Kalle Koskinen: The Iceman

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Finnish Veikkausliiga champions Peimari United completed their eighth signing since the end of the league season, securing the signing of former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-German star Ángel Dí Maria. The thirty-four year old Argentine midfielder became available following the expiration of his contract with Torino in the summer, and he has now joined Peimari United on a short-term deal as he looks to see out his playing days in Finland.

Born in Rosario, Argentina, on 14th February 1988, Dí Maria worked his way through the youth ranks of local side Rosario Central. Dí Maria made his senior debut for the club against Independiente on 14th December 2005, at the age of 17, and went on to make 39 appearances in all competitions for his hometown club, scoring 6 goals in the process. He had quickly built a reputation as one of Argentina's top prospects, and left his hometown club in the summer of 2007.

Portuguese giants SL Benfica came knocking, and paid €8,000,000 for his signature. Dí Maria instantly became a key player for the Lisbon-based club and his impressive debut season, which included 44 appearances and 1 goal in all competitions, saw him earn a place in Argentina's 2008 Beijing Olympics squad. Dí Maria scored the winner in the final of the competition, helping himself to an Olympic gold medal as he wrote his name in history. His stock had grown considerably since his move to Europe. Dí Maria went on to make his first of 108 appearances for the Argentina senior team on 6th September 2008.

Back at Benfica, Dí Maria went from strength-to-strength. He helped his side to successive Taça da Liga titles in the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons, and played a key role in Benfica's 2009/2010 Premeira Liga victory. He left Benfica, and Portugal, in the summer of 2010 having made 124 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Dí Maria became a Galactico in 2010, signing for Real Madrid for a €25,000,000 fee. He enjoyed incredible success for Los Blancos, making 190 appearances in all competitions over four seasons (and one game in a fifth season), scoring an incredible 36 goals from midfield. It was at Real Madrid where his pinpoint long-range passing and crossing really impressed fans, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale all benefiting from his contributions. At Real Madrid, Dí Maria won one UEFA Champions League, one La Liga, two Copa del Rey's, one UEFA Super Cup and one Supercopa de España in a trophy-laden time at the club.

In 2014, following UEFA Super Cup success with Real Madrid, Ángel Dí Maria made a mega-money €74,000,000 move to Old Trafford to join a new-look Manchester United side. However, he only stayed in England for one unsuccessful season where he produced 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring just 4 goals as he failed to win a single trophy with The Red Devils.

Dí Maria looked to revive his career with a move to France, joining Paris Saint-German in a €63,000,000 move in 2015, almost immediately becoming a key player. During his time in Paris, Ángel won four Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France titles and four Coupe de la Ligue titles. However, Dí Maria couldn't help PSG win the UEFA Champions League title which eluded them each year. Dí Maria made 182 appearances and scored an incredible 63 goals in all competitions during his time at the club.

The last chapter in Dí Maria's career before joining Peimari United was a stint at Torino. He signed for the Italian club in 2020 for a €10,000,000 fee. He made 37 appearances in all competitions for the major Italian club, scoring 2 goals from a deeper midfield position. Torino decided not to extend his contract in the summer, with Dí Maria leaving at the end of June.

Dí Maria joined Peimari United on a provisional one-year deal. However, a clause has been inserted in his contract that will allow him to cancel it early in order to retire. This clause is similar to the one included in Roman Eremenko's contract, with Dí Maria expected to play a similar deep midfield role for the club. Peimari fans have flocked to social media to announce their delight at the signing, with a serial title-winner of the highest caliber now playing for their club.

Italian Serie A side Udinese rallied late on from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Finnish Veikkausliiga champions Peimari United at Kupittaan jalkapallostadion in Turku, Finland. A brace from Finnish midfielder Jarno Seppälä, with a goal on either side of half-time, gave Peimari a very strong lead, but Udinese struck back late on through goals from Séko Fofana and Leandro Trossard. The result has left Peimari United at the foot of the table on just two points with two games to go, with Udinese guaranteed to progress to the next round with ten points at the top of the table.

