Qual. Euro 2020 – Finland finally on the verge of qualifying for a big competition

It was a long ordeal for the team of Finland. Competition after competition, the hopes of qualifying for the national team at the World Cup or the Euro came up against the reality of the gap that separated it from its opponents. Of all his opponents, so to speak: it will be necessary to wait until 1965 to see the first Finnish victory in official match after the war. Best, then, but still the same final disappointment. In just missed qualifying at the Euro 1980 and the 1986 World Cup a missed accessit to the play-offs pre-1998, because of a goal against his camp at the last minute of the last match. Then some prestigious results for Jari Litmanen, Sami Hyypia and the others, for example two draws against the future Germany finalist of the 2002 World Cup, two against the same team before 2010. But no more. Behind Luxembourg, Finland is the country that has played the most qualifications at the two major events without ever winning the cup.It's about to change. Against Armenia, the Huuhkajat (Grand Dukes) could afford five points ahead of their opponents in the evening, who follow them in the standings, two days from the end. While the match against the modest Liechtenstein will come next, it would be an advantage so to speak irrattrapable. That would open to the team the gates of the Euro 2020, in second place behind the untouchable Italy. The recipe: a 4-4-2 limited but solid and rough (5-3-2 in two games against Italy, for two losses) set up by Markku Kanerva, in place since 2016 after accompanying the evolution of the selection for years as assistant or coach of the Espoirs. The key ingredients: goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, author of a good season for the moment at Bayer Leverkusen, captain and midfielder Tim Sparv (Midtjylland, Denmark) … and the icing on the cake in the person of Teemu Pukki . Author of six goals in eight Premier League matches this season, the striker Norwich is also the great craftsman of the course of his team to the Euro, with five pawns. Efficiency, and culture of winning: Finland succeeds in the wake of a victory in League C League of Nations, ahead of Hungary, Greece and Estonia. A success that will not remain in the annals of football. But a successful learning to be part of the European elite.