FC Lahti is starting to build its next season’s team from the back – CEO: The talents of one’s own city will not build the whole team

/ Lahti News in English

Lahti's Altin Zeqiri scores a penalty kick to make it 1–0 in the Veikkausliiga qualifying match FC Lahti - TPS in Lahti
On Sunday, FC Lahti took an early 1–0 lead against TPS in the league qualifying match. The goal was scored by Altin Zeqiri from the penalty kick.

The player negotiations could not be finalized until the league level was known. FC Lahti has a dozen player contracts for next season.

FC Lahti, who kept their place in the league through the league qualifiers on Sunday, is now really starting to assemble their football league team for next season.

– Probably other Veikkausliiga clubs have had a small head start in their player recruitments. We were in a bit of an awkward position when we didn’t know the series level. Of course, it has also been difficult for the players to make binding decisions regarding the next season. We’ll go right now to see what can be quickly agreed and finished.

This year, FC Lahti has made several contracts with talented Juniors from Lahti aged 16-17. Many football followers from Lahti hope that the league team would function even better as a channel for the talents of their own city.

– We simply do not have 30 league players from Lahti here at the moment. Building a team is always its own process, and in it we have to make precise analyzes with the sports side, how we go towards the new season, Heikari estimates.

– The youngsters came to sniff the pace of the league a bit this season and they probably have the potential to take on an even bigger role next season. But when we are hunting for new players, at least the players must want to play for the collective and develop themselves and their playing.

The goal of half a million euros brought consolation to the disappointment

Soccer players hug each other on the soccer field. Some of the players are sitting on the grass. A close-up of the Lahti stadium field, where the league qualifier between FC Lahti and Turku Palloseura has ended.
FC Lahti celebrates when the decisive qualifying match is over. The white-shirted Turku Palloseura players are disappointed.

The qualifying matches went well, but otherwise CEO Juho-Matti Heikari admits that the season was difficult and disappointing.

– Of course we have a place to look in the mirror. This was not the kind of season we set out to pursue. We had a happy end to the season, but we have to do things better next season.

At least scoring goals was difficult for the Lahti players in the season that ended. The team scored a total of 26 goals in the main and challenger series. HIFK, which was directly relegated from the league, could do less than this. The victory of Lahti’s goal exchange ended with four hits.