In an evenly-contested first-half, Peimari United opened the scoring with just under ten minutes to go until the half-time interval. The goal was created by the left side of Peimari, with Jukka Virtanen and Mats Köhlert heavily involved. The latter got into space to generate a cross, and his pinpoint delivery was met by the foot of midfielder Jarno Seppälä, who rifled a half-volley into the roof of the net. It was a surprise for Peimari to take the lead and, in front of a record crowd of 6,087, they visibly delighted with the scoreline.

Just minutes after the half-time break, Jarno Seppälä and Peimari United both got their second goal. The goal came from a corner kick, Mats Köhlert's left-footed delivery turned in at the back post by Seppälä to double Peimari's lead. The hosts were jubilant, while the visitors were struggling to come to terms with their deficit.

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Udinese found a way back into the game with just over sixteen minutes remaining, and the goal came from a second-ball from a set-piece. Leandro Trossard's free-kick delivery from wide was half-cleared by Peimari's Niko Lehtinen. Udinese's Séko Fofana picked up the ball on the edge of the box, taking two touches before firing low into the far corner of the goal with a left-footed strike. Udinese were back in it.

Udinese got the opportunity to level the game from the penalty spot with just a few minutes remaining when Richard Latham bundled attacker Sandro in the box. Leanrdo Trossard stepped up to take the spot-kick, and he fired into the bottom left corner to level the game late on, breaking Peimari's hearts. It was a familiar tale for Peimari fans, as the club had thrown away points late on in their previous two European fixtures.

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Finnish Veikkausliiga side Peimari United ended 2022 on a high as they demolished Danish giants FC København in a 5-2 thumping at Kupittaan jalkpallostadion in Turku, Finland, as Peimari claimed just their first win in the UEFA Europa League group stage on matchday five. Despite a Sergi Samper brace for the visitors, five different players scored for Peimari United in a dominant display which saw the nation of Finland earn an invaluable victory which boosted their nation club qualification coefficient enormously.

It took just over four minutes for Peimari United to take the lead at Kupittaan jalkapallostadion, and it was right-sided full back Aapo Mäenpää who scored to give his side the lead. The twenty-four year old Finnish defender picked up a loose ball forty yards from the opponents' goal and dribbled with the ball through the centre of the pitch. He beat three players on his way as he approached the penalty spot, before dispatching a bouncing left-footed shot into the far corner to give Peimari the lead.

Mats Köhlert doubled Peimari United's lead just a few minutes later. The home side scored from a fast-moving counter attack, first breaking down a København corner kick routine before moving up the pitch at speed. Jukka Virtanen sent Lucas Villela into space to the right of København's penalty area, and the Brazilian attacker centered the ball for Jarno Seppälä to have a free shot at goal. København goalkeeper Keiller saved the shot but could not deny Mats Köhlert's rebound as Peimari secured a two-goal cushion.

Peimari United's teenage Finnish striker Jesper Santanen scored to put the home side in the lead just after the half-hour mark, giving the home side a very strong lead. Mats Köhlert and Jukka Virtanen combined well on the left, with the latter crossing towards the near-post area. Santanen fired a first-time volley with his left foot across goal and into the far corner for a sensational third goal.

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FC København scored a goal to ever-so-slightly cut the deficit just before half-time. The goal came from a wide corner, with Everton Felipe picking out Sergi Samper at the near post. Samper rose highest to head the ball into the top corner of the goal, giving the away side a way back into the game.

Peimari United killed off the game in the second half with two more goals. Lucas Villela scored from the spot just after the hour mark, while Roman Eremenko scored with minutes to go. The goals came either side of a Sergi Samper long-range goal, as Peimari United cruised to their first victory in the UEFA Europa League group stage.

2022 was a year of dreams for Peimari United fans. The club dominated their Veikkausliiga campaign, winning the league with a whopping 79-point tally. Alongside league success, Peimari United retained their Suomen Cup title and earned a place in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in their first ever season in continental competition. The club most recently rounded up 2022 with a fantastic 5-2 win over FC København, emphasising the progress made by the club in such a short time.

Kalle Koskinen won an incredible 73% of games in all competitions, including an incredible 76% success rate in the Veikkausliiga. The 73% win rate is a major improvement on last season's 69%, despite also playing UEFA Europa League football too. There were just 8 losses in 55 games played in all competitions, suggesting that Peimari United had become a side not used to being second-best.

