Finns show faith in Muurinen

Finland coach Antti Muurinen signed an extension to his contract today which ties him to the national team until at least the end of 2005. Should the Finns qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany, Muurinen's contract will then be extended for a further six months.

Hämäläinen support
There was some speculation about Muurinen's future after Finland's recent 2-0 home defeat against Italy appeared to end their hopes of reaching UEFA EURO 2004™. However the president of the Football Association of Finland, Pekka Hämäläinen, is of the opinion that the national team has come on in leaps and bounds since Muurinen's appointment in 2000.

High spirits
"It's only natural that we go to the World Cup in 2006 with Mr Muurinen," Hämäläinen said. "The national team has developed greatly under him and both the spirit and morale in the team have been high during these years. Even more importantly the players have a high opinion of him."

Forward steps
Muurinen himself expressed his delight with his extended tenure. "I believe we have a good chance to reach the World Cup finals," he said. "We have taken some steps forward, though there are still a couple to take before we are ready to battle in international tournament finals.

Finnish development
"Football in Finland is attracting more interest than ever before," he continued. "The domestic league has developed enormously and our players abroad are regular players in their clubs. I believe this progress will continue in the years to come. If I had felt I have nothing left to give to this development, I wouldn't have signed the new contract."