Finland national football team
Encyclopedia
The Finland national football team represents Finland
in international football
competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland
.
Although The Finnish national team has never qualified for a finals tournament of the World Cup
or the European Championships
, the Nordic nation made remarkable progression in the 2000's reaching a peak of 30th on the Elo Rankings, under coach of Roy Hodgson they achieved notable results against much more established European teams. The team has also never dropped out of the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings since they were established in 1993.
in 1908, despite the fact that at that time Finland was still an autonomous grand duchy
of the Russian Empire
and didn't gain independence until 1917. Finland played its first international match on October 22, 1911, losing to neighboring Sweden
2–5 in Helsinki
.
A fourth place finish at the 1912 Summer Olympics
in Stockholm
still arguably ranks as the country's best ever achievement in international football. Finland beat Italy
and Russia
in the first two rounds before losing to Great Britain
in the semi-finals. In the bronze medal match they were beaten 0–9 by the Netherlands
. According to the story, the Finns were under the impression that the match would be a day later, so they had gone out celebrating the night before the match, and as a consequence were easily beaten. Finland's star player Eino Soinio
, aged only 17 at the time, was chosen to the all-star team of the tournament by Swedish
paper Idrottsbladet.
Finland also took part in the 1936 Summer Olympics
in Berlin
, but was beaten by Peru
in the first round. The country sought qualification for the World Cup for the first time in the 1938 event
, but failed to score a single point. The fortunes of the team didn't improve much in the 1950s or 1960s: they were never near qualification, and didn't achieve their first win until 1965. Finland also took part in European Championship qualifying since the 1968 event
, but had to wait for its first win until 1978. The 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki saw the Finnish hosts lose to Austria
in the first round. Finland did, however, win the unofficial Nordic
championship in 1952, 1964 and 1966.
by just a point and for the 1986 World Cup
by two points. Finland was invited to take part in the 1980 Summer Olympics
in Moscow
after many Western
countries announced they would boycott the games, but failed to progress from its group.
By the mid-1990s Finland started to have more players in high profile European leagues, led by the Ajax
superstar Jari Litmanen
. In 1996 Danish
Euro 1992
winning coach Richard Møller Nielsen
was hired to take Finland to the 1998 World Cup
. The team enjoyed mixed fortunes in the campaign, high points of which were a draw and a win away to Norway
and Switzerland
respectively. Going into the last match, Finland would have needed a win at home to Hungary
to earn a place in the play-offs. They led the game 1–0 going into injury time, but scored an own goal, and once again the dreams of qualification were over. Møller Nielsen also tried to lead Finland to Euro 2000
. In this campaign the Finns recorded a sensational win away to Turkey
, but couldn't compete with Germany
and Turkey in the long run.
Antti Muurinen
succeeded Møller Nielsen as coach in 2000. He had arguably the most talented group of Finnish players ever at his disposal, including players such as Antti Niemi, Sami Hyypiä
, Teemu Tainio
and Mikael Forssell
in addition to the legendary Litmanen. The team also performed quite well under him in qualification
for the 2002 World Cup
despite a difficult draw, earning two draws against Germany and a home draw with England
as well as beating Greece
5–1 in Helsinki. In the end, however, England and Germany proved too strong, and the Finns finished third in the group, but were the only team in that group not to lose at home. Hopes were high going into qualification
for Euro 2004
after the promising last campaign and friendly wins over the likes of Norway, Belgium and Portugal (which seen the Finns jump from 40th–30th in the Elo ranking). However, Finland started the campaign by losing to Wales
and Yugoslavia (later Serbia and Montenegro, now two separate nations). These losses were followed by two defeats by Italy, and a 3–0 home win over Serbia and Montenegro was little consolation, as the Finns finished fourth in the group. In qualification
for the 2006 World Cup
Finland failed to score a single point in six matches against the top three teams in their group, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic
and Romania
. Muurinen was sacked in June 2005, and he was replaced by caretaker Jyrki Heliskoski
, but results didn't improve.
In August 2005 it was announced that Roy Hodgson
would become the new Finland coach in 2006, and he started in the job in January of that year. Hodgson stepped down as manager after they failed to qualify for Euro 2008. His replacement was a Scot, Stuart Baxter
, who signed a contract until the end of the 2012 European Championship qualification campaign.