118 goals were scored by the club in all competitions, at an average of 2.15 goals per game. Teenage striker Jesper Santanen was the club's main contributor to goals scored, with the Finn scoring an incredible 21 goals in 2022. Mats Köhlert, Kevin Larsson, Lucas Villela and Pontus Engblom all scored double-figures as there was no over-reliance on any single player for goals.

Kevin Larsson was the club's top assistor, for the second season running. The Finnish wide attacker, on loan from Russian side Sochi this season, directly contributed to 14 assists, with Niko Lehtinen and Mats Köhlert coming close with 12 assists apiece. Jukka Virtanen created 8 goals himself, as himself and Lehtinen proved to be very creative options from full back positions.

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Tornike Dzadzamia of Georgia and Tyler Whitesides of the United States of America both proved to be worthwhile shot-stoppers, playing 35 and 20 games respectively. Dzadzamia kept 9 clean sheets while Whitesides played 10, although Dzadzamia played against much tougher opposition. They both impressed, nonetheless, as we kept a total of 19 clean sheets in the 55 games.

Peimari United had a problem with conceding late goals last season, but were much improved this season. Only 12 of the 53 goals conceded were in the final fifteen minutes of games. This equated to 23% of their goals conceded, an improvement on the 34% from the previous season. Not that there is a good time to concede....

Peimari United manager Kalle Koskinen retained the Veikkausliiga Manager of the Year award, while Silvio Tokic was runner-up for the Player of the Year award. Tyler Whitesides, Niko Lehtinen, Rasmus Holma, Joonas Karlsson, Silvio Tokic and Jesper Santanen were all named in the league's Team of the Year, but no Peimari United player got within the top three of the Veikkausliiga Golden Boot award.

Peimari United's successes led to a significant increase in attendances. In total, 43,309 fans attendaned Peimari's 27 games, averaging at 1,604 fans per game. A significant increase from the 7,709 fans in total who attended in the previous season.

The joys of the festive season didn't do much to relieve Mia of her struggles. Her first-born child was due to be born and the pains of labour had become borderline-unbearable. With her gut swollen to the size of a miniature bolder and her hormones swinging from one extreme to another, she was in a world of pain. But she battled on. She was determined to see the remainder of her labour through, with the prize of becoming a mother a future reward for her endeavors and struggles.

Since Mia's horror encounter with Christian Schäfer, she had grown unwell. She didn't notice the needle that Schäfer produced and stabbed her with as he bundled her to the ground. She didn't notice that he had poisoned her and condemned her to a painful death. The illness which was bestowed upon her was a mystery to her, but it was the evil contingency plan played by a desperate and cunning German scientist. Without her knowing, Schäfer had shortened her life expectancy to a fraction of what it was. On Christmas Day of 1985, she had just hours remaining as the poison attacked her vital organs and smothered her with pain, nausea and hysteric bouts of coughing, sneezing and vomiting.

Joonas was deeply concerned for her well-being. He had never seen a person so ill but attributed it to her baring of their child. He spent his free time comforting her in anyway possible. He ensured that she had every opportunity to be at ease during the final difficult months prior to the birth of their child and he often surprised her with romantic moments and delightful gifts. He was, by all means, being the perfect husband to Mia and she was warmed by his affection towards her.

By the time the couple arrived at Jorvi Hospital ahead of the birth of their child, Mia was in agony. The nurses attempted to ease her comfort but we unable to soothe her aches and pains. Mia was in distress. Part of it was due to the pains of labour, but it was the poison that Schäfer injected which really hurt Mia. Despite all the tests undertaken to diagnose Mia's condition and the cause of her unwell state, the poison did not reveal itself to the nurses and doctors. It remained invisible to testing while it caused irreparable damage to its host. It was undetectable.

Following the birth of Kalle, there was a bittersweet moment for Mia and Joonas. For a time, they were at peace with the world. The pain that Mia had experienced previously was subdued by newfound emotions of love that came with motherhood. For a sweet and short moment of time, Mia was happy. She had forgotten about the horrors in her life. She forgot about how her parents tragically passed away in a mysterious house fire, how Christian Schäfer attacked her in an attempt to rape her, and how she suffered from a mysterious illness during the past few months.

