The Finnish FA has announced the decision to dismiss Markku Kanerva as manager of the men's national team.
At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Finnish FA President Ari Lahti said the board's decision to relieve Kanerva of his duties was unanimous.
His dismissal comes in the wake of a disappointing Nations League campaign, in which Finland lost all six games they played, scoring just twice along the way while conceding 13.
"There is no way we can be satisfied with the results achieved," Lahti told reporters at the press conference.
Kanerva made history in 2019 when he guided a Finnish men's team to a finals tournament for the very first time in the nation's history — as the Huuhkajat (Eagle Owls) qualified for the European Championship finals.
Although Finland performed admirably in the Covid-delayed tournament, they were knocked out in the group stages, and results since the 2021 tournament became progressively worse — leading to widespread calls among Finnish fans for Kanerva to be sacked.
Despite this, he signed a new contract in the summer which would have kept him in the role until the 2026 World Cup, but Lahti said the recent run of results left the FA with "no options left".
Lahti added that a decision on Kanerva's successor will be announced by January next year.
Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here.