Team Finland sets roster for 2018 IFAF European Championships

Team Finland head coach Tuomas Heikkinen has announced his 45 man roster for the 2018 IFAF European Championships in Vantaa, Finland kicking off Sunday, July 29.

This is the third time Finland has played host to this tournament. In 1991, Finland reached the final only to lose to Great Britain while as hosts in 1987 Team Finland won the bronze medal.

Finland has a proud history in the European Championships. The Finns have won the title a record five times and have four silver medals to go along with the five golds. They have won the bronze medal twice and finished fourth once. They won an unprecedented four straight titles – 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2000 – but the last time they reached the championship final was in 2001 when they lost to Germany.

Finland has played at least one game a year since the last European Championship in 2014 in Austria where they finished fourth, losing to France in the bronze medal game. Every year, Team Finland plays a grudge match against Sweden with the host city alternating every other year between the two countries. Finland has won the last two, beating Sweden 37-0 in 2017 and handing the Swedes a 31-17 loss in 2016.

No surprisingly, the Finnish roster is dominated by the Helsinki Roosters, who are dominating the Maple League in Finland and are ranked #3 in Europe. The Roosters have 19 players on the 45 man squad including one of the two quarterbacks. The team with the next highest number of players is the Porvoo Butchers who have eight players while the Tampere Saints have seven. The Kuopio Steelers are represented by five players while the Wasa Royals have two. The Helsinki Wolverines and Helsinki East City Giants have one player each on the team.

Team Finland plays in a group with France and Great Britain and opens the tournament Sunday, July 29 when they face Great Britain. Finland then takes on France on Thursday, August 2. The medal round games and the game for fifth place are set for Saturday, August 4.

All the games will be shown live on American Football International.

Team Finland

# Name Pos cm kg Club Team
1 Akseli Olin 24.1.92 DB 185 94 Helsinki Roosters
2 Niko Kuikka 12.10.92 LB 187 100 Helsinki Roosters
3 Walter Vasanoja 11.12.92 DB 179 88 Wasa Royals
4 Joni-Petteri Malka 29.8.89 K 175 80 Porvoo Butchers
6 Daniel Luoma 29.10.98 WR 187 90 Porvoo Butchers
7 Miro Kadmiry 7.7.91 QB 180 88 Helsinki Rooster
8 Janne Lehtinen 24.9.89 QB 184 90 Porvoo Butchers
9 Karri Pajarinen 5.10.98 RB 177 93 Helsinki Roosters
10 Micky Kyei 27.12.92 WR 172 84 Tampere Saints
15 Hanri Jussila 18.1.92 RB 178 83 Helsinki Roosters
20 Aku Kattainen 3.8.94 DB 177 82 ECG
24 Ville-Valtteri Suojanen 29.12.93 DB 188 90 Tampere Saints
28 Juhani Koivumäki 2.8.91 DB 178 96 Seinäjoki Crocodiles
29 Viljo Lempinen 20.10.99 DB 185 80 Helsinki Roosters
30 Tom Suoste 4.11.92 RB 170 89 Wasa Royals
32 Kimi Linnainmaa 11.4.94 WR 178 83 Helsinki Roosters
33 Santeri Inkinen 24.7.91 DB 179 86 Kuopio Steelers
34 Joonas Raatikainen 10.6.90 LB 185 101 Helsinki Roosters
36 Marcus Siiskonen 27.5.89 WR 182 85 Helsinki Wolverines
39 Jaska Värinen 11.9.95 LB 185 87 Seinäjoki Crocodiles
40 Tuukka Lehtonen 31.1.95 RB 183 96 Tampere Saints
41 Sami Toivonen 29.12.88 LB 185 100 Helsinki Roosters
43 Santtu Äyräväinen 22.3.84 LB 191 108 Helsinki Roosters
49 Veikka Lehtonen 18.9.84 RB 185 94 Tampere Saints
52 Richard Laine 2.4.89 OL 187 125 Helsinki Roosters
60 Tapio Jääskeläinen 20.11.93 OL 187 125 Kuopio Steelers
65 Jere Lahti 25.10.96 OL 186 120 Helsinki Roosters
71 Juho Pietilä 21.5.87 OL 193 121 Tampere Saints
72 Jari Mononen 2.10.87 OL 190 145 Porvoo Butchers
73 Pasi Lautala 28.7.80 OL 191 130 Porvoo Butchers
76 Heikki Lesonen 18.2.94 DL 191 150 Helsinki Roosters
77 Iiro Luoto 8.10.84 OL 197 120 Helsinki Roosters
78 Arttu Tennberg 22.2.90 OL 194 130 Porvoo Butchers
81 Tommi Pinta 8.4.87 TE 197 115 Helsinki Roosters
82 Mikko Seppänen 22.5.92 WR 177 76 Porvoo Butchers
84 Ilari Laine 5.4.96 WR 196 96 Tampere Saints
86 Edward Vesterinen 31.10.00 DL 193 110 Helsinki Roosters
87 Toni Ahonen 8.6.97 DL 187 98 Helsinki Roosters
88 Tino Ndongo 25.6.97 WR 175 80 Kuopio Steelers
90 Okko Outinen 9.8.89 DL 192 125 Helsinki Roosters
91 Lasse Kankaanpää 28.5.85 DL 192 114 Helsinki Rooster
96 Sebastian Karbin 6.8.82 LB 184 95 Porvoo Butchers
97 Juuso Laherma 31.5.87 LB 183 100 Kuopio Steelers
98 Jani Lindqvist 26.4.89 DL 191 120 Kuopio Steelers
99 Janne Kreus 18.2.87 DL 200 136 Tampere Saints

Staff

Jenni Hakala CDM
Tuomas Heikkinen HC
Robert Johnson OC
Kalle Karppinen DC
Andy Bezaire AC
Marko Vartiainen AC
Ville Tarvainen AC
Jens Holmström AC
Victor Sarvi AC
Pekka Rantala AC
Kari Titola AC
Jesse Talikka SCC
Marko Kinnunen Trainer
Samuli Murto Physio
Sami Kiiski Physio
Janne Mäkelä Physio
Elli Heinonen Masseuse
Miina Sirviö Masseuse
Peter Åström Doctor
Martin Veinberg waterboy
Väinö Pääkkönen waterboy

American Football International is your source for news and updates about American Football outside the United States!