Despite living a life that was, for the most part, a very happy one, there was always darkness on the horizon for Mia. After being accepted into the international dance troupe Scoot, her parents tragically died in a house fire. This came just days after an argument they had with Christian Schäfer, the chief doctor of the dance troupe, over his treatment of some girls within the troupe. The incident left Mia greatly upset, but she traveled with the troupe after some time of grieving. She was still in her teenage years and was left with no reasonable alternative but to join a group that was willing to take her in. She was completely unaware of the danger that Schäfer presented.

The sorrows of her past followed her like a menacing shadow which never disappeared. The intended malice of Christian Schäfer often lurked and threatened Mia, and her mental state was disfigured as a result. She slept with one eye open, metaphorically speaking, and she was left in a position where the only person she trusted was her husband Joonas. Even before the illness caused by the poison took effect, Mia's life was already beyond repair. She was destined for a dark end.

When the end came, it was painful. She was resting in Joonas' arms with their newborn child when she became unable to breath. The poison took over as it paralyzed and stopped her from being able to breath. Eventually her heart gave out as she ran out of oxygen. Twelve minutes later, she became brain-dead as she died painfully. Despite the best efforts of the hospital staff, Mia was beyond saving. She passed away just a short time after the birth of her one-and-only child.

People believed that the cause of her death was a reaction to a strenuous childbirth. The poison that had been injected into her body by Christian Schäfer a few months previously had taken her life, but it remained undetected. The chemical formula designed by Schäfer made the poison virtually undetectable, yet just as lethal as any other poison on the planet. It crippled Mia's body slowly and the stress of childbirth was the final nail in the coffin as it compounded with the effects of the poison to deliver a fatal blow to Mia.

As Mia faded away from life on earth, a sad fact became reality. Her life had started and looked so promising. As a young girl, she was excited about the opportunity of travelling the world to perform as a dancer. Her dreams, however, were overshadowed by a truly evil scientist. It was Christian Schäfer who destroyed Mia's life and condemned her to a premature death. Her life became doomed and she died, while her newborn child was destined for a similarly dark life.

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Peimari United's final group game of their debut UEFA Europa League season ended in disappointment as they slumped to defeat against Udinese. The game at Dacia Arena in Udine saw the Finnish side take the lead in the opening ten minutes of the game through Mats Köhlert but couldn't hold on as the hosts fought back to earn themselves a 5-2 victory. The result secured Udinese's place on top of the group, while Peimari United finish in a very respectable third place.

The game, played in front of 18,566 fans, saw Peimari United take the lead inside the opening ten minutes of the game. Brazilian wide attacker Lucas Villela led the charge forward for the visitors. His cutback for Jarno Seppälä on the edge of the box caught the hosts out, and the young Finnish playmaker played a first-time pass into the path of Mats Köhlert who finished well from a tight angle.

Parity was restored a few minutes later as the hosts displayed their attacking prowess in front of their own fans. Spanish striker Sandro was key to their successful forays forward and he created Udinese's first goal of the game. Sandro received the ball with his back to goal twenty-five yards out. The former Barcelona and Everton striker spun on the spot before teeing up wide attacker Alberto who took one touch before picking out the far corner from the edge of the area. The game was level.

Sandro's excellence shun again on the half-hour mark as he put Udinese into the lead with a well-taken free kick effort. From twenty yards out, just to the right of the D, Sandro curled his shot effortlessly around the wall and into the top corner of the goal. It was a magical effort which was well appreciated by the fans who were off their feet to celebrate the goal.

Udinese doubled their lead just before half-time through Belgian attacker Leandro Trossard. Sandro was pivotal once again, creating the goal with a clever piece of play just inside the box. Sandro received the ball on the penalty spot from Alberto before knocking the ball to his left into the path of Leandro Trossard who blasted the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

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Peimari United proved that they were a threat to be reckoned with in the second half as they looked for a way back into the game with a relentless number of attacking waves. Lucas Villela eventually halved the deficit, with twenty minutes remaining, as he got on the end of Akseli Ollila's low cross. The Brazilian was unmarked at the back post has prodded the ball into the goal from close range, putting Peimari United back within a chance of earning something from the game.

