Comment|Perhaps the strangest thing this season is that an even stronger Gnistan emerged from the ruins of the Oulunkylä stadium fire, writes sports journalist Ari Virtanen.
Gnistan the history’s first season in the Veikkausliiga is already memorable, even though the finals are yet to be played.
The first league season can still get a surprising crown if Gnistan survives the Eurocup playoffs to the Conference League qualifiers for next season. Such an achievement would have been hard to imagine during the season, but now it is still within Gnistan’s reach.
On Sunday, Gnistan was only a goal away from the upper end series, when it played a 1-1 draw with Ilves in Töölö. With a second goal and a win, Gnistan would have advanced to the upper end of the series thanks to goal difference, past VPS, when VPS lost to HJK 1–2 on their home field.
Even though Gnistan was left in the sub-final series, it can reach the Eurocup playoffs played after the final series from the seventh place of the sub-final series or even from the eighth place. If Inter beat KuPS in the final of the Finnish Cup and won the lower-final series, the eighth-placed team would also be able to fight for a place in the Eurocup.
Perhaps the strangest thing this season is that an even stronger Gnistan emerged from the ruins of the Oulunkylä stadium fire.
Gnistan started the season strong with two wins, but after that came a long difficult season in May-July. There was only one win. August turned the situation upside down, when Gnistan took five consecutive victories.
In the end of the regular season, Gnistan was helped by successful player acquisitions. Keeper AJ Marcucci scored a goal, topper Oliver Pettersson strengthened the defense, Tim Väyrynen scored goals and an early season acquisition Roman Eremenko has been in a great mood this summer.
Oulunkylän there was a surprising silver lining in the dark cloud of smoke from the destroyed stadium. The fire became a catalyst that accelerated discussions about building a new, modern stadium.
The situation after the fire also unexpectedly got a little relief. After moving from Gnistan to Denmark Oliver Antman moved to Holland, Gnista will also receive a share of Antman’s transfer of one and a half million euros.
According to the editorial information, a slice of ten percent goes to Gnistan ry, because Gnistan Oy was founded only after Antman’s departure. There is enough of the transfer amount to be distributed to Oy as well.
For the next season, Gnistan will return from his trip to Töölö back to Oulunkylä. That’s where its community is, and that’s where, on its own turf, it’s possible to get revenue from the match event.
#Comment #ruins #stadium #stronger #Gnistan #emerged #fighting #place #Eurocups
