The association finally decided to stick to home advantage.
Finland will face Belarus in front of their home crowd. AOP
Huuhkajat will still play the Nations League match against Belarus at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on September 29
The board of the Swedish Football Association has previously decided that the match will be moved to a neutral field on the recommendation of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
– The reason behind the decision of the Finnish Football Federation is, for example, the line changed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on May 7, which allows Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions under certain conditions, international experiences from, for example, Denmark, sporting justice and the importance of home advantage for the Finnish national team, the readiness and desire of the players to play the match on their home field, as well as the views and voice of the supporters as part of the overall evaluation, the federation says in his announcement.
The association plans to organize a support event for Ukraine from the match.
– When making the decision, we have carefully considered different perspectives, of which the assessment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the example of Denmark have a significant weight. In addition, we have wanted to listen to athletes and supporters, and the entire Finnish football community. We want to act responsibly both in terms of sport and in accordance with our values, the chairman of the Finnish Football Association Ari Lahti says.