Udinese regained their two goal cushion just minutes later from the penalty spot. Sandro was fouled inside the area by Richard Latham. Leandro Trossard stepped up to take the spot-kick and was clinical as he fired the ball into the bottom left corner. Peimari goalkeeper Tornike Dzadzamia guessed the right way but was unable to keep the shot out.

Udinese wrapped up the game with a fifth goal with just four minutes to go, and Sandro was the scorer. Udinese' Spanish fullback Sergi Palencia bombed forward on a delightful run before breaking into the box with a quick shimmy past Jukka Virtanen. Palencia fired the ball low across the six yard box, and Spanish forward Sandro was on hand to score his second goal of the game.

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Despite the scoreline, Kalle Koskinen left the Dacia Arena in good spirits. His side had come on in leaps and bounds over the past few seasons and were able to celebrate scoring twice at the home of a top Italian side. A third place finish in the club's maiden season in UEFA Europa League football was an accomplishment to be incredibly proud of, and it wrapped up a monumental season for the club which saw the Veikkausliiga and Suomen Cup trophies return to Paimio.

The 2022 World Cup meant that the season was stretched out. A number of the Europa League games were rescheduled, pushing the final fixture into the beginning of January. It meant that there was a bitter cold breeze in Udine as Kalle stepped out of the hotel which his side were staying at. The weather was not comparable to that of his native Finland, but he still turned up the collar of his coat as he set off into the small Italian city to celebrate the end of season quietly.

As Kalle embarked on his journey to the city centre from Hotel Cristallo, his thoughts drifted from his fiancé Elsa who was at home in Paimio to an illness he picked up a week previously which did not seem to want to go away. He was suffering from mild coughing bouts and a slightly elevated body temperature. He took no notice of the illness, assuming he was just suffering from a mild dose of winter fever. He was hoping that he would return to full health in the coming weeks.

Kalle passed a number of well-filled restaurants and bars before arriving at his destination. Located just south of the Castello di Udine, Kalle arrived at a bar named Tana del Drago. The exterior was painted in a glossy black with large gold-coloured lettering signalling the name of the bar. The windows were partially covered by Venetian blinds and a dimmed light was visibly peaking through the gaps between the slats. Patrons were visibly enjoying themselves inside the establishment as Kalle approached the entrance.

Kalle was met with a warm, comforting draft as he opened the door and entered the bar. He strolled towards the bar where he sat upon a lone stool a couple of meters away from the nearest patrons. The bar counter smelled of freshly polished wood, with a thin layer of laminate covering the timber. Speakers in the corners of the bar played music at a low volume, just loud enough to be heard among the conversations of the bar's clients. A lone barman stood at the far end of the bar, polishing glasses. He was middle-aged, with silver cropped hair and dressed all in black.

The barman noticed Kalle after just a few seconds, and served him with a cool glass of beer from a tap upon request. The barman then wandered through a door behind the bar and did not reenter the bar area. In the minutes that followed, Kalle made his way through half of the beer in front of him, clouding himself in his own thoughts. He didn't notice every other patron leaving the bar from around him, leaving him as the only remaining person within the bar.

When Kalle finished his pint, he looked around him only to realise that he was solitary in his attendance. He was quite alarmed by this but simply assumed that the bar must have been about to close for the night and the others had left to venture home. Kalle placed his empty glass in front of him before standing up from his stool and straightening his clothes. He turned on the spot and made his way to the door but was stopped halfway through the room by a voice which hissed from behind him and behind the bar.

"You will want to hear what I have to say, Mister Koskinen."

Kalle turned on the spot to see a man he did not recognise standing behind the bar, where the barman had stood minutes previously. The man was pale and his skin was battle-worn, with a similar texture to that of a snake or another reptile. The top of his head was hairless, with a gruff beard plastering the lower part of his head. Below his right eye, a long deep scar curved down from his eyelid to the top of his cheekbone. His eyes themselves tore deep into Kalle's soul. The pale blue of his irises shone with a menacing darkness.

