Finland’s U15 youth team finished in fourth place at the Flag Football European Championship held in Grosseto, Italy. Having won their initial group matches undefeated, Finland narrowly lost to Austria 30-32 in the bronze medal match. Earlier in the morning, Finland suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Czech Republic by a one-point margin of 26-27 in the semifinals.

The Finnish flag football national team entered the final day of the tournament with high hopes, but two close losses ultimately placed Finland in fourth position.

In the Sunday semifinal, Finland managed to build a halftime lead of 26-7, but the Czechs overtook them by the end of the game with the smallest possible point difference. The bronze medal match also ended in a narrow defeat. Finland fought for a medal throughout the game, which was tied at 14-14 at halftime.

Nevertheless, securing the fourth position is an excellent achievement for the young squad. Finland played for the first time with a mixed team, including both female and male players. Many participants were experiencing both flag football tournaments and international competitions for the first time, and they immediately excelled on the international stage. Building on this foundation, the team looks forward to future international games.

Italy won the U15 European Championship by defeating the Czech Republic 27-20 in the final

All results: EM-turnauksen tulokset

Photo: Giulio Busi