Matti Nykänen won five Olympic and nine World Cup medals in his career. IL ARCHIVE
Nonfiction writer Kai Ekholm rotii in his oven-fresh work A boy chained to the cloudswhat kind of financial result Matti Nykänen forged during its booming years of success.
– During his career, Mati was estimated to have earned more than a million marks with his sponsorship deals, Ekholm writes.
– Some of the contracts lapsed when Matti fell into a rut and went broke.
Checkmate– movie (2006), the inspiration behind the familiar manager character, the late Mike Sierra, or Mikko Senilä is mentioned In the boy chained to the clouds only once, in passing and without backgrounding the person. Ekholm stands out as competent case managers and managers Antero Verton and Keke Rosberg, “the ultimate professional”.
– Rosberg was later lifting Mika Häkkinen to superstardom and multimillionaire. Would it have been possible with Mat as well? Ekholm asks.
– In 1988–89, Rosberg increased Mati’s desire to demand more from others. He emphasized that once you are that good, you should be treated accordingly.
In Nykänen’s time, there was no actual prize money. However, he received success bonuses from equipment manufacturers and start-up money in “brown envelopes”, Ekholm says.
The largest market flows came from partners. Verto mentioned In Ilta-Sanomi’s story After Nykänen’s death, “in one season, the biggest sponsor paid 300,000 marks”.
– Many European companies were interested in Mati as an advertising face. However, he failed to appear at many company meetings organized by Rosberg, writes Ekholm.
– In Mati’s opinion, the task of a ski jumper was to train and compete, not to sit in meetings with suitors. Rosberg gave up his protégé after less than a year in the spring of 1989. Apparently, he noticed the impossibility of the task.
Ekholm also reminds us of the million-dollar Pepsi contract offer that was previously in the public eye, which Nykänen refused, stating that he “doesn’t want to be a publicity stunt for any soda company”.
Matti Nykänen won his first Olympic medals in Sarajevo in the winter of 1984. IL ARCHIVE
“He would be the best”
Harry Halmea sports manager and influencer who has seen it all, raises Nykänen Kimi Räikkönen and Seppo Rädyn with the same appropriately jagged but “so loved by the people” superstar category.
– Matti was a star of absolutely unimaginable size. He was our Matti, one of the biggest and most interesting – if not the biggest and most interesting, Halme tells Iltalehte.
– The sporting feats were really big. He was Finnish-looking, nice and friendly, the kind of son-in-law who was always taken to the wrong places.
In the sports business mind, the time was completely different, in other words, very union-driven.
– Not many of Mati’s sponsors were seen on TV, summarizes Halme.
– There was no personal sponsor in the leotard, that’s what I claim – and specifically the visibility of the leotard was everything at that time.
What if Nykänen was moved to 2023? Would the Manager’s phone ring red hot?
– He would be at the top of the sponsorship market, Halme sees.
– I don’t know if his sponsorship income would be in the millions or hundreds of thousands. It would depend on how he wanted to do things. After all, the union would make big deals led by Mati.
Halme reminds that the size of the Finnish market limits the euro flow.
– If a single annual contract goes over one hundred thousand (euros), it is tough.
What about Nykänen’s unpredictable personality? Would sponsors dare to jump on board with him?
– You should find the right sponsors, for example a suitably raucous partner. Some of the companies would be a no-no right away, and problems might arise in a time when responsibility is overemphasized.
Kai Ekholm’s work Matti Nykänen – A boy chained to clouds (Docendo) will be published on October 5.