Kalle looked into the man's eyes, as if he was facing off with a shark, and realised who stood before him. It was the leader of the The Dragon organisation which had become involved in Kalle's life over the past few years. First there was Rodrigo Soldado who had attempted to take Kalle's life. Next was Sami Heikkinen, the estranged brother of his fiancé Elsa, who saved his life from the insanity of Michael Scott. Now, a new stranger stood before him, and he appeared to be more dangerous than Soldado and Heikkinen combined. This man had a commanding presence which signified his ranking as the leader of the organisation. Of that fact, Kalle was certain

"Please sit back down, Kalle. I am not here to cause you harm but to present an opportunity which would be beneficial for the pair of us," said the man. The words slithered out of his mouth as if he were not human, but an extraterrestrial monster attempting to converse in a language unnatural to him.
Kalle knew he had no choice in the matter and threaded cautiously back to the bar. He sat back down in the stool that he had sat in previously and cleared the glass, which still stood where he placed it, away from his eye-line. The man pulled a stool from the other side of the bar and sat in front of Kalle, clasping his hands together on top of the bar.

"What is it you want to talk about? I can only guess that you are part of this 'Dragon' organisation, so it must be related to that," asked Kalle tentatively.

"You are very perceptive, Kalle. Very well. Christian Schäfer; he's a German scientist who has been a thorn in our organisation's side for many decades now. He has developed a number of experiments and weapons which have caused our operatives a great amount of harm. We would like for you to end his treachery. Whether that be through having him arrested or killed, that is up to you. We would provide you with adequate resources to complete the task."

"And what makes you think I'd be interested in undertaking such a task?" laughed Kalle in response. He was in complete disbelief over the man's proposal, but was curious as to the man's reasoning for the proposal.

"Because you'd be motivated and you'd see the task through with all your heart. You cannot underestimate the power that determination has. You should know this from a sporting perspective. Your Peimari United team has constantly been the underdogs but have defied expectation. The greatest weapon a man can have is his mind. If he can maximise his mental capabilities, he can be the most dangerous person in any room he is in."

"And why would I be motivated to complete this task? I don't even know who this Christian Schäfer is. Why would I want to kill him?"

"Many years ago, during the second World War, Christian Schäfer's father was a military scientist for the Nazis. He was tasked with developing a poison which would be untraceable but still just as potent and deadly. The Nazi empire fell before this project came to fruition, but Christian continued his father's work. We kept tabs on his work in the hope that he would never complete this project. It was something which could wipe out the world's population with ease and nobody would know it's coming.

When your mother's grave was exhumed to examine the crimes undertaken by Michael Scott, there were trace amounts of poison found. This poison was not connected to your mother's death but we were suspicious of the findings. We conducted our own examinations of your mother's grave to discover that our worst fears had been realised. Christian Schäfer had successfully created this invisible poison. It only became noticeable many decades after it killed your mother."

"Wait a second, are you trying to say that this Christian Schäfer killed my mother?!?" Kalle was in disbelief. He was unsure whether to believe the man or not. He had lived his whole life believing that his mother had died due to the strain of giving birth to him. His whole life had come into question with this latest revelation.

"Yes, Christian Schäfer killed your mother. That is why I believe you will be more than motivated to ensure his downfall. He is a danger to the world and he has already taken plenty of lives. Your mother had her life taken from her by a dark and sinister man, and I know you want revenge. I know you want to see justice served and to see Christian Schäfer punished.

Of course, I understand that you may not believe what I have told you. So, for the meantime, I will depart with the research that has been undertaken to decipher Christian Schäfer's secret projects for your benefit. Perhaps after reading through the dossiers that have been compiled, you will be as motivated as I have anticipated."

From behind the bar, the man took a large file of notes and placed it on top of the counter. The file was easily several hundred pages deep and looked to have been professionally crafted. The front page acted as a cover for the file, and it adorned a symbol of the head of a dragon on the top of the page. Four letters embroidered the cover page in a large black font. Kalle examined the page, focusing on the letters. His life had just been turned on its head and it was all because of a file which lay in front of him, with four menacing letters on its cover.

