Imatra Ketterä was predictably left without a league license for the 2026-27 season. The decision was absolutely correct.

A sympathetic small club might have been a refreshing addition to the early rounds of the autumn season. However, quickly pushing Ketterä into the league would have turned awkward and humiliating.

The league’s announcement clearly justified the negative decision. In summary, Ketterä has no money, no realistic plan to obtain money, and no proper playing venue. There is, however, debt and payment default records.

The chair of the licensing committee Jaakko Luumi roughly thanked Ketterä for the nicely presented application and mentioned that there were so many issues that it wasn’t worth listing them.

– Ketterä’s organization did commendable work in preparing the application, but according to the committee’s decision, the club’s eligibility for a license for the 2026–27 season was tied to several different areas, Luumi said in the league’s announcement.

Ketterä remaining in Mestis was the only right decision. Perhaps Imatra will play in the league someday in the future, but a lot needs to change before it is even worth dreaming about.

LUE MYÖS:

Read more