Finland suffered a 27–0 defeat to Austria in the final of the European Championship tournament held in Grefeld, Germany. During the awards ceremony, the MVP players of the Final Four tournament were announced. Finland’s Elmeri Laalo was awarded the best defender of the tournament.

Finland’s men won their 15th European Championship medal in history on Tuesday evening. The team fought for victory against Italy in the semi-final match after a tight game, finishing 9–8, but in the final, Austria was clearly stronger. Finland’s offensive play was not at its sharpest during the tournament, but the defense’s efforts paid off on the field and ultimately also in the competition organization’s awarding committee’s papers. In Finland’s defense, the safety position was played by Elmeri Laalo, who was named the best defender of the entire tournament.

Laalo, who has played for the Vienna Vikings in the ELF league for the last three seasons, fought a remarkable tournament. In the semi-final match, his interception and recovery of a fumbled ball by Italy played a significant role in the decisive moments of the game that ended in victory. In Saturday’s final, he recorded 2.5 tackles, but his role as a second-generation American football player, especially in stopping Austria’s passing offense, was significant.

The best offensive player of the tournament was Italy’s American player with two passes, Ryan Minniti, and the entire tournament MVP award was given to the champion team’s quarterback Alexander Reishl.

“In football, you always get what you deserve”

Finland’s head coach Mikko Koikkalainen secured a place in the final and a silver position for the second consecutive time. Koikkalainen and his coaching team managed to assemble a winning lineup once again, despite the limited resources available. Here’s how he commented on the tournament after the game:

-We gave everything on the field. The guys fought until the end, and I am proud of each one of them. We came here believing that if we execute our plan and play disciplined football, we have a chance – and we did everything for that. But Austria was simply the better team today.

And about the final, he said:

-This was a tough game, especially since it came just a few days after the semi-final and under these conditions. Still, our players continued to fight. The heart and character they showed make me incredibly proud to be the coach of this team. Sometimes in football, you don’t get the result you want – but you always get what you deserve, and today we earned silver. That means something.

Photos: Jarmo Vehkomäki