Peimari United fans have woken up this morning to the pleasant news that manager Kalle Koskinen has extended his contract with the football club until November 2025. The former Bayern Munich and Finland midfielder guided the team to Veikkausliiga and Suomen Cup double glory last season and managed the club to a third place group stage finish in their debut season in the UEFA Europa League. Koskinen's previous contract was set to expire in November 2024, and the Helsinki-born Finn has earned a reported pay rise from €1,300 per week to €1,500 per week.

News of Kalle Koskinen's new contract comes in the middle of the club's Suomen Cup qualifying campaign. Peimari United have already played three fixtures this season, beating FC Lahti 6-3, beating SJK 6-0 and coming out as 1-0 victors against IFK Mariehamn to see the reigning Suomen Cup champions top their qualification group with just two games remaining. With last season's success still fresh in the minds of the Peimari United faithful, the news of Koskinen's new deal will help lift a morale which was already at an unprecedented high.

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Koskinen's new contract is likely to deter advances from clubs across Europe who have made their interest in securing the thirty-seven year old's services. Koskinen reportedly turned down advances from Spanish clubs Sevilla and Real Betis, while Italian sides Genoa and Fiorentina have also expressed their interest in Koskinen.

Following news of Koskinen's new deal, Peimari United's next step will be to secure a 100% record in Suomen Cup qualifying and to prepare for the upcoming Veikkausliiga season. Peimari United are expected to be favourites to retain the league trophy following a window of major spending by the football club. With over twenty players joining the club at various levels, Peimari United are ready to make a statement domestically and in continental football this year. Champions League group stage football is the aim, and they now have the ability to achieve their lofty target.

There were plenty of youth players signed by the club. Dominique Diémé, Mikael Järvinen, Billel Gasmi, Olli-Pekka Kauppinen, Mohammed Acheampong-Abdullai, Rune Overby, Ayman Marei, Nem and Ehab Magdy all joined the club to play at youth level, or for our second team. A total transfer fee of just €3,330 was paid for the nine players who joined the club's youth team. Rune Overby and Mohammed Acheampong-Abdullai were the two most promising players of the bunch. I won't go through each of the nine individually because there's so many. See screenshots in the spoiler below.


Juuso Hämäläinen was our first senior signing of January. The twenty-nine year old Finnish central defender joined on a free transfer, having most recently played for RoPS. Born in Turku, Hämäläinen was a product of FC Inter Turku's youth setup and made his senior debut for the club in 2013. He made 84 Veikkausliiga for FC Inter before joining RoPS on a free transfer in 2016. He immediately became a key player for RoPS, making a total of 201 Veikkausliiga appearances for the side before allowing his contract to expire at the end of last season.

Hämäläinen joins Peimari United to become a squad player. He won't be good enough to start, but he is an excellent defender for Veikkausliiga football. Physically well-rounded, Hämäläinen is an expert in the air. He is considered a fairly intelligent defender and will provided a great deal of experience to a squad with many players who haven't played much, if any, Veikkausliiga football previously.


Matheus was the next player in the door. The teenage Portuguese holding midfielder joined from Baraúnas of Brazil for a fee of €3,000. Born in Brazil, Matheus was a product of Deportivo Brasil. He joined Baraúnas in 2022 and made 39 appearances for the club in all competitions before joining Peimari United.

A raw player with plenty of ability. Matheus is quite athletic, despite his lack of height, and is a highly determined person. He is an expert tackler with incredible technique. He fits the role of modern day holding midfielder with his expert passing range. If he can improve his decision making, he could become a top-notch holding midfielder.


Dame Boye also joined for €3,000. This was a bargain buy. The twenty-one year old Senegalese striker was a product of Senegal's Diambars FC and made his debut for the club in the 2019/2020 season. Boye played a total of 86 games for the club in all competitions, scoring an impressive 36 times. More impressively, Boye has made 5 appearances for the Senegal senior team, scoring 3 goals in the process.

Boye will likely compete for a place in the senior team. If he doesn't impress enough, he'll be loaned out. He is quite athletically well-rounded, and is a very competent goal scorer. He has plenty of areas to improve on but joins the club to immediately become one of the best strikers in the league.


