Former national team players Katriina Saarinen (FIN) and Karl-Johan Iraeus (SWE) have decided to end their playing careers.
Katriina Saarinen is a former Finnish national team player. Saarinen has been playing in the Finnish top league team Classic for the past seasons and has won eight national championships. She also has several WFC medals, including one gold.
Saarinen says that the main reason for ending her career is her physical condition, mostly her knees. Though Saarinen will stop playing in Classic, she continues as the team’s new head coach:
– Transferring to coaching is of course a big challenge. I have more than enough experience as a player when it comes to floorball, but my coaching experience is from a different sport, tennis.
Saarinen was also successful in tennis as a player and as a coach. She has worked as a professional tennis coach since 1997, has a degree from coaching and coached women’s national team 2009-2013.
– Coaching was a natural way to continue after my player career. Now the history is repeating itself.
Karl-Johan Iraeus has been a part of team Sweden’s roster the last five WFCs. He has played 89 matches in the national team, many of them as captain. He won three gold and two silver medals in the WFC and has also won national championship with AIK. Iraeus has also been part of the IFF´s Athlete´s Commission since 2010.
Iraeus was thinking about ending his career already last year, but decided to play for another season.
– After last year’s stormy spring and summer, I couldn’t leave the club. I felt that I still had a season left in my body and I have performed well this season too. Now I am satisfied and happy. The decision is made and it’s definite.
Iraeus mentions that one of the best feelings was to work together as a team. To develop and work towards a common goal:
– And the fight. I love the fight out there and still do. It’s not that I’m not motivated enough, but it is time to put my playing aside and look forward and do something else. Everything has its time.
Source:
http://paakallo.fi/2016/03/moninkertainen-suomen-mestari-vaihtaa-valmentajaa-lajilegenda-ottaa-vetovastuun/
http://www.expressen.se/sport/iraeus-slutar-jag-har-njutit-av-varje-sekund/
Photo: IFF Flickr
