Simo Valakari: “I am proud of my femininity”

KuPS head coach Simo Valakarin favorite comment in tight places, as is the case in euro fields: “Let’s enjoy ourselves, guys.”

The coaching staff is full of tough faces.

An esthetician and a beautiful soul might say of his player, like a sensitive one Janis from Ikaunisthat Janis needs love to reach maximum performance.

Valakar’s results speak for themselves, and the personality is impressive too – even abroad.

At the beginning of August, Valakari was close to joining Scottish club Motherwell. However, he did not hold negotiations behind KuPS’s back. Motherwell took care of the recruitment process, respecting KuPS’ Euro rush and the championship fight in the domestic league.

Valakari made it to the top two out of 70 applicants, but the selection was targeted to Steven Hammell.

– The representatives of the Scottish club asked KuPS for permission when they can interview me remotely. I still dream of coaching and living abroad, but I also enjoy the big things that are going on at KuPS, Valakari acknowledges the shocking episode.

Valakari is now a hot coach name. KuPS is fighting for the Veikkausliiga championship and the Finnish Cup victory, and his coaching season at the Euro courts has been close to the group stage.

Femininity

So what makes Valakar a top coach?

His coaching style and personality are different from other leading coaches in Finland, for example teacher-like Markku from Kanerva or from what appears to be real Toni from Koskela.

Valakari is a multi-faceted type of artist. He enjoys the theater, draws inspiration from other sports and clears his excesses with meditation.

The interdisciplinary life attitude came to the fore most recently after the Euro trip to Switzerland, when he traveled on a night flight to Kuopio on Friday.

– I wanted something else to think about right away on Saturday. I put football aside for a while and watched the singer in Raulahahti in Kuopio Sakari Kuosmanen starred summer theater. A coach will only exhaust himself if he stares at only football videos after practice.

Few representatives of the masculine coaching staff say they like aesthetics and colorful clothes. Valakari is an esthetician with sparkling earrings, tattoo symbols and personal residences.

The man does not deny his feminine features.

– I digg about aesthetics, expression and music. It’s also important to me in football how the game looks, not just the result. I’m proud of my femininity, although yes, I also have some dude-like features.

Käpylä’s velikulta is as spontaneous as KuPS’s former coach, eloquent Jani Honkavaara hides his innermost feelings and is wary of strong emotional reactions. Norwegian ex-coach of KuPS Arne Erlandsen too withdrew from the crowd to his side when the duties on the playing fields were taken care of.

Meditation

Spirituality and the longing for silence are consumed in Valakari’s side character, in contrast to the intense coaching and public scorn. He is not a believer in the church, but the man has a solid relationship with God.

– Belief in the highest power gives my life security. In Kuopio, I have become more active in meditating. With meditation, I break the frantic flow of thoughts and the pressure to succeed. Meditation restores stress and gives more energy. A few of my players also use meditation to get into a 100% flow state in games.

Valakar also has a personal mental coach. He is being sparred by a doctoral student with four master’s degrees who lives in Kuopio Harri Virolainen. The Estonian has written several textbooks on learning and the power of the mind.

– Every Veikkausliiga head coach knows football theory and tactical jargon sufficiently. The difference in coaching personalities arises from who creates the best emotional atmosphere in the booth and maximally prepares the players for the games. We are thinking about these with Harri, says Valakari.

Rock’n’roll

Valakari has gathered coaching inspiration from the success story of Savo Volley, the volleyball team that won WC medals in Kuopio. He has also been to the hockey team KalPa’s matches.

He teaches his own players to surpass themselves.

– Sometimes I feel like a rock man and I want my players to have a rock’n’roll attitude on the field. The most important thing for me is the relationship of trust with the players and the coaching team. Players must learn to cross their limits as individuals and as a team. The usual game performance is not enough when, for example, Bern’s Young Boys, who are quoted as worth 60 million, line up against each other.

In his management philosophy, Valakari treats his players as human beings and equals. It’s natural for him to hug players and listen to their thoughts and concerns.

Some have doubted whether soft methods and excessive positivity will turn against Valakar himself in difficult moments.

– In moments of defeat, it would be easier to be a distant coach than to be openly yourself. I’m a throwaway. I don’t want to and I can’t be cold and distant, even if I hurt myself sometimes.

Anchor in Helsinki

Throughout his career, Valakar’s main home has been Helsinki’s Käpylä, where he spends his holidays. Valakari lives in Kuopio at Paraatipaikai in Valkeisenlammi’s coastal scenery.

The apartment is big enough that the father can be visited by his three sons.

– I have anchored myself in Käpylä, Helsinki. I experience Käpylä and Helsinki very strongly with all my senses. They are holidays when I spend my vacation in Käpylä, Valakari paints.

He still always gets the right home from his training location.

– If you live in a small room meant for changing socks, the coach may get homesick and become alienated from normal life.

Before being recruited by KuPS, Valakari coached in the small town of Tromssa in Norway. Now he is adapting perfectly to Kuopio, which has a population of over 100,000.

– I always look for the good sides of dune places. It’s not my style to complain about the smallness of the locality. I am a guest in Kuopio who must respect local customs and culture. However, I dig the most about Stad, its maritime beauty as well as the jagged lifestyle of Sörnäinen and Kallio.

The tattoo will come

Valakar has become a popular favorite in Kuopio. The immediate head coach might ask a man in the street what kind of starting line-up you would go into the game with.

In every town where he has played or coached, a tattoo has appeared on the body in honor of the town.

Kuopio also gets an honorary mention on Valakar’s body. The planning phase of the Kuopio-themed tattoo is now underway.

As a counterweight to the heat, Valankari rips pounds in the gym every day with the taste of blood in his mouth and his consciousness bordering on twilight.

KuPS is managed from Helsinki. Full-time chairman of the society Markku Raatikainen and the main owner of the club Ari Lahti live in the capital.

Raatikainen, who recently started as chairman, says that Valakari has changed the entire atmosphere of the club.

– Simon’s closeness to people is a significant competitive advantage for KuPS, Raatikainen summarizes.