Kari Virtanen

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Kari Virtanen

| fullname = Kari Virtanen

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|9|15}}

| birth_place = Piikkiö, Finland

| height = 1.82m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = FC Inter Turku

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 1976

| clubs1 = Piikkiön Palloseura

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1977–1979

| clubs2 = TPS

| caps2 = 62

| goals2 = 10

| years3 = 1980–1981

| clubs3 = IFK Eskilstuna

| caps3 = 45

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 1982

| clubs4 = TPS

| caps4 = 21

| goals4 = 6

| years5 = 1983–1985

| clubs5 = AIK

| caps5 = 45

| goals5 = 4

| years6 = 1986–1987

| clubs6 = RoPS

| caps6 = 41

| goals6 = 3

| years7 = 1988–1989

| clubs7 = KePS

| caps7 = 43

| goals7 = 2

| years8 = 1990

| clubs8 = Kuusankosken Kumu

| caps8 = 6

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 1991–1992

| clubs9 = Piikkiön Palloseura

| caps9 =

| goals9 =

| nationalyears1 = 1978–1979

| nationalteam1 = Finland U21

| nationalcaps1 = 7

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1979–1986

| nationalteam2 = Finland

| nationalcaps2 = 37

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| manageryears1 = 1993–1994

| managerclubs1 = Piikkiön Palloseura

| manageryears2 = 1996

| managerclubs2 = Kanuunat Rovaniemi

| manageryears3 = 1997–1999

| managerclubs3 = RoPS

| manageryears4 = 2000