60 years old | Markku Kanerva tells about what he would like to do now

The squealers the head coach Markku Kanervan the birthday interview will be held in Pallloitti’s conference room, where the most important achievement of Kanerva’s coaching career can be seen.

On the wall are displayed framed posters of the men’s national team’s European Championship qualifying matches in 2019. In the corner of the room is a glass display case with the awards received at the Palloliitto Sports Gala. Kanerva’s work has had a huge impact on Finnish football.

“First of all, I am proud of the fact that Finnish football has gained respect in our society thanks to these recognitions,” says Kanerva.

Kanerva has been involved in many milestone achievements in Finnish football. As a player, he was involved when HJK became the first Finnish team to enter the Champions League. As head coach, he coached the men’s under-21 national team to the EC tournament for the first time, and then the 2020 EC tournament place is the greatest achievement of his coaching career.

His coaching career has brought him many personal recognitions. He has been chosen coach of the year four times and last December he received the knighthood of the Order of the Finnish Lion from the President of the Republic.

“It does warm you up.”

“I want to emphasize that I have been able to collect awards because I have got a good team and good players in the team. I have been able to collect the honor, but without a good team and good players, I wouldn’t be in this position.”

Helpers are needed in life. Without the help or insight of other people, Kanerva would not have become first a teacher and then a coach.

“How little can matter.”

One a small failure led to a surprising career path.

In the spring of 1985, Kanerva applied for physiotherapist training and missed out on a place to study. In the summer, the principal of Haaga elementary school called him and offered him a substitute teacher in the first grade for a week. I guess it was just a test, because a little later the principal offered to substitute for maternity leave for the whole school year.

“It wouldn’t have occurred to me to think about being a substitute teacher if the principal hadn’t called. An individual person has played a big role.”

The principal urged Kanerva to apply for teacher training, and in the fall of 1986, Kanerva began teacher studies. Teaching helped to become a coach.

Another important person in Kanerva’s life was a coach Jyrki Heliskoski.

“When Heliskoski hired me as an assistant coach at HJK, it was of great importance that I started to think of coaching as a profession.”

60 years Kanerva, whose birthday is on Friday, says she feels her age in her body.

“On average, the lifespan of men is about 80 years. If you think about the cycle of life, it is divided into four hundred-meter segments like a 400-meter run. Now I can think about moving to the final straight.”

“And I can still press. I hope I get a lot of positive experiences in this final stretch as well. The most important thing is that the mind is fresh.”

Acknowledgments bring pride, but the most pride has come from my own family.

“I am proud of the fact that I have been married since 1991, and we have raised two smart children who have found their own path and are doing well. Of course, parents always worry about how their children are doing. At the moment, it looks really good for them.”

Kanerva lists the most important things in her life in order of importance: family and loved ones, own well-being, work and success in it, and helping people.

“I don’t know if helping should be arranged earlier. Helping people as a teacher and coach has always brought me pleasure.”

He says the idea is to be a good person.

“If you think about what remains after crossing the finish line, some will probably remember my achievements. But it’s more important to me if people would have remembered what I’ve meant in their lives.”

Heather says that he has thought a lot about whether he regrets anything. And nothing like that has actually been found. One thing is a little sad.

“Maybe I have such an attitude towards life that you have to live with the decisions. There’s no point in bothering them. I’ve certainly made mistakes, but mistakes are also a way to learn things.”

It is left to dig that he has not had time to study languages. Kanerva says that that idea is related to coaching and dreams for the future.

Kanerva puts his words carefully when it comes to what he would like to do with the rest of his working career. You have to think about the whole, he says.

National team coaching elsewhere could be one option for him. He would also be interested in daily coaching in the club team, but then you would have to think carefully about the operating environment.

“I am open to different options. I would be interested in coaching abroad.”

Would you like to continue as Huuhkajie’s head coach?

“I think I still have something to give. I see this as an honor. If I get credit, I have the desire to continue. These places are rarely offered. I have enjoyed every single day at Pallloliito.”

Kanerva has been at a vantage point, where expectations have been high and stress has come with them. According to him, age has helped to deal with pressure with maturity and patience.

“The old good advice is to focus on the things you can really influence. There is commotion from outside, and if you let it affect your thinking, you can drift on the wrong track.”