, Poland
, Serbia
, Belgium, Armenia
, Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan
. The team started the campaign very well, beating Poland 3–1 away and earning a 1–1 draw with Portugal at home. The Finns then gained four points from their difficult away ties against Armenia and Kazakhstan, drawing 0–0 with the former and beating the latter 2–0. On 15 November 2006, Finland beat Armenia 1–0 at home, thus remaining undefeated in the qualifying. In Finland's first match of 2007, they were in poor form when they lost against Azerbaijan 1–0, one of the worst matches in Finnish footballing history. On early June they lost to Serbia 2–0 at home, which many fans felt to be the end of a real battle for qualification. But the next match was against Belgium and team Finland gained the trust of their fans back by winning 2–0 at home. This was followed by a series of wins including a 2–1 win against Azerbaijan, with the team needing to win against Portugal away from home needing to qualify. However, the match ended 0–0 meaning the team missed out on qualification. At the end of the group table the defeat to Azerbaijan made little difference, as it would have meant Finland losing out on away goals between them and Portugal when the teams met if they did win against Azerbaijan twice. However, the performance in qualifying seen the Finns gain their best-ever FIFA world ranking to date at the position of 33rd
2010 World cup qualification fared little better, with the team under new head coach Stuart Baxter not winning matches as consistently like they did under Roy Hodgson. However the team were within touching distance of a win over Euro 2008 finalists Germany, but had to settle for a 3–3 draw. The team again finished third in their group with five wins, three draws and two defeats. They were the only team in qualifying not to lose to eventual 3rd place finishers Germany, but came close to a win in the second meeting only to concede an equaliser in stoppage time.
Qualification for the European 2012 European Championship has so far been underwhelming, with three straight defeats against Moldova (2–0), the Netherlands and Hungary (both 2–1), before closing 2010 with an 8–0 success against minnows San Marino which saw Mikael Forssell
the first player of the group to score a hat trick. Before their first win of the campaign, the team slipped to 87th in the FIFA World Rankings, despite still staying in the top 100 and therefore keeping up their consistency in the top half of the monthly table, this was however their lowest-ever position in their history since the rankings were established in 1993. The team then moved up to 76th place after a disappointing 1-0 win over San Marino, that team's best result in their group having lost every game with no goals scored. This was then followed up by a 5-0 mauling by their neighbours Sweden, giving them their fourth defeat in the group. To date Finland have scored 11 goals and conceded 11, a large decline after the success of 2007-2009.
in the capital Helsinki. It has been Finland's principal home stadium ever since its construction was completed in 1938. Before that Pallokenttä in Helsinki was mainly used.
Today, some qualifying matches against lower profile opponents and some friendlies are hosted at the Ratina Stadion
in Tampere
. Helsinki's Sonera Stadium, which has artificial turf
, is also used for some friendlies and qualifiers.
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UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifiers
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Upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches
The fixtures were decided at a meeting held in Paris
, France
on 23 September 2011.
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, on 15 November 2011. Players who have withdrawn from this squad are excluded.
Caps and goals as of November 15, 2011.
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Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in international football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
.
Although The Finnish national team has never qualified for a finals tournament of the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
or the European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, the Nordic nation made remarkable progression in the 2000's reaching a peak of 30th on the Elo Rankings, under coach of Roy Hodgson they achieved notable results against much more established European teams. The team has also never dropped out of the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings since they were established in 1993.
Early history
The Football Association of Finland was founded as early as 1907 and became a member of FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1908, despite the fact that at that time Finland was still an autonomous grand duchy
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and didn't gain independence until 1917. Finland played its first international match on October 22, 1911, losing to neighboring Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
2–5 in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
A fourth place finish at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
still arguably ranks as the country's best ever achievement in international football. Finland beat Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
in the first two rounds before losing to Great Britain
England national amateur football team
The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. It was formed in 1906, due to the growth of the professional game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team.-First match and unbeaten...
in the semi-finals. In the bronze medal match they were beaten 0–9 by the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. According to the story, the Finns were under the impression that the match would be a day later, so they had gone out celebrating the night before the match, and as a consequence were easily beaten. Finland's star player Eino Soinio
Eino Soinio
Eino Alex Soinio né Salin was a Finnish football player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was a part of the Finnish football team squad, which finished fourth in the football event...