Bilal Hussein became our record signing. The twenty-two year old Swedish midfielder joined for a mega €1,100,000 from AIK. Hussein was a product of AIK's youth setup and made his senior league debut on loan at Vasalunds IF in 2018, where he made 10 league appearances. Hussein made a total of 90 appearances for AIK in all competitions before joining Peimari United, and also made nine U21 appearances for Sweden.

Hussein is a very well-rounded midfielder. He is physically very competent for Veikkausliiga football, and is a very intelligent footballer. He is very comfortable on the ball and has a great passing range. While we already brought in Roman Eremenko and Angel Di María to the club as short-term options, Hussein was brought in to be a long-term solution for the club.


Kevin Larsson rejoined the club permanently. We had to spend a whopping €400,000 to bring him back from Sochi, having received just €165,000 for him in 2021. We had him in on loan last season and we were desperate to get him back for good. He's a club icon and the fans were delighted that we were able to secure his services for good.

Larsson will be looking to retain his spot in the starting lineup as a right-sided inside forward. We all know of his ability to score and create goals, with his insane numbers of 34 goals and 43 assists in 111 games for Peimari United a testament to just how good he is.


Elia Caprile was our first new goalkeeper. Because my lovely chairman sold our two goalkeepers (Dzadzamia and Whitesides) behind my back, which I will describe fully later, I had to dip my toes into the market. Caprile joined from Chievo for €300,000. The twenty-one year old Italian shot-stopper was a Chievo product but made his senior debut on loan at Santarcangelo. He made a total of 50 appearances on loan at Santarcangelo and Campodarsego. He made just 2 senior appearances for Chievo before leaving for Piemari United.

Caprile is an incredible shot-stopper. His reflexes and ability to save one-on-ones made him an ideal candidate for us, despite his relatively diminutive size as a keeper, and he will hopefully prove to be a reasonable replacement for the outgoing keepers.


Mario Giappone was our second goalkeeper signing. The Palermo youth product made his senior debut when on loan at Marsala, and made a total of 57 appearances in loan spells at Marsala and Imolese. Giappone made no appearances for Palermo before signing for Piemari United in a €4,500 deal.

Giappone is also an expert shot-stopper, with incredible agility. He will provide a good option in goals, even though neither him or Caprile are as good as the two outgoing keepers.


Our last signing was Emil Parpala, another goalkeeper! The seventeen year old Finnish shot-stopper is incredibly highly rated, and is expected to become the top goalkeeper for Finland in the future. A product of FC Lahti, he didn't make a single appearance for the club before completing a €500,000 move to Piemari United.

Parpala will train with the first team and play for the youth team for now. He is tall for his age and incredibly determined. His shot-stopping ability is already quite good, and he will become a superstar in the future (hopefully).


Players Out

Results

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Suomen Cup Qualifying Group

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Upcoming Fixtures

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Previous Update: #135 - Koskinen Extends Peimari Deal
Next Update: #137 - Peimari To Expand HakkisPaana

Peimari United chairman Antti Eklund has announced plans to expand the club's stadium HakkisPaana for the second time in two years. Plans of the expansion have been released to the public, with the stadium's capacity set to increase from 1,096 to 1,644. The expansion works will begin immediately and are expected to be completed by January of next year. The stadium will be closed for cup and European fixtures, but will be used for the club's Veikkausliiga fixtures.

The total cost of the works is expected to be €759,529 but the club's fans have expressed their disappointment of the magnitude of the expansion. Just 548 seats are to be added to the stadium but the demand for tickets has seen supporters call for an expansion of at least three times that amount. Supporters' club Paimion Leijonat have called Peimari United chairman a 'money-greedy thief' following news of the minor expansion. This comes after Antti Eklund took control of several transfer negotiations to sell key players Guido Claeys, Moussa Faye, Tornike Dzadzamia and Tyler Whitesides without the permission of first-team manager Kalle Koskinen.

The club are scheduled to play their Suomen Cup fixtures at Pajbacka of Pargas, with European fixtures to be played at Kupittaan jalkapallostadion in Turku while the works occur. However, many Peimari United supporters have vowed to protest actions by the club's chairman, believing that he is responsible for neglecting the interests of the football club and only doing the bare minimum.