Football Season Guide

FC Inter Turku

In


Eetu Huuhtanen (gk) Ilves; Mikael Almen (def) Ilves; Dimitri Legbo (def) Ararat Yerevan; Elias Mastokangas (mid) Haka – end of loan; Anton Aaltonen (mid) Klubi 04; Roope Kantola (mid) Pargas – end of loan; Iiro Järvinen (att) KuPS; Olli Jakonen (att) TPS; Daniel Rökman (att) Klubi 04; Arlind Sejdiu (att) Lahti; Timo Stavitski (att) free agent; Darren Smith (att) free agent; Otto Lehtisalo (att) SalPA – end of loan;

Out


Ruxi (k) (def) Tulsa; Rober Sierra (r) (mid) Spartak Varna; David Haro (r) (att) released; Miguel Nazarit (sp) (def) released; Ryan Mahuta (sp) (def) Haka; Markus Arsalo (sp) (def) SJK Seinajoki; David Accam (sp) (mid) released; Aleksi Paananen (sp) (mid) HJK Helsinki; Joonas Lepistö (sp) (att) released; Joel Rodríguez (sp) (att) Alzira; Jan Heinonen (mid) Mikkelin; Mohammed Bakkar (mid) released; Tobias Fagerström (att) Ekenas;

Inter Turku had a difficult 2022. Sacked one manager at the end of a frustrating regular season that saw them just about sneak into the top 6. Sacked another just 5 games later after series of play-off defeats led to only 5th place in the final standings, 10 points behind the nearest team above. In the off-season appointed Jarrko Wiss as their new head coach. He was on a leave for the past 2 years, before that coached Ilves. The new manager has a tough task ahead of him as he lost his key centre-back Ruxi and main creative midfielders Haro and Sierra. Almen was signed as a direct replacement for Ruxi and he should be starting a lot in defence. From the other winter signings so far wingers Sejdiu, Stavitski and striker Smith are expected to be the most involved players. None of those new signings a game-changer and if anything Inter’s squad looks to be gearing up for a year in which some of the younger players will be given a chance to develop. After all Wiss has spent most of his coaching career developing U19 players and his appointment hinted that this might be the case. Still, in midfield Inter have Jyry and Forsell, two of the best players in that zone in the entire league, so they can rely on them to at least control the tempo in many of the games. Striker Tamminen was a disappointment last season. He hopes for a better 2023, but he will also be challenged for the starting role up front by the South African Smith. The back line lacks a leader now Ruxi is gone. Hämäläinen is the only defender older than 23, so experience is a deficit among the defenders.

Target


Gearing up for a transition year. Still target a top 6 finish. Might achieve it with a bit of luck. Not serious contenders for the top 3 positions.