Andy Bernard explains the World Cup host country Finland

In the Finnish capital, the Azzurri will face Switzerland, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Slovakia and Kazakhstan in preliminary group A until May 23rd. Bernard knows the World Cup host country like no one else and explains everything you should know about the World Cup country in the following article.

The land of 1000 lakes: “That’s what Finland is often called. In reality there are almost 200.000 lakes. It is impressive and striking how much water there is in Finland. There are several large lakes, but also many small ponds. You only really realize this when you're on the plane's approach to land. Lappeenranta is located on Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in the country. When my brother Manfred was visiting, we drove to my wife Pauliina's aunt's summer house. After three quarters of an hour of driving, my brother asked me which lake we were passing. It was still Lake Saimaa.”

Lake Saimaa. © AFP / ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO

The capital Helsinki: “It is a very beautiful city and one of the cleanest I have seen in Europe. There is a lot of culture. But there was also a lot of investment in sports cities. Helsinki is located by the sea, which is why there is a lot of water in the city. Helsinki has almost grown together with the cities of Espoo and Vantaa. 1,5 million of Finland’s 5,5 million inhabitants live here.”

Suomenlinna: “It is a fortress that lies on several interconnected islands off Helsinki and is translated as Finnenburg. It is a very popular destination and an attraction that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Helsinki. There is still a prison, bunkers and cannons on Suomenlinna.”

Ice hockey in Finland: “Ice hockey is the number 1 sport in Finland. In the country you quickly notice that ice hockey has a high status and is very important. There is a lot of media coverage about ice hockey. It's a topic of conversation everywhere. Even in the sauna. Ice hockey jerseys hang on the balconies. In the past, I was repeatedly approached on the street by complete strangers. They will have recognized me as a foreigner because of my darker skin color compared to most Finns.”

Finland is the reigning Olympic ice hockey champion. © AFP / KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV

The World Cup in your second home: “South Tyrol will always remain my home, but Finland has grown very close to my heart in recent years. I'm really looking forward to this World Cup. A year ago, when we played against Finland in Riga, I unfortunately couldn't be there due to corona. This time the hosts are playing in Tampere. But maybe we’ll get through the group stage and meet Finland in the quarter-finals” (laughs).

The Helsinki Ice Hall: “The World Cup games take place here. It is one of the oldest ice rinks in Finland, but has been renovated several times. For example, there are new boards and a new video cube. It is usually always well attended and there is a great atmosphere. I know the hall very well because I have played there as an opponent several times. In autumn 2019 I was even under contract with IFK Helsinki for 4 weeks. Although I didn't play a game for the capital club, I often trained at the Helsinki Ice Hall. On the occasion of the World Cup, the largest fan zone in Europe was set up around the stadium.”

The Finnish fans: “When it comes to sports, Finns are not as reserved and reserved as they are in normal life. They are an enthusiastic people who can get very loud at ice hockey games. Especially when the national team is playing. After the fans have had a beer or two, things that go below the belt are shouted on the ice. If Finland loses a game, there is a doom and gloom feeling among the supporters.”

Finnish fans are ice hockey crazy. © Lehtikuva / MARKKU ULANDER

The national dish: “Fish – especially salmon and trout – and potatoes are very popular. But you can also eat reindeer meat anywhere: either smoked, which makes it very similar to our bacon, or cooked as goulash.”

The national drink: “I would say 'Sima': it's a drink that you can make yourself. It is very sweet and tastes very similar to the spuma known in South Tyrol. But non-alcoholic house beer is also drunk a lot in Finland: it is beer must that tastes bitter and sweet at the same time.”

Alcohol: “It's very expensive in Finland and people drink a lot; especially on weekends in the numerous parks.”

The Finnish language: “It's a very difficult language that I've mastered quite well now, although I still make mistakes. After a year I understood the most important thing. But it was around 3 years before I could speak Finnish to some extent. I never imagined that I would one day be able to speak Finnish. In any case, it was very difficult for me at the beginning.”

Daily sauna visit: “In Finland, almost everyone has a sauna: either in the basement or on the roof. There is a sauna in practically every corner. Most ice hockey clubs have a sauna in the locker room. The Ässat Pori stadium even has a sauna in the VIP area from where you can watch the games. In winter I went to the sauna in the cabin every day. In the summer I usually go to the sauna once a week to sweat.”

The world champions in drinking coffee: “People drink a lot of coffee in Finland, which is why the Finns are called the world coffee drinking champions. Filter coffee is primarily consumed. This one isn't particularly strong. At breakfast there are cups with half a liter of coffee. There are many bars where coffee is drunk. But I also met players who drank coffee during the third-half breaks.”

The Midnight Sun: “I live in the south of the country and yet it never gets really dark. It is much brighter in the north. The sky over Lappeenranta is always blue. The sun sets for just a short time before rising again. There is a slight twilight throughout. You don’t need any lamps and you don’t have to look for the stars either.”

The future: “I would like to return to Finland. Almost all of the goalkeeper positions are already occupied. That's why there's still a big question mark over my future. I could certainly imagine staying with HCB Südtirol. It would be a big advantage, especially logistically with my family.”

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Andy Bernard explains the World Cup host country Finland

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