Finland’s women reached the eighth place in the European Flag Football Championships held in Limerick, Ireland, over the weekend. The men, playing with only seven players due to a shortage on the roster, secured the 15th position in their own tournament.

The European Flag Football Championship took place for the tenth time. During the weekend, a record-breaking 32 teams, representing a total of 19 countries, competed for the European championship. In the women’s tournament, 13 teams participated, while the men’s competition featured 19 countries.

Women opened the tournament with two victories

Finland’s women started the tournament with two impressive victories (against Switzerland and Ireland), but after Friday, only losses were recorded in the statistics. Despite the promising start, the Finnish women managed to reach the playoffs among the top eight teams, which were played on Sunday. Three losses in placement matches ultimately secured Finland the eighth place in the tournament. In the previous 2019 European Championships, Finland finished in 11th place, so the women’s ranking improved by three places in Ireland.

The starting point for Finland’s men in the European Championship games was challenging. Originally, out of the twelve players selected for the national team, only eight traveled to Ireland, and of them, only seven were fit to play. Playing multiple fast-paced games in the elite-level tournament on the same day was a tough task for the Finnish players, who nevertheless performed admirably. With two wins in six games and several close matches against strong opponents, the understaffed team delivered a commendable performance.

With a stronger lineup, the outcome could have been different

The men suffered two narrow losses on Saturday, which could have turned into victories if the circumstances had been better for Finland. With the current condition and roster, the Finnish team reached the 15th position in the European Championship ranking. Head coach Tuomas Heikkinen admitted on Saturday that with better conditions, the outcome might have been different:

-With a stronger lineup, we could have challenged even the top teams, aiming for medals, although that is still a long way to go. The players from the top countries have already specialized in flag football. That’s what all countries aiming to compete seriously should strive for.

The European championships in 2023 saw Germany and the United Kingdom clinch the titles. In the women’s final, the British defeated Spain with a score of 26-19. Finland faced the United Kingdom earlier on Sunday in the quarter-final match, which the Brits won convincingly with a score of 41-0.

In the men’s final, Germany triumphed over Austria with a score of 36-26. Finland did not face either of the teams that reached the final during the tournament, but in the 2021 World Championships, Finland’s men gave Germany a tough challenge, losing narrowly with a score of 25-27.

Eight best teams qualify for the 2024 World Championships in Finland

The Flag Football World Championships will be held in August 2024 in Finland, taking place at Liikuntakeskus Pajulahti and fields in Lahti. The Irish European Championships will serve as the qualifying tournament for European teams for the Finnish championships. According to the original plan, the top eight men’s and women’s teams from the European Championships will secure a direct spot in the World Championships. Finland’s women’s eighth-place finish in Ireland earns them a direct place in the tournament, which would have been secured even without a good placement due to the host country’s quota. This means that Finland’s men will also be seen in the home tournament next year, competing for medals and rankings.

Photos: Ian Humes, IFAF Media