Finland bowed but far from broken

Not usually a taciturn man, Finland winger Perparim Hetemaj was lost for words after the UEFA European Under-21 Championship debutants bowed out of the competition with a third defeat. Tongue-tied by fatigue and disappointment, it was left to brother Mehmet to highlight the positives. "We have proved we can compete against the best," he said.

Fatigue
Few gave Finland much credence coming into this tournament. Markku Kanerva's team had needed a remarkable comeback against Austria in the play-offs to even take their place in Sweden, Jussi Vasara scoring two goals in the last nine minutes to force extra time as the hosts advanced 4-2 on penalties. Yet against England and Germany they held their own before experience told, bringing a premature end to a spirited effort. Spain simply proved a game too many. "Everybody knows Spain are a very skilful team, full of quality players," Mehmet Hetemaj conceded following Finland's 2-0 defeat. "We were tired; we had played two excellent games and, after losing them, we perhaps weren't in the best frame of mind to play Spain. We tried our best, but Spain were just too strong."

'Fantastic fans'
On Sunday the road that runs along the north side of the Gamla Ullevi was full of vendors selling ear plugs for an AC/DC concert. There was little use for them 24 hours later, but with an estimated 5,000 Finnish supporters in town to watch a match with little riding on it for their side, there was still a fair bit of noise for Spain to contend with. "We have to thank our fantastic fans for their support," Mehmet Hetemaj, 21, said. "It has been unbelievable. Football is not so big in Finland, but they were behind us whether we were losing or not." Brother Perparim, 12 months his senior, added: "The fans were great, so many of them. Everyone in the squad wants to thank them for coming and supporting us – it's just a shame we couldn't give them a win.

Confidence boost
"You want to win every game," the AEK Athens FC man continued. "We worked very hard for this tournament and this is what we achieved. What else can I say?" That disappointment may soften in time, and Mehmet Hetemaj is already keen to focus on the significant plus points. "It has been a big opportunity for us to show what we can do," the holding midfielder said of the Sweden experience. "It's very important that we have proved we can compete against the best. It's a big thing." That is a viewpoint echoed by Kanerva, the coach concluding: "After the game we were disappointed and that feeling remains but we have shown that we aren't lacking at this level. This will bring real confidence to Finnish football – we're on the right track."