Tommi Niemelä continues in Ilves.
Tommi Niemelä continues at the helm of Ilves. Jaakko Stenroos / AOP
Ilves and head coach Tommi Niemelä have signed a one-year contract extension. The club tells about it on their website.
Niemelä’s, 42, contract included a club option for next season and a coach’s option abroad.
– It’s really great that both parties were committed and willing to continue our cooperation. Tommi has a great work ethic and is very committed to moving our ongoing process forward, Ilves’ sports director Timo Koskela says in the club’s press release.
– As a good communicator and multi-talented, Tommi creates a modern yet development-enable requirement level in our team’s everyday life and is able to develop both our players and our team’s playing with his detailed and planned methods of operation, Koskela enthuses.
In addition, Ilves has signed an extension contract with seven players. They continue with tasseled ears Iivari Heikkinen, Arttu Niskanen, Timi Teuho-Markkola, Otto Latvala, Samuli Ratinen, Erik Borg and Luke Henman.
Ilves’ contract situation for the 2026–2027 season
Goalkeepers (1 + 1 option)
Jimi Kuivila (2026+1), Roope Taponen (2027)
Defenders (5)
Otto Latvala (2028), Arttu Niskanen (2028), John Nyberg (2027), Jarkko Parikka (2027), Arttu Pelli (2027)
Forwards (10 + 1)
Erik Borg (2027), Teemu Engberg (2027), Iivari Heikkinen (2028), Luke Henman (2027), Lukáš Jašek (2026+1), Eemil Laurell (2027+1), Jens Lööke (2028), Matias Mäntykivi (2027 / foreign option), Samuli Ratinen (2027), Timi Teuho-Markkola (2027+1), Matic Török (2027+1)