
Football fans in Finland have been missing their fix of the game since the COVID-19 pandemic led to the interruption of the season. The situation was even more frustrating as the national team was looking forward to making strides at Euro 2020 which was postponed until 2021.
Fans were left to find something else to do, other than watch football. Many turned to uudet pikakasinot, which translates from the Finnish language as “new instant casino”. The benefit of this type of online casino is that players do not have to complete a registration form. They confirm their identity using their bank account. This makes the activity easy to do as an alternative to enjoying football action. The good news for people in Finland is that they can now return to enjoying their favorite sport.
Finnish league back from 1 July
Of course, many fans cannot return to watching live games in Finland yet. However, their heroes are back on the pitch. The Veikkausliiga has returned. This is actually the start of the new season in the country as the season is normally played from April to September. The return of the domestic season should help to make up for the fact that Finland is not able to participate in the postponed Euro 2020 tournament.
Making up for the loss of Euro 2020
The Champions League, the foremost international club tournament in football, has not been postponed. It’s being completed in a slightly different format than usual.
However, the same cannot be said for the planned tournament for national sides, Euro 2020. The tournament has been postponed until 2021. This is disappointing for Finland supporters and their team.
Finland qualified for the tournament back in November 2019. Star player Teemu Pukki scored two goals in each 3-0 win against international teams from Armenia and Liechtenstein.
At the time, everyone in Finland expected to be cheering the team on this summer. The situation with COVID-19 changed all of that. However, the football fans who have been disappointed have the benefit of watching domestic football instead.
This is a big relief, given the fact that there has been no league football in the country since the last season ended more than eight months ago.
Not all good news
Despite the return of football in Finland, not all the news is good. There are still restrictions around attendance at games which is a major concern for many clubs. The problems may be so bad that some clubs could go out of business.
This is understandable when you consider that a typical club in the Veikkausliiga has an annual budget of around €1 million ($1.09 million). Approximately half of this budget is earned from money spent on matchdays, on tickets, food, and merchandise. Sponsorship on a matchday is also a hugely important factor.
The future of football in Finland
The authorities in Finland are hopeful that they can limit the financial impact on football as the country has dealt well overall with COVID-19. If this continues to be the case, it’s hoped that football could return to normal sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, fans have the game that they love back, albeit without the normal full live experience. The football authorities are hopeful that they will be able to complete the planned number of games. Although, footballers have not been prioritized for testing for COVID-19 so it remains to be seen whether this has an adverse effect on the situation.
Of course, the international team, and its fans have Euro 2021 to look forward to next year. Having to wait a little longer for the tournament may be good news for some younger players who are on the fringes of the international squad. The delay means that they have more opportunities to impress with their skills.
Overall, the future of Finnish football looks positive. There is still a chance that COVID-19 may interfere with the progress of football in different countries. However, if this does not happen, fans have the opportunity to enjoy plenty of domestic action. They will also be looking forward to Euro 21 when the national team has an opportunity to impress.