Julius Nättinen plays for the HC Ajoie team of the Swiss league and admits directly that the finances are better in Switzerland than in Finland.
Julius Nättinen, 28, represents the Swiss HC Ajoie team for the second season. PDO
- HC Ajoie is currently the “Finnish team” of the Swiss league.
- Julius Nättinen is playing in French-speaking Switzerland for his second season.
- The JYP student admits that Switzerland has a good salary level and pleasant living conditions.
HC Ajoie is one of the smallest clubs in the Swiss Hockey League and one of the most modest wage earners. Still, the team’s total budget for the season is 15 million francs, i.e. around 16.2 million euros.
HIFK announced the biggest budget for this season in the Finnish premier league, 11.7 million euros.
The foreign players of the small club, such as Julius Nättinen, presumably earn around 200,000 euros per season net.
Money is one big reason to play in Switzerland.
– I don’t think anyone would deny that. Financial matters are better here, and if there is a big difference in salary, then you do think about where you want to go to play. I guess every player wants the salary they deserve, says Nättinen.
A hockey player’s playing career is short.
– I think that there is quite a lot to sacrifice here. It might not be worth leaving money on the table. I guess that’s how it goes in every job. Everyone wants a big salary, you can honestly admit that. But I also enjoy playing and living in Switzerland, says Nättinen.
Small steps
Last season, Julius Nättinen scored a good 22+30=52 power points in 52 matches. At the beginning of this season, he had to miss a few games due to a concussion. PDO
Nättinen is playing his second season in Ajoie. The team is far from last in the series of 14 teams. Heittopussi has collected one poor win out of 15 matches, and instead of a difference of 13, there are 8 points. The bottom two teams in the league will be in the qualifying series.
But Nättinen, a man from Jyväskylä, sees the right signals in the team’s game. Ajoie’s head coach is Canadian Greg Ireland.
– With the arrival of the current coach, we have gotten order here and new things to do. We are moving forward, but we all have a lot to do in order to take the next steps. But I see the potential, it’s there, the forward thinks.
Constantly losing is not fun.
– Of course it makes you fat. It’s the kind of thing that you always want to win. We’ve lost more here than won, so sometimes it’s a bit heavy on the head. But let’s all try to help the team win games and the club to move forward, says the 28-year-old JYP graduate.
Finns together
HC Ajoen Finland gang. Anttoni Honka (left), Julius Nättinen, Niklas Friman and Jerry Turkulainen. TIMO KUNNARI
In addition to Nättinen, Jerry Turkulainen, Niklas Friman and Anttoni Honka play in Ajoie. The team is coached by two Finnish hockey legends, Petteri Nummelin from Turku and Juha-Pekka Hytönen from Jyväskylä.
Swiss-Finnish Kimmo Bellmann is the club’s business manager.
Finns live in the same neighborhood in the city of Porrentruy.
– For the most part, the time we spend together is in the hall and game trips. Everyone has their own families and activities at home. To an appropriate extent, we are involved in our free time as well, but games still define life. We play more in our free time, says Nättinen.
The villages of Porrentruy do not have major traffic jams. TIMO KUNNARI
HC Ajoie’s hometown Porrentruy is a small and idyllic place right on the French border. The French-speaking town in the canton of Jura has less than 7,000 inhabitants.
– It has its pros and cons. You can find everything you need here, you won’t be disappointed. Sometimes it might feel like the walls are coming down a bit, but it’s nice that there are other Finns here.
– I’ve enjoyed myself here, and last season went really well in terms of games. I don’t think the game would have gone so well if I didn’t have such a good time here. The people are nice and the club is moving forward. We have good fans and a great atmosphere at the games, says Nättinen.
If you feel like going shopping or want to go shopping, then Nättinen and other Finns should take the car with them.
– I would go to Basel or Bern, they are about an hour away. Those two are the closest places if you want to see more life and mood.
Switzerland is interesting
Nättinen doesn’t think long when asked about his future career plans.
– Here in Switzerland, I would like to continue. The contract is on break after this season, so I’m always playing for a new contract here. I have liked being in Switzerland and I enjoy this series and the country a lot.
– The goal is to get to the Euro Hockey Tour and I believe that if it goes well, I will be able to play at EHT and fight for a place in the World Cup. There is another goal.