, aged only 17 at the time, was chosen to the all-star team of the tournament by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
paper Idrottsbladet.
Finland also took part in the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, but was beaten by Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
in the first round. The country sought qualification for the World Cup for the first time in the 1938 event
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
, but failed to score a single point. The fortunes of the team didn't improve much in the 1950s or 1960s: they were never near qualification, and didn't achieve their first win until 1965. Finland also took part in European Championship qualifying since the 1968 event
1968 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Replay:-Top scorers:There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75 goals per game.2 goals Dragan Džajić...
, but had to wait for its first win until 1978. The 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki saw the Finnish hosts lose to Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in the first round. Finland did, however, win the unofficial Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
championship in 1952, 1964 and 1966.
Latter 20th century
The results of the team improved somewhat in the late 1970s and the 1980s. Finland missed out on qualification for Euro 19801980 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980...
by just a point and for the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
by two points. Finland was invited to take part in the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
after many Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
countries announced they would boycott the games, but failed to progress from its group.
By the mid-1990s Finland started to have more players in high profile European leagues, led by the Ajax
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
superstar Jari Litmanen
Jari Litmanen
Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008...
. In 1996 Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Euro 1992
1992 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of...
winning coach Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen , nicknamed Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
was hired to take Finland to the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. The team enjoyed mixed fortunes in the campaign, high points of which were a draw and a win away to Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
and Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
respectively. Going into the last match, Finland would have needed a win at home to Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
to earn a place in the play-offs. They led the game 1–0 going into injury time, but scored an own goal, and once again the dreams of qualification were over. Møller Nielsen also tried to lead Finland to Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
. In this campaign the Finns recorded a sensational win away to Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, but couldn't compete with Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and Turkey in the long run.
Antti Muurinen
Antti Muurinen
Antti Muurinen is a Finnish football coach. He is currently the head coach of HJK Helsinki in Finland's Veikkausliiga.Muurinen is probably best known as the head coach of the Finnish national team...
succeeded Møller Nielsen as coach in 2000. He had arguably the most talented group of Finnish players ever at his disposal, including players such as Antti Niemi, Sami Hyypiä
Sami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
, Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:...
and Mikael Forssell
Mikael Forssell
Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team.-Club career:...
in addition to the legendary Litmanen. The team also performed quite well under him in qualification
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 199 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. and , as the co-hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition....
for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
despite a difficult draw, earning two draws against Germany and a home draw with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
as well as beating Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
5–1 in Helsinki. In the end, however, England and Germany proved too strong, and the Finns finished third in the group, but were the only team in that group not to lose at home. Hopes were high going into qualification
2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
Qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship took place between September 2002 and November 2003.Fifty teams were divided into ten groups, with each team playing the others in their group twice, once at home and once away...
for Euro 2004
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
after the promising last campaign and friendly wins over the likes of Norway, Belgium and Portugal (which seen the Finns jump from 40th–30th in the Elo ranking). However, Finland started the campaign by losing to Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
and Yugoslavia (later Serbia and Montenegro, now two separate nations). These losses were followed by two defeats by Italy, and a 3–0 home win over Serbia and Montenegro was little consolation, as the Finns finished fourth in the group. In qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...
for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Finland failed to score a single point in six matches against the top three teams in their group, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
and Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
. Muurinen was sacked in June 2005, and he was replaced by caretaker Jyrki Heliskoski
Jyrki Heliskoski
Jyrki Heliskoski is a Finnish football coach. He's currently coaching the Finnish national under-19 team.Heliskoski worked briefly as the head coach of the Finnish national team from July 2005 to January 2006. He then continued as an assistant coach under Roy Hodgson until November 2007...
, but results didn't improve.
In August 2005 it was announced that Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
would become the new Finland coach in 2006, and he started in the job in January of that year. Hodgson stepped down as manager after they failed to qualify for Euro 2008. His replacement was a Scot, Stuart Baxter
Stuart Baxter
Stuart Baxter is a Scottish football manager and former player. During his years as a professional player he played for a number of clubs in England, Scotland, Australia, Sweden and in the United States...
, who signed a contract until the end of the 2012 European Championship qualification campaign.
