Because of this, Ari Lahti missed the women’s Finnish Cup final

Domestic the football Cup finals were played in Tampere over the weekend. The new Tammela stadium was the venue for the men’s and women’s cup finals. In addition, last Friday, the winner of the lower league Regions Cup was decided.

President of the Football Association Ari Lahti was there on Friday at the Regions Cup and on Saturday at the men’s final. Inter and KuPS met there.

Lahti is the main owner of KuPS.

After dramatic stages, KuPS won the final 2–1. After the match, Lahti led the award ceremony. His warm relations with the key members of the team he owns were not unclear at the party.

In the women’s final on Sunday, HJK–Honka chairman Lahti was not present at all. The vice-president of the association was responsible for awarding Katri Mattsson.

“I had a personal reason why I couldn’t attend. I was there on Friday and Saturday. We decided to share the responsibilities for rewarding, and Katri has been more responsible for women’s football,” Lahti, reached by phone, said on Monday.

On Sunday, it was also said that Lahti had been present at the match of his “own” team on Saturday, but not at all on Sunday.

“This had nothing to do with ‘my gang’ playing or not playing. I had a personal reason that made me unable to attend. I have previously been present at the women’s finals and handed out prizes.”

Open understand that the impression created by the situation may trouble some fans of the sport. However, he emphasizes at the same time that he has never kept his love for KuPS a secret before, and does not see this as a problem.

Lahti does not see a conflict of interest in the situation. He reminds that he will always remain himself in the decision-making of the Football Association when it comes to KuPS. However, he does not want to forcefully hide his feelings in big moments, and would not consider it natural or reasonable in any way.

“I do understand the idea that maybe you should skip the hugs,” Lahti says and laughs afterwards.

“Then should you be completely expressionless in that situation? I don’t think people want that. That would be kind of obnoxious. Ever since I left as chairman of the Swedish Football Association, I have done the job as well as I can. And at no point have I hidden my love for KuPS. I guess it embodies some kind of hometown love. If it’s wrong, then it is.”

”

Should one then be completely expressionless in that situation? I don’t think people want that.

Banker saved KuPS from bankruptcy in 2006. Over the years, Lahti has invested millions of euros in the club, and in the last decade or so, KuPS has become HJK’s fiercest challenger in the Veikkausliiga.

KuPS won the Finnish championship in 2019 and the club has three Cup victories in the last four years. The club now leads the Veikkausliiga.

Would it possibly be appropriate that, for example, the general secretary (Mark Casagrande) would handle the reward in a similar situation in the future? Then you could be purely among your own people.

“Good question. I would perhaps find it wrong in some way if I didn’t act as the president of the Football Association as a prize giver. The Finnish Cup is the most important of the competitions we organize.”

As a whole Lahti says he is satisfied with the “super weekend” organized by the Football Association in Tammela. Especially the audience for the men’s final, more than 5,700 spectators, warms the heart. It is the largest attendance for a Cup final in the 2000s.

“Tammela is the right size stadium for this situation, and the setting is really great. It’s a pity that the women’s final did not interest the audience in the same way. We have to work even harder to increase interest.”

According to the Finnish Football Association’s results service, there were 712 spectators at the women’s final.