TPS coach sent inappropriate messages to underage player for weeks

A football coach dismissed by Turun Palloseura, known as TPS, exchanged inappropriate messages with an underage player for at least several weeks, Yle reports. The messages were not directly sexual in nature but included references to sexual content, according to Timo Huttunen, a Finnish Football Association official.

TPS announced on Wednesday that it had dismissed a coach following a serious harassment incident in its junior football programme. The coach had worked with several teams at the club.

The case came to the club’s attention through the player’s parents, after the player told their family. TPS has filed a police report. The club’s director of junior football, Kim Ekroos, declined to discuss details because of the criminal investigation.

Ekroos said the evidence presented to the club showed the seriousness of the situation. Based on information currently available, the behaviour targeted one player, he said.

Yle did not name the coach or the team to protect the player. TPS is holding a discussion session for parents of the coach’s teams on Thursday and has made support available to players and staff.