Toni 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 | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | HJK Helsinki (Head coach) | ||
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– | HJK | ||
*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 coach and a former player. He is currently managing HJK where he followed Mika Lehkosuo. Before that he was head coach of RoPS and before that the Under-19 team of HJK.[1] He had to retire his football career in 2009, aged 26, due to numerous injuries on his knee.[2]
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.
In May 2019, he was named as the new head coach 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.[4]
References
- ^ "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
- ^ "HJK on nimittänyt uudeksi päävalmentajakseen Toni Koskelan" (in Finnish). HJK Helsinki. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
External links
- Toni Koskela at Soccerbase
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Helsinki
- Finnish footballers
- FC Jokerit players
- Molde FK players
- Cardiff City F.C. players
- JJK Jyväskylä players
- Veikkausliiga players
- English Football League players
- Eliteserien players
- Norwegian First Division players
- Finnish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Wales
- Expatriate footballers in Greece
- Expatriate footballers in Norway
- Association football midfielders
- Finnish football midfielder stubs