Recent history
Finland was competing in Group A in qualification for UEFA Euro 2008, together with PortugalPortugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
, Belgium, Armenia
Armenia national football team
The Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
and Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
. The team started the campaign very well, beating Poland 3–1 away and earning a 1–1 draw with Portugal at home. The Finns then gained four points from their difficult away ties against Armenia and Kazakhstan, drawing 0–0 with the former and beating the latter 2–0. On 15 November 2006, Finland beat Armenia 1–0 at home, thus remaining undefeated in the qualifying. In Finland's first match of 2007, they were in poor form when they lost against Azerbaijan 1–0, one of the worst matches in Finnish footballing history. On early June they lost to Serbia 2–0 at home, which many fans felt to be the end of a real battle for qualification. But the next match was against Belgium and team Finland gained the trust of their fans back by winning 2–0 at home. This was followed by a series of wins including a 2–1 win against Azerbaijan, with the team needing to win against Portugal away from home needing to qualify. However, the match ended 0–0 meaning the team missed out on qualification. At the end of the group table the defeat to Azerbaijan made little difference, as it would have meant Finland losing out on away goals between them and Portugal when the teams met if they did win against Azerbaijan twice. However, the performance in qualifying seen the Finns gain their best-ever FIFA world ranking to date at the position of 33rd
2010 World cup qualification fared little better, with the team under new head coach Stuart Baxter not winning matches as consistently like they did under Roy Hodgson. However the team were within touching distance of a win over Euro 2008 finalists Germany, but had to settle for a 3–3 draw. The team again finished third in their group with five wins, three draws and two defeats. They were the only team in qualifying not to lose to eventual 3rd place finishers Germany, but came close to a win in the second meeting only to concede an equaliser in stoppage time.
Qualification for the European 2012 European Championship has so far been underwhelming, with three straight defeats against Moldova (2–0), the Netherlands and Hungary (both 2–1), before closing 2010 with an 8–0 success against minnows San Marino which saw Mikael Forssell
Mikael Forssell
Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team.-Club career:...
the first player of the group to score a hat trick. Before their first win of the campaign, the team slipped to 87th in the FIFA World Rankings, despite still staying in the top 100 and therefore keeping up their consistency in the top half of the monthly table, this was however their lowest-ever position in their history since the rankings were established in 1993. The team then moved up to 76th place after a disappointing 1-0 win over San Marino, that team's best result in their group having lost every game with no goals scored. This was then followed up by a 5-0 mauling by their neighbours Sweden, giving them their fourth defeat in the group. To date Finland have scored 11 goals and conceded 11, a large decline after the success of 2007-2009.
Stadiums
Most of Finland's important home matches are played at the Helsinki Olympic StadiumHelsinki Olympic Stadium
The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952...
in the capital Helsinki. It has been Finland's principal home stadium ever since its construction was completed in 1938. Before that Pallokenttä in Helsinki was mainly used.
Today, some qualifying matches against lower profile opponents and some friendlies are hosted at the Ratina Stadion
Ratina Stadion
Ratina Stadion, built in 1965, is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampere, Finland, with a seating capacity of 17,000 people, and up to 32,000 people for concerts....
in Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
. Helsinki's Sonera Stadium, which has artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
, is also used for some friendlies and qualifiers.
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
Friendlies
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UEFA Euro 2012 QualifiersUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group EThis page shows the standings and results for Group E of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:*Note: Sweden qualified directly for the finals as the best runners-up.- Results and fixtures :...
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Upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group IThe 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
The fixtures were decided at a meeting held in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 23 September 2011.
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Current squad
The following players were selected for the friendly match against DenmarkDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, on 15 November 2011. Players who have withdrawn from this squad are excluded.
Caps and goals as of November 15, 2011.
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Recent callups
The following players have been selected by Finland for an official match in the past 12 months. Only players available for call-up, not retired players.|-----
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Coaching staff
- Head coach: Mixu PaatelainenMixu PaatelainenMika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
- Coach: Markku KanervaMarkku KanervaMarkku Kanerva is a Finnish football manager and former player. He is currently managing the Finnish national team.-Playing career:...
- Coach: Sami HyypiäSami HyypiäSami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
- Goalkeeping coach: Antti Niemi
- Fitness coach: Jari-Pekka Keurulainen
- Scout: Keith ArmstrongKeith ArmstrongKeith Thomas Armstrong is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Sunderland, Newport County and Scunthorpe United, and in Finland for a number of clubs...
- Technical analyst: Kari UkkonenKari UkkonenKari Ukkonen is a Finnish former football player and current football manager. As player, Ukkonen was fielded as defender as well as midfielder....
- U-21Finland national under-21 football teamThe Finnish national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Finland. The team qualified for the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship final tournament in 2009.-UEFA U-21 Championship Record:...
coach: Mika Laurikainen - Team director: Lennart Wangel
- Team doctor: Heikki Kinnunen
- Masseur: Hannu Kanerva
- Physiotherapist: Paavo Leiramo
- Kit manager: Jari Parikka
- Media officer: Timo Walden
Most capped players
| Rank | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jari Litmanen Jari Litmanen Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008... |
1989– | 137 | 32 |
| 2 | Sami Hyypiä Sami Hyypiä Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at... |
1992–2010 | 105 | 5 |
| = | Jonatan Johansson Jonatan Johansson (footballer) Jonatan Lillebror Johansson is a retired Finnish footballer. He last played for TPS in Finnish Veikkausliiga. His main position was a striker and he was a regular in the Finnish national team.- Early career :... |
1996–2010 | 105 | 22 |
| 4 | Ari Hjelm Ari Hjelm Ari-Juhani Hjelm is a Finnish football coach and former player. He was the head coach of home-town club Tampere United in Finland's Veikkausliiga.... |
1983–1996 | 100 | 20 |
| 5 | Joonas Kolkka Joonas Kolkka Joonas Einari Kolkka is a Finnish footballer who currently plays for Willem II in the Netherlands. He has played as a left winger most of his career, but can also play on the right wing.-Club career:... |
1994– | 98 | 11 |
| 6 | Erkka Petäjä Erkka Petäjä Erkka Petäjä is a Finnish former international footballer who earned 84 caps at international level between 1983 and 1994. Petäjä, who played as a defender, played professionally in Finland, Sweden and Switzerland for TPS, Östers IF, Helsingborgs IF, Malmö FF, Yverdon-Sport, Husqvarna FF and Inter... |
1983–1994 | 84 | 0 |
| 7 | Mikael Forssell Mikael Forssell Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team.-Club career:... |
1999– | 81 | 26 |
| 8 | Arto Tolsa Arto Tolsa Arto Tolsa is a former Finnish footballer.-External links and references:* *... |
1964–1981 | 77 | 10 |
| 9 | Hannu Tihinen Hannu Tihinen Hannu Tihinen is a retired Finnish footballer who played as a defender.He has played for clubs in Finland, Norway, England, Belgium and Switzerland.-Club career:... |
1997–2010 | 76 | 5 |
| 10 | Toni Kuivasto Toni Kuivasto Toni Kuivasto is a retired Finnish footballer who last played for Veikkausliigaside FC Haka.-Club career:Kuivasto started his career at home-town club FC Ilves, making his Veikkausliiga debut in 1992. He also played for MyPa and HJK Helsinki in Finland, before moving abroad to play for Viking FK... |
1997–2009 | 75 | 1 |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Name | Career | Goals | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jari Litmanen Jari Litmanen Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008... |
1989– | 32 | 137 |
| 2 | Mikael Forssell Mikael Forssell Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team.-Club career:... |
1999– | 26 | 81 |
| 3 | Jonatan Johansson Jonatan Johansson (footballer) Jonatan Lillebror Johansson is a retired Finnish footballer. He last played for TPS in Finnish Veikkausliiga. His main position was a striker and he was a regular in the Finnish national team.- Early career :... |
1996–2010 | 22 | 105 |
| 4 | Ari Hjelm Ari Hjelm Ari-Juhani Hjelm is a Finnish football coach and former player. He was the head coach of home-town club Tampere United in Finland's Veikkausliiga.... |
1983–1996 | 20 | 100 |
| 5 | Mika-Matti Paatelainen Mixu Paatelainen Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011... |
1986–2000 | 18 | 70 |
| 6 | Verner Eklöf Verner Eklöf Verner Edmund Eklöf was a Finnish sportsman active in the 1920s.-Association football:Eklöf played association football at international level, scoring 17 goals in 32 appearances between 1919 and 1927. Eklöf played club football for Helsingfors IFK and HJK... |
1919–1927 | 17 | 32 |
| 7 | Aulis Koponen Aulis Koponen Aulis Koponen was a Finnish international footballer who earned 39 caps at international level between 1924 and 1935, scoring 16 goals. Koponen played club football with HPS.-References:... |
1924–1935 | 16 | 39 |
| = | Gunnar Åström Gunnar Åström Gunnar Åström was a Finnish international footballer who earned 43 caps at international level between 1923 and 1937, scoring 16 goals.-References:... |
1923–1937 | 16 | 44 |
| 9 | Alexei Eremenko Alexei Eremenko Aleksei Alekseyevich Yeryomenko is a Russian-born Finnish professional footballer who currently plays for Rubin Kazan in Russia, in-between studying Architecture at University of Strathclyde... |
2003– | 14 | 53 |
| 10 | Jorma Vaihela Jorma Vaihela Jorma Johan Sigurd Vaihela was a Finnish international footballer who played as an inside forward.-Club career:Vaihela played club football in Finland for RU-38, PoPa and TuTo, and in Sweden for IK Oddevold.... |
1947–1954 | 13 | 33 |
| = | William Kanerva William Kanerva Yrjö William Kanerva was a Finnish international footballer who earned 51 caps at international level between 1922 and 1938, scoring 13 goals. Kanerva played club football for HJK and HPS, and he competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics.-References:... |
1922–1938 | 13 | 51 |
| = | Kai Pahlman Kai Pahlman Kai Pahlman is a Finnish former international footballer who earned 56 caps at international level between 1954 and 1968, scoring 13 goals... |
1954–1968 | 13 | 56 |
- Correct as of 15 November 2011
- Players who are still active and available for selection are in bold
Managers
| Coach | Nat | Tenure | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 1911–1921 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 35.3 | |
 |
1922 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.0 | |
| None | 1923–1935 | 77 | 22 | 12 | 43 | 28.6 | |
 |
1936–1937 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 12.5 | |
| None | 1937–1938 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 33.3 | |
 |
1939 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 16.7 | |
| None | 1939–1943 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.0 | |
 |
1945 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | |
| |
1946 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | |
| |
1947–1955 | 51 | 7 | 9 | 35 | 13.7 | |
| |
1955–1958 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 13.0 | |
| |
1959–1961 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 15.8 | |
| |
1962–1974 | 91 | 16 | 21 | 54 | 17.6 | |
| |
1975 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | |
| |
1975–1978 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 26.7 | |
| |
1979–1981 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 14.8 | |
| |
1982–1987 | 53 | 9 | 11 | 33 | 17.0 | |
| |
1988–1992 | 48 | 7 | 21 | 20 | 14.6 | |
| |
1993–1994 | 25 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 20.0 | |
| |
1994–1996 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 33.3 | |
 |
1996–1999 | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 26.5 | |
| |
2000–2005 | 72 | 34 | 12 | 26 | 47.2 | |
| |
2005 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 33.3 | |
 |
2006–2007 | 22 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 27.3 | |
 |
2008–2010 | 31 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 25.8 | |
| |
2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | |
| |
2011 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | |
| |
2011– | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 37.5 |
- Correct as of 15 November 2011
See also
- Finland national under-21 football teamFinland national under-21 football teamThe Finnish national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Finland. The team qualified for the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship final tournament in 2009.-UEFA U-21 Championship Record:...
- Finland national under-19 football team
- Finland women's national football teamFinland women's national football teamThe Finland women's national football team represents Finland in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Finland , reached the semi-finals of the 2005 European Championship, surprising the female football world having drawn with Sweden and beaten Denmark...
- Football in FinlandFootball in FinlandFootball in Finland, unlike in most European countries, is not the most popular spectator sport, as it falls behind ice hockey, which enjoys a huge amount of popularity in the country. Football tops ice hockey in the number of registered players and as a popular hobby...
- Åland Islands national football teamÅland Islands national football teamThe Åland Islands official football team is the official football team for the Åland Islands, Finland, and is controlled by Ålands Fotbollförbund. They are not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA....
- Sápmi national football teamSápmi national football teamThe Sápmi national football team is a national football team representing the Sámi people, who inhabit northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The team is not a member of UEFA or FIFA, and therefore do not participate in their competitions.The goal of the Sámi Football Association,...