Aki Riihilahti

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Aki Riihilahti
Aki Riihilahti.jpg
Personal information
Full name Aki Pasinpoika Riihilahti
Date of birth (1976-09-09) 9 September 1976 (age 36)
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1982–1994 HJK Helsinki
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1995–1999 HJK Helsinki 62 (11)
1996 → FC Honka (loan) 3 (0)
1999–2001 Vålerenga IF 47 (5)
2001–2006 Crystal Palace 157 (13)
2006–2007 1. FC Kaiserslautern 10 (1)
2007–2009 Djurgårdens IF 12 (0)
2009–2011 HJK Helsinki 40 (6)
Total 301 (33)
National team
1998–2007 Finland 69 (11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Aki Pasinpoika Riihilahti (born 9 September 1976 in Helsinki) is a retired Finnish footballer. He is known as a hard working, defensive midfielder.

Contents

Club career[edit]

Riihilahti started his career at HJK where he made his Veikkausliiga debut in 1995. He won the Finnish championship once and the Finnish Cup twice with HJK, and also gained UEFA Champions League experience in the 1998–99 season. Riihilahti then moved to Norway's Vålerenga I.F. for the 1999 season.

After two seasons in Norway, he joined England's Crystal Palace in 2001, eventually becoming a fans' favourite at the club. In Palace's 2004–05 Premier League season he showed he has what it takes to play in one of Europe's top leagues. Riihilahti was so loved by the Crystal Palace faithful that a Finnish flag with the legend 'AKI 15' across the centre was hung behind one of the Selhurst Park goals for the entire Premier League season. However, his next season, back in the Championship, following Palace's relegation, was not so successful because injuries limited his chances. Despite not playing for most of his last season with Palace, Riihilahti holds the club record for gaining the most caps for his country whilst at Palace.

After his contract with Palace expired in the summer of 2006, Riihilahti was picked up by 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a one-year deal. In June 2007, Riihilathi signed a two and a half year deal with Stockholm club Djurgårdens IF and on 31 July 2009 returned to Finland to sign with HJK. On 29 October 2011, Riihilahti celebrated his 100th league match for HJK by scoring once, in the last match of the season, in a 5–2 home win against Haka.

After retiring, Riihilahti was appointed as the new stadium manager for the Sonera Stadium as well as coach for HJK's reserves, Klubi-04.

International career[edit]

Riihilahti made his debut for the Finnish national team on 5 February 1998 against Cyprus. He has been a regular for Finland for the most of 2000s.

Personal[edit]

Riihilahti has also become something of a cult figure because of columns he writes for newspapers, such as The Times and the Finnish Iltalehti.

Honours[edit]

HJK Helsinki[edit]

Crystal Palace[edit]

External links[edit]

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