At 38, Lassi Tuovi becomes youngest coach in EuroBasket semi-finals since 2003
Sept 10, 2025
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve
Lassi Tuovi and Finland in semi-finals: « I want my players to say in 20 years that I helped them »
EuroBasket - Finnish coach Lassi Tuovi discusses his coaching philosophy after Finland's historic qualification for the EuroBasket semi-finals, emphasizing the long-term impact he wishes to have on his players.
Photo Credit : Lilian Bordron
Finland achieved a remarkable feat by qualifying for the EuroBasket semi-finals for the first time in their history, defeating Georgia in a memorable match. Behind this historic performance, Lassi Tuovi shares his coaching vision and reveals what truly motivates his approach with players.
A philosophy based on trust in players
Minutes after leading Finland to this historic qualification, Tuovi reflected on what he has learned over the past ten years spent in different clubs and cultures: « Each country teaches you so many things. The key is understanding the culture. Why people behave in certain ways or why they are the way they are. It’s different being after a lost match at Besiktas or Bologna compared to Yokohama. »
The Finnish coach, drawing from his international experience, emphasizes the importance of human relationships: « I hope the secret of coaches – the best coaches – is that players feel you trust them and want to help them. »
His long-term vision transcends immediate results: « In the end, you can win medals, trophies, or have good seasons. But I’d like to see my players come back after 20 years saying that at least I helped them and worked to support their career. That’s why I think the group plays well. »
Impact recognized by his players
This approach resonates directly with his players. Mikael Jantunen, power forward of the Finnish team, confirms the effectiveness of this method: « That’s how he builds the culture (of the Finnish team). He knows he has a very tight-knit group and that players are very close. He does an excellent job knowing when to give us more freedom and how to give us, let’s say, less freedom. »
The former Paris player continues his praise: « The way he controls team culture and players is special. It all starts with the head coach and you have to give him a lot of credit for that. »
Finland will now compete in the semi-finals for a historic opportunity to reach the final. Lassi Tuovi remains cautious about ambitions: « I haven’t talked about it, but I’m extremely excited to play knockout games with this group. It’s been fun and it’s going to be fun on Friday. We’re taking it step by step. »
Sylvain Sultat suit la NBA au quotidien, entre performances individuelles, dynamiques collectives et grandes histoires de la ligue. Sur BeBasket, il décrypte l’actualité américaine avec passion et régularité, toujours à l’affût des tendances qui font bouger le monde du basket.
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