Team Finland sets roster for 2018 IFAF European Championships
Team Finland head coach Tuomas Heikkinen has announced his 45 man roster for the 2018 IFAF European Championships in Vantaa, Finland kicking off Sunday, July 29.
This is the third time Finland has played host to this tournament. In 1991, Finland reached the final only to lose to Great Britain while as hosts in 1987 Team Finland won the bronze medal.
Finland has a proud history in the European Championships. The Finns have won the title a record five times and have four silver medals to go along with the five golds. They have won the bronze medal twice and finished fourth once. They won an unprecedented four straight titles – 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2000 – but the last time they reached the championship final was in 2001 when they lost to Germany.
Finland has played at least one game a year since the last European Championship in 2014 in Austria where they finished fourth, losing to France in the bronze medal game. Every year, Team Finland plays a grudge match against Sweden with the host city alternating every other year between the two countries. Finland has won the last two, beating Sweden 37-0 in 2017 and handing the Swedes a 31-17 loss in 2016.
No surprisingly, the Finnish roster is dominated by the Helsinki Roosters, who are dominating the Maple League in Finland and are ranked #3 in Europe. The Roosters have 19 players on the 45 man squad including one of the two quarterbacks. The team with the next highest number of players is the Porvoo Butchers who have eight players while the Tampere Saints have seven. The Kuopio Steelers are represented by five players while the Wasa Royals have two. The Helsinki Wolverines and Helsinki East City Giants have one player each on the team.
Team Finland plays in a group with France and Great Britain and opens the tournament Sunday, July 29 when they face Great Britain. Finland then takes on France on Thursday, August 2. The medal round games and the game for fifth place are set for Saturday, August 4.
All the games will be shown live on American Football International.
Team Finland
| # | Name | Pos | cm | kg | Club Team | ||
| 1 | Akseli Olin | 24.1.92 | DB | 185 | 94 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 2 | Niko Kuikka | 12.10.92 | LB | 187 | 100 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 3 | Walter Vasanoja | 11.12.92 | DB | 179 | 88 | Wasa Royals | |
| 4 | Joni-Petteri Malka | 29.8.89 | K | 175 | 80 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 6 | Daniel Luoma | 29.10.98 | WR | 187 | 90 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 7 | Miro Kadmiry | 7.7.91 | QB | 180 | 88 | Helsinki Rooster | |
| 8 | Janne Lehtinen | 24.9.89 | QB | 184 | 90 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 9 | Karri Pajarinen | 5.10.98 | RB | 177 | 93 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 10 | Micky Kyei | 27.12.92 | WR | 172 | 84 | Tampere Saints | |
| 15 | Hanri Jussila | 18.1.92 | RB | 178 | 83 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 20 | Aku Kattainen | 3.8.94 | DB | 177 | 82 | ECG | |
| 24 | Ville-Valtteri Suojanen | 29.12.93 | DB | 188 | 90 | Tampere Saints | |
| 28 | Juhani Koivumäki | 2.8.91 | DB | 178 | 96 | Seinäjoki Crocodiles | |
| 29 | Viljo Lempinen | 20.10.99 | DB | 185 | 80 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 30 | Tom Suoste | 4.11.92 | RB | 170 | 89 | Wasa Royals | |
| 32 | Kimi Linnainmaa | 11.4.94 | WR | 178 | 83 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 33 | Santeri Inkinen | 24.7.91 | DB | 179 | 86 | Kuopio Steelers | |
| 34 | Joonas Raatikainen | 10.6.90 | LB | 185 | 101 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 36 | Marcus Siiskonen | 27.5.89 | WR | 182 | 85 | Helsinki Wolverines | |
| 39 | Jaska Värinen | 11.9.95 | LB | 185 | 87 | Seinäjoki Crocodiles | |
| 40 | Tuukka Lehtonen | 31.1.95 | RB | 183 | 96 | Tampere Saints | |
| 41 | Sami Toivonen | 29.12.88 | LB | 185 | 100 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 43 | Santtu Äyräväinen | 22.3.84 | LB | 191 | 108 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 49 | Veikka Lehtonen | 18.9.84 | RB | 185 | 94 | Tampere Saints | |
| 52 | Richard Laine | 2.4.89 | OL | 187 | 125 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 60 | Tapio Jääskeläinen | 20.11.93 | OL | 187 | 125 | Kuopio Steelers | |
| 65 | Jere Lahti | 25.10.96 | OL | 186 | 120 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 71 | Juho Pietilä | 21.5.87 | OL | 193 | 121 | Tampere Saints | |
| 72 | Jari Mononen | 2.10.87 | OL | 190 | 145 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 73 | Pasi Lautala | 28.7.80 | OL | 191 | 130 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 76 | Heikki Lesonen | 18.2.94 | DL | 191 | 150 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 77 | Iiro Luoto | 8.10.84 | OL | 197 | 120 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 78 | Arttu Tennberg | 22.2.90 | OL | 194 | 130 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 81 | Tommi Pinta | 8.4.87 | TE | 197 | 115 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 82 | Mikko Seppänen | 22.5.92 | WR | 177 | 76 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 84 | Ilari Laine | 5.4.96 | WR | 196 | 96 | Tampere Saints | |
| 86 | Edward Vesterinen | 31.10.00 | DL | 193 | 110 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 87 | Toni Ahonen | 8.6.97 | DL | 187 | 98 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 88 | Tino Ndongo | 25.6.97 | WR | 175 | 80 | Kuopio Steelers | |
| 90 | Okko Outinen | 9.8.89 | DL | 192 | 125 | Helsinki Roosters | |
| 91 | Lasse Kankaanpää | 28.5.85 | DL | 192 | 114 | Helsinki Rooster | |
| 96 | Sebastian Karbin | 6.8.82 | LB | 184 | 95 | Porvoo Butchers | |
| 97 | Juuso Laherma | 31.5.87 | LB | 183 | 100 | Kuopio Steelers | |
| 98 | Jani Lindqvist | 26.4.89 | DL | 191 | 120 | Kuopio Steelers | |
| 99 | Janne Kreus | 18.2.87 | DL | 200 | 136 | Tampere Saints |
Staff
| Jenni Hakala | CDM | ||
| Tuomas Heikkinen | HC | ||
| Robert Johnson | OC | ||
| Kalle Karppinen | DC | ||
| Andy Bezaire | AC | ||
| Marko Vartiainen | AC | ||
| Ville Tarvainen | AC | ||
| Jens Holmström | AC | ||
| Victor Sarvi | AC | ||
| Pekka Rantala | AC | ||
| Kari Titola | AC | ||
| Jesse Talikka | SCC | ||
| Marko Kinnunen | Trainer | ||
| Samuli Murto | Physio | ||
| Sami Kiiski | Physio | ||
| Janne Mäkelä | Physio | ||
| Elli Heinonen | Masseuse | ||
| Miina Sirviö | Masseuse | ||
| Peter Åström | Doctor | ||
| Martin Veinberg | waterboy | ||
| Väinö Pääkkönen | waterboy | ||
