Football the suspected match manipulation that happened in the lower leagues is has spoken widely in recent weeks. Helsingin Sanomat reported on the weekend about young Brazilian boys, who had been lured to Finland with false promises. Many of the Brazilian players had also received suggestions about match-fixing.
It is common that many people who come to Finland from third countries chasing their football dream are disappointed, he says Panu Autio. Autio is the executive director of the Football Players’ Association JPY.
According to Autio, players arriving in Finland run the risk of falling victim to recruiters and criminals who organize match-fixing.
– It’s about the world’s most competitive job market and the business of dreams. The dream of becoming a professional in Europe is so big for many who dream of a career as a soccer player that they are ready to put a lot on the line for it, sometimes everything, says Autio.
Not all players arriving in Finland are good enough to get a place in a financially sound club that could pay a decent salary for playing.
In pursuit of the football dream, you end up in, for example, the men’s Kakkose or Kolmose, which are not professional leagues.
In the 2023 season, 1,056 players played at least one minute in the Men’s Second Division. Of them, 923 players were Finnish citizens and 133 were non-Finnish citizens. The latter have been able to live in Finland for a very long time.
In September, the suspicions of competition manipulation that happened in Kakkone and Kolmose progressed to the disciplinary action of the Finnish Football Association.
Finland is a suitable place for match cheating, because it is also played here in the summer, when many other European leagues are on break.
Autio does not comment on individual cases, but says that JPY has widely distributed the enhanced Red Button application to players this year. The application allows players to anonymously report issues related to match-fixing.
The goal of the players’ association is to help players in a vulnerable position.
– We certainly won’t reach all such players yet. Our membership is based on a voluntary basis and we have focused our activities on players who play in the association’s leagues, where the general contract terms apply. So basically we do not represent, for example, the players of Kolmonen.
The minimum wage went up
Currently, a person arriving in Finland with an employee residence permit should earn a salary of at least 1,399 euros per month. With the change in the law, the amount will increase in November to 1,600 euros.
In other words, if the player is not a citizen of the EU, EEA countries or Switzerland and he arrives to play in the top four league levels for men (Veikkausliiga, Ykkösliiga, Ykkönen, Kakkonen) or the two highest league levels for women (National League, women’s Ykkönen), the club should pay a salary of at least 1,600 euros per month, if the residence permit has been granted on the basis of sports.
In addition to the gross salary, housing and food benefits are included in the taxable income.
The challenge is that fringe benefits comprise such a large part of the small amount of the minimum wage that the players are actually only paid a few hundred euros per month.
Panu Autio
The Football Players’ Association sees the increase in the minimum wage, which requires a residence permit, as a positive thing. According to Panu Autio, players arriving in Finland often do not understand what the cost of living in Finland is like.
– The reform improves the living conditions of players coming to Finland from abroad. Sometimes the challenge is that the fringe benefits comprise such a large part of the small amount of the minimum wage that the players are actually only paid a few hundred euros a month.
– In terms of combating competitive manipulation, it is also important that the players are paid sufficiently and that the salaries are paid on time, Autio continues.
No information on scope
General Secretary of the Football Association Marco Casagrande informs Urheilu that the association has actively cooperated with the clubs to investigate the cases that have come to light in the media.
– According to our information, the cases in question concern players who play in Kolmose and possibly lower leagues. Since the players play in leagues where there is no contractual obligation, the means of the Swedish Football Association are quite limited, Casagrande commented.
According to Casagrande, it is also difficult for the clubs to control the situation, as the players have probably arrived in Finland with amateur status.
– In the case of an adult player, the prerequisite for playing is then, according to Fifa rules, only a correctly made player transfer. When it comes to illegal stay in Finland in some way, it is a matter for the authorities and according to our information, the authorities have been active in the matter.
The Finnish Football Federation has no information on how many young people arrive in Finland in pursuit of their football dream, who become part of a scam or are pulled away in some other way. However, Casagrande admits that the phenomenon is real.
– When it is aimed at amateur players, it is clear that it is a fraudulent procedure. It would be essential that the players dare to contact the authorities directly in such situations and, if necessary, the Balloliitto or the players’ association.
In cases related to match-fixing, Palloliitto cooperates with, for example, the Finnish Sports Ethics Center (Suek). Casagrande already said in August that he hoped that the union’s control possibilities would increase with the changes in the legislation.
According to Casagrande, Palloliitto monitors in all leagues that require a contract (Veikkausliiga, Ykkösliiga, Ykkönen, Kakkonen, Kansallinen Liiga, Naisten Ykkönen) that the contracts are made in the right way – i.e. for example, that the obligation of the minimum salary for players coming to Finland to play is fulfilled.
Suspected match manipulation in Finnish football will be discussed on Thursday on Radio Suomen Urheiluilla starting at 18:02.