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DeutschToni Koskela
 Koskela with RoPS in 2018. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Toni Koskela | ||
| Date of birth | 16 February 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Jokerit | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003 | FC Jokerit | 9 | (1) |
| 2003 | FC Hämeenlinna | 9 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | KooTeePee | 25 | (4) |
| 2005–2006 | Cardiff City | 2 | (0) |
| 2006 | Ilisiakos | 0 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | KooTeePee | 11 | (2) |
| 2007–2008 | Molde FK | 52 | (4) |
| 2009 | JJK | 17 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015 | HJK (assistant) | ||
| 2015 | Klubi-04 | ||
| 2015–2017 | HJK (U-19) | ||
| 2018–2019 | RoPS | ||
| 2019–2023 | HJK | ||
| 2023–2024 | AEL Limassol | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 January 2009 | |||
Toni Koskela (born 16 February 1983) is a Finnish football manager and former player. He most recently managed Cypriot First Division club AEL Limassol. After a short professional career, he has managed three Finnish teams, including HJK.[1] He had to retire from his footballing career in 2009, aged 26, due to numerous knee injuries.[2]
Club career[edit]
After starting his career in Finland, Koskela was snapped up by Football League Championship side Cardiff City but he failed to impress at the club making just three appearances in all competitions, including an FA Cup game against Arsenal.[3] In November 2005 he was close of signing a contract with Bristol City but Cardiff did not want to let him go, so the transfer failed. Eventually he was released by the club and quickly transferred to Greek club Ilisiakos.
He has also played for FC Jokerit, FC Hämeenlinna, FC KooTeePee in the Finnish Veikkausliiga, and Norwegian club Molde FK.
Coaching career[edit]
Rovaniemen Palloseura[edit]
Koskela was named the head coach of RoPS ahead of the 2018 Veikkausliiga season. In his first year as a head coach in the Finnish premier division, Koskela led RoPS to win a silver medal with one of the smallest budget in the league.[4]
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi[edit]
In May 2019, he was named the new manager of HJK Helsinki following the sacking of Mika Lehkosuo. He stated that it was good to "return back home" to HJK after signing a 2,5-year deal.[5] HJK paid RoPS a fee of €150,000 for Koskela's contract.[6]
During his first three full seasons as the head coach of HJK, Koskela led the club to three straight Veikkausliiga titles and two appearances in European group stages, qualifying for the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League, and the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League. He was named The Manager of the Year for the 2022 Veikkausliiga season.
HJK parted ways with Koskela on July 13, 2023, following a poor run of form.
AEL Limassol[edit]
On 15 October 2023, Koskela was named the manager of AEL Limassol in Cyprus.[7][8] After winning two of his three first games in charge, he received a massive amount of positive support from the fans on social media. On 22 January 2024, the club announced the termination of Koskela's contract on mutual agreement.[9] Koskela revealed in Finnish media, that prior to his departure, the club had big financial problems to pay salaries for players and the staff.[10]
Managerial statistics[edit]
- As of 22 January 2024[11]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W% | ||||
| HJK (U-19) |  | 1 January 2015 | 31 December 2017 | 75 | 39 | 20 | 16 | 166 | 79 | +87 | 52.0 |
| RoPS | | 1 January 2018 | 22 May 2019 | 54 | 26 | 11 | 17 | 70 | 54 | +16 | 48.1 |
| HJK Helsinki | | 23 May 2019 | 13 July 2023 | 174 | 99 | 36 | 39 | 318 | 193 | +125 | 56.9 |
| AEL Limassol |  | 15 October 2023 | 22 January 2024 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 23 | −8 | 30.8 |
| Total | 316 | 168 | 68 | 80 | 569 | 349 | +220 | 53.16 | |||
Managerial achievements[edit]
RoPS[edit]
- Veikkausliiga: Runners-up 2018
HJK[edit]
- Veikkausliiga: Champions 2020, 2021, 2022
- Finnish Cup: Champions 2020, Runners-up 2021
- Finnish League Cup: Champions 2015, 2023
Individual[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "HJK UEFA Youth League 2015-16 squad". UEFA. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Polvivamma pakotti Toni Koskelan katsomon puolelle" (in Finnish). veikkausliiga. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ "Flop Koskela finished at Cardiff" BBC Sport Retrieved 14 November 2007
- ^ HS: Toni Koskela sopi RoPS:n profiiliin täydellisesti - ”Rajamäet ja muut vapaat nimet on jo nähty”, suomifutis.com
- ^ "HJK on nimittänyt uudeksi päävalmentajakseen Toni Koskelan" (in Finnish). HJK Helsinki. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ HJK maksoin hurjan summan RoPSin luotsista, MTV Oy, 25 July 2019
- ^ AEL, Toni Koskela
- ^ Kyproslaisseura tiedotti palkanneensa Toni Koskelan - valmentaja kommentoi uutista Yle Urheilulle: ”Sopimus on viimeistelyä vaille valmis”, Yle, 15 October 2023
- ^ Ανακοίνωση, ael-fc.com, 22 January 2024
- ^ Toni Koskela sai potkut – teki MTV Urheilulle karun paljastuksen seuran kulisseista, mtvuutiset.fi, 22 January 2024
- ^ "Toni Koskela Manager profile" (in Bosnian). 8 November 2023.
- ^ Happonen, Jesse (3 November 2018). "Tässä Veikkausliiga-kauden 2018 kaikki palkitut – HJK-tähti putsasi palkintopöydän". Arvokisat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ Liimatta, Ville (1 December 2023). "Vuoden 2022 Captain's Ball: Kaikki voittajat ja palkitut kootusti". SuomiFutis (in Finnish). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
External links[edit]
- Toni Koskela at Soccerbase
