by Mantas Aliukonis
Akseli Kalermo, the Finnish defender who made 66 appearances in Lithuania’s A Lyga with Riteriai, has had a footballing journey that spans clubs from Lapland to Iceland. In this exclusive feature, he reflects on his career, the evolving state of Finnish football, and why he believes his home country is still caught in the glow of Euro 2020.
Kalermo’s early years in football took an unusual turn when he played for FC Santa Claus, a reserve team of RoPS, based in Rovaniemi, Lapland. “After signing with RoPS, I played a few matches for Santa Claus—it was part of my recovery from back injuries I had sustained in Italy,” Kalermo says. During the 2015–2016 seasons, RoPS finished second in the Finnish top flight. Fittingly, the club’s most famous resident, Santa himself, followed the team’s progress closely. “Santa followed our results the whole season. After we finished second, he gave us our medals himself.“
Reflecting on Finnish football’s troubled past, Kalermo mentions Atlantis FC, a club known for its involvement in betting scandals in the early 2000s. “Those scandals happened long before I got into football seriously,” he explains. “In recent years, I haven’t seen many Lithuanian players in Finland. Most of the clubs that disappeared were smaller ones, often due to financial issues or match-fixing. That doesn’t happen anymore—our league is transparent now.“
Turning to last summer’s European qualifiers, Kalermo recalls the shock of HJK’s loss to Panevėžys: “I expected Žalgiris to beat VPS, but HJK losing really surprised everyone—especially since Panevėžys had been struggling. The Finnish media described it as catastrophic.” He believes the Finnish football community underestimated Lithuanian clubs, adding,
I think it was a wake-up call for people who are still living in the Euro 2020 bubble.
Kalermo is candid about the current state of football in Finland. “Only the top six clubs can pay competitive wages. The rest have mostly local youngsters and a few foreigners. HJK is the only team that has really achieved anything significant in Europe. They’ve reached the Europa League twice, the Conference League three times, and the Champions League once—but not every year.“
After leaving Riteriai, Kalermo had interest from other clubs but wasn’t satisfied with the offers. “I turned down better clubs because I didn’t like the direction they were going. Eventually, I signed in Iceland simply because other options fell through.”
His experience in Iceland left mixed impressions. “It’s still Scandinavian football, but it’s more about physical battles and running. Tactically, I thought the level was quite poor. The playing conditions were professional, but nature made things unpredictable.”
Kalermo sees major gaps between Finland and its Nordic neighbors. “Sweden and Denmark are far ahead. They have strong football traditions and receive much more funding. In Finland, clubs lack financial support and we don’t offer good conditions for young players to grow.”
He experienced this contrast firsthand when he moved to Sweden at 16. “I was already being treated like a professional. I had to put in a lot more discipline and effort to grow in the Swedish system. That’s why Sweden can sell players to top European clubs every year—and we can’t.“
Discussing Finland’s Euro 2020 experience, Kalermo says: “It made football the number one sport in the country. We’ve always been strong in ice hockey, but Euro 2020 was a big achievement for the national team.”
Most Finnish clubs play on artificial turf, although some still maintain natural grass. “All clubs have good, spacious stadiums.”
Kalermo’s decision to retire at 26 was unexpected. “It wasn’t something I thought about for long. The season in Iceland ended in September, and I had a lot of free time. A friend invited me to try working in sales just for the experience—and it went really well. I now work independently for several companies.” He adds that three concussions played a role:
Quitting football allowed me to enjoy life more fully.
He still follows Lithuanian football and speaks highly of his former teammates. “I hope Gytis Palauskas gets a shot with the national team. I’m also happy to see Valdas Palauskas improving rapidly—he always had talent and now he’s mentally ready for a bigger stage. Both worked incredibly hard at Riteriai.”
Kalermo notes clear cultural contrasts between Finland and Lithuania. “In Lithuania, people were stricter and more focused on results. After a bad game, players would yell at each other, but they also celebrated wins more. Club leadership was always present, which sometimes added pressure for younger players. In Finland, things are more subtle—wins aren’t over-celebrated, and no one slams doors after losses. The focus is more on team analysis than individual mistakes.”
He reflects on his time at Riteriai: “We had more than six coaches while I was there. That shows how fast the pace is in Lithuania when it comes to chasing success.“
Despite early difficulties, he says, “Vilnius is a wonderful city. At first it was hard, but I eventually realized how great it is to live there. People aren’t very open until they know you, especially older people. Sometimes there was a language barrier at the club, but I made good friends and will definitely visit Lithuania again. I love the country and respect its history. And as for the women—who doesn’t like them?” (smiles)
Reflecting on Finland’s recent qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas, which ended with Lithuania coming back from 2-0 down to a 2-2 draw, Kalermo admits, “I expected us to win, but our match against Malta didn’t inspire much confidence. I haven’t followed Lithuania closely, but I know their coach used to work with me.”
He highlights Finland’s key players: “Oliver Antman in the Eredivisie and Joel Pohjanpalo at Palermo in Serie A.”
As for the Finnish media’s reaction: “They said it was better than the Malta game, but still not good enough. Losing a lead against a small country like Lithuania was seen as unacceptable.”
Regarding the controversial first goal, he says, “Even if it was a foul, players need to stay focused and not get distracted by refereeing decisions.“
Looking ahead to World Cup qualification, Kalermo is cautiously optimistic: “We have a new coach and a lot of changes—many Euro 2020 players have been replaced by youngsters. I’d be surprised if we’re not at least competing for second place.”
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