Lars Näsman
Encyclopedia
Lars Näsman is considered one of the best Finnish
football goalkeepers of all time, having being capped for 37 full international
matches.
He was voted the Player of the year in Finland
in 1965 and 1967. He was also ranked 10th in the annual List of top sportsmen in Finland in 1967.
in 1943. He started his playing career with VIFK from where he moved to Upon Pallo, Lahti
. He joined the Dutch team Cambuur in 1969, remaining there for three years.
In 1971 he joined HIFK
, who were runners up in the Finnish league in the same year.
Lars Näsman was not tall for a goalkeeper, only 178 cm. However, his fast reactions, good eye for the ball and speed made him the perfect choice for the Finland national team
.
, in which he was elected the Best goalkeeper in the world in 1967.
a second division team in southern Finland.
Lars Näsman had strong opinions about how football should be developed in Finland and in 1970 he told YLE Television, "We must get rid of secret payments to players. Players must be paid openly for their work. Finland can never rise to international level if we don't give up semi-professionalism where players go to work and train in their spare time".
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
football goalkeepers of all time, having being capped for 37 full international
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
matches.
He was voted the Player of the year in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in 1965 and 1967. He was also ranked 10th in the annual List of top sportsmen in Finland in 1967.
Career
Näsman was born in the coastal town of VaasaVaasa
Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
in 1943. He started his playing career with VIFK from where he moved to Upon Pallo, Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
. He joined the Dutch team Cambuur in 1969, remaining there for three years.
In 1971 he joined HIFK
HIFK
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors is a sports club from Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1897 HIFK is the oldest IFK club in Finland. The club has activities in many sports, including football, ice hockey, bandy, floorball, handball, athletics and bowling. HIFK Soccer ry is part of the...
, who were runners up in the Finnish league in the same year.
Lars Näsman was not tall for a goalkeeper, only 178 cm. However, his fast reactions, good eye for the ball and speed made him the perfect choice for the Finland national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
.
Bandy
Näsman was also the national goalkeeper for Finland in the sport of bandyBandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
, in which he was elected the Best goalkeeper in the world in 1967.
Coach
After his playing career, Näsman coached EIFEIF
EIF stands for:* Echogenic intracardiac focus, a term related to an ultrasound exam* Eclaireurs israélites de France, a French Scouting organization* Edinburgh International Festival, a festival of performing arts...
a second division team in southern Finland.
Lars Näsman had strong opinions about how football should be developed in Finland and in 1970 he told YLE Television, "We must get rid of secret payments to players. Players must be paid openly for their work. Finland can never rise to international level if we don't give up semi-professionalism where players go to work and train in their spare time".