Veli-Matti Savinainen, who declined the Pride list, received an invitation to discuss from the chairperson of Seta.

The chairperson of the Turku region Seta, Kirsi Mikkonen, has invited TPS forward Veli-Matti Savinainen to discuss face-to-face the significance of the Pride flag.

TPS played against Ilves on Saturday in a With Pride from Turku themed match, which was part of the club’s long-term efforts to promote equality and equity. The Turku club played the match in Pride-themed jerseys.

Before the match, TPS announced that one player had stated he would not wear the Pride jersey due to personal beliefs. This was Savinainen, who played the match in a regular game jersey.

Savinainen commented on the incident himself after the game on Instagram. He stated that he respects all people and believes that everyone should be treated equally, but he does not see Pride ideology as something he wants to personally represent.

The Turku region Seta ry published a Facebook update regarding the incident. Chairperson Mikkonen initially expressed that TPS could have chosen not to play Savinainen, but later corrected this statement.

– According to Finnish legislation, TPS as a club and employer could not have acted differently in this situation. If they had prohibited Savinainen from playing, they would have discriminated against him. This raises the question of whether the legislation is wrong, Mikkonen writes.

– I respect Veli-Matti Savinainen’s career in Finnish ice hockey, and that is why I invite him to discuss with me face-to-face what the pride flag represents to him and what it is about that which he cannot stand behind, Mikkonen concludes.