Classic coach Mika Ahonen, 54, collapsed during F‑League final in Lempäälä and later died in hospital

Mika Ahonen, 54, collapsed during the fifth F‑League final between Classic and Nokian KrP on Tuesday and later died in hospital, Tamperelainen reports. According to Aamulehti, the fifth final was halted and Ahonen was taken to hospital by ambulance after the medical emergency in Lempäälä. Ahonen had been part of Classic’s coaching staff since 2023.

Classic announced Ahonen’s death on Thursday, and before the sixth men’s final at the Nokia Sports Arena, spectators and players observed a silent tribute. In Classic’s supporter section, fans held up a banner reading “Rest in peace Amu”, and the Classic players wore black armbands.

Ahonen was a prolific figure in the sport. He won ten Finnish championships and the 2016 world title during a long coaching career that included stints with Classic, FBC Turku, SSV, FC Helsingborg, EräViikingit and PSS.

According to Aamulehti, Classic managing director Pasi Peltola said the team played the Thursday game at the request of Ahonen’s family. Nokian KrP leads the series 3–2. The sixth F‑League final is scheduled for Thursday at 18:30, and the teams will hold a moment of silence before the game, with Classic wearing black armbands in his memory. Aamulehti adds that if Classic evens the series, the deciding seventh match will be played on Saturday at Hakametsä in Tampere.