Mäkelä stands down at MyPa

Ilkka Mäkelä has resigned as coach of Myllykosken Pallo-47 in the wake of a third successive defeat in the Finnish Veikkausliiga on Thursday night.

Change needed
MyPa lost 3-0 at home to FC Haka to leave them sixth in the 14-team top-flight, and Mäkelä to say: "It says in my contract I'm responsible for the team's success and I see that I have failed in this duty. The team needs a change to reach the level it is capable of." Assistant coach Janne Hyppönen has stepped up to take charge for the rest of the campaign, having being at the helm of FC KooTeePee from autumn 2003 until end of last season. His first challenge will be the visit of Blackburn Rovers FC next Thursday in the first leg of their UEFA Cup second qualifying round tie.