improve when Finland will definitely be in the first group.

Heikkinen does not want to give much weight to the aforementioned speculations.

– I personally believe in the referee doing his best, and that’s how the games that come will come. The referee just always does his best and then the others make the choices.

Heikkinen also brings up video refereeing, which is here to stay in football. Lehtovaara has attended courses related to the VAR tool organized by Uefa and in Denmark.

The same topic has been discussed on the men’s soccer side. Since there is no VAR in use in Finland, it is difficult for Finnish referees to advance on international pitches.

Finished his extensive refereeing career in the spring Matthias Gestranius and worked as head referee of Pallloiitto Jouni Hyytä have hoped in interviews to get VAR to Finland soon, if they want to stay involved in international refereeing development. Heikkinen is on the same lines. However, it would require resources.

– There is nothing extreme that VAR should definitely be obtained. Is this the most important thing in Finnish football, worth investing a million euros in? stated Veikkausliiga’s CEO Timo Marjamaa last summer For Ilta-Sanom (you switch to another service).

The International Football Association is developing lightweight versions of VAR that would require fewer resources. They could be implemented, for example, with a smaller number of cameras. It is likely that one day we will see such a system on the fields of Finland instead of the system used in value competitions.

Let’s go back to Lehtovaara. When speculating about his entry into the EC final, Heikkinen reminds that the competition is tight.

– I personally think that you invest in success in every task that you get in value competitions. He is so good at his own games that he knows he was good and succeeded. Others then decide what is to come. You can’t influence that, you can influence your own performance and contribution.

The fact that Lehtovaara recently whistled the final of the Champions League is of course not a disadvantage.

– Yes, those good experiences are a material bank for yourself, and through that others also know where to go.

Judges for men’s honor races are appointed as referee trios. Each referee is appointed to the games so that the assistant referees from the same country go with them. This trio works together throughout the Games. This was also the case a year ago at the European Championships.

On the women’s side, the level of refereeing is not as extensive, so Lehtovaara, for example, has had the opportunity to qualify for prestigious competitions, even though there are no assistant referees of the same level in Finland.

Lehtovaara’s assistant referees in both the Norway-Northern Ireland match and the Italy-Iceland match were Greek Chrysoula Kourompylia and Estonian Karolin Kaivoja.

When Heikkinen whistled in the world, the assistant referees were usually Finnish colleagues Tonja Weckström (born Paavola) and Anu Jokela (born Lehtonen).

– We had the same experience and education. We were already able to create a strong foundation at home, which bore fruit internationally. We were able to move as a trio from tournament to tournament. We had good years in the same trio, and it was great that we got to enjoy teamwork.

When Heikkinen, assisted by Paavola and Jokela, refereed the Champions League final in the spring of 2010, the German Turbine Potsdam won with the help of the French Lyon. The fourth referee was Lina Lehtovaara.

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