photo: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
Teemu Pukki of Finland (10) celebrates with team mates his equalizing 1-1 goal during the men's football UEFA Euro 2020 European Championships qualifying match Finland vs Italy in Tampere in September 2019.
TEAM’S LONG JOURNEY INTO THE PROMISED LAND
Green green grass of
UEFA European Championship
T
Written by Matti Mäkelä Translated by Anna Eloaho
November 15th 2019 may have been a small day for
mankind, but it was a giant
leap for Finland. On that day the Finnish national football team ensured its place in
the UEFA Euro 2020 by
defeating Liechtenstein 3-0 in a home match. It was a miracle equalling to Lordi’s Eurovision Song Contest win in 2006 and Finland’s first Ice Hockey
World Championship in 1995.
he road to the promised land had been long and rocky for the ”Eagle Owls”, The Finnish Men’s Football Team. (It is important to remember that the cause for concern in Finnish sports has for decades been the men’s national football team, the women’s team has made it to the European games several times; in 2005 they even took the divided third place). Yet the very beginning of that road was promising for men as well. The national football team took part in the Olympics of 1912 in Stockholm and made it to the semi-finals by defeating such countries as Russia and Italy. At the time Finland was the Grand Duchy of Russia, so victory over the suppressing mother nation was especially sweet. An indication of what was to come was seen in the 9-0 loss against Holland after a somewhat decent 0-4 result against England. In a bronze medal game the entire Finnish team was tired, and according to a legend, also suffering a hangover. The next century was marked by more and more bitter, even humiliating defeats. Finland could but envy and observe the success of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Even tiny Iceland has had its moments of glory in the eyes of the world. A sign of these desperate times can be seen in a 1977 Finnish Football yearbook, where Kai Haaskivi’s goal against Italy is touted. The fact that Italy scored six goals against Finland in that match was left to lesser attention. 10
