The SM league club Mikkelin Jukurit published a quite open review of why it sold its players below the transfer limit.
Jukurit sold players below the transfer limit. Tomi Natri / AOP
During the last week, Jukurit has given up several of its key players. Jukurie’s key defenders Juuso Airola and Alberts Smits and key forwards Alexander Ruuttu and Connor Ford play the rest of the season elsewhere.
– During the past week, Mikkelin Jukurit has made several player transfers to the domestic League and foreign leagues. The decision was not easy, but it was necessary. The background of the solution is above all financial responsibility and securing the club’s future, Jukurien are justified and added during the review:
– The financial impact of player transfers is around 300,000–400,000 euros, which is 20–25% of Jukurie’s entire player budget for this season.
– The solution is not a sporting handover, but a financial measure to secure continuity, Jukurit justifies.
In his review, Jukurit explained, among other things, how the club’s turnover is the smallest in the SM League. Its income is built through three different factors, i.e. business income, consumer income and the League’s centralized income.
– None of these alone are enough to finance League-level operations. Economic balance only occurs if all three are at a sufficient level at the same time, Jukurit reminds.
Jukurit has been operating for a long time with the smallest player budget in the league (1.5 million euros).
– With the current average of 2,500-2,600 spectators and the lowest average purchase of restaurants and kiosks in the League, about 7 euros per spectator, the financial equation is not on a sustainable basis, Jukurit is throwing quite barren numbers on the table.
– The starting point of all activities is to secure the continuity of Liiga hockey in Etelä Savo, and the player transfers made now were a significant part of that. The economic challenge of the Jukurs exists, but solving it is a realistic goal. In practice, it means that the income would increase by a few hundred thousand euros from the current one. However, it doesn’t happen by itself. And if it doesn’t happen, the whole operation would be in danger, Jukurit reminds.
– The economy of the coming season 2026–2027 will be built on a sustainable budget. The sporting and financial success of the season together will decide whether Jukurit will play in a higher or lower league in the 2027–2028 season, the club sums up.
Jukurit is currently ranked 14th in the league. It went down the road of player sales when its playoff dreams faded into non-existence.
Jukurit still plays six matches at the end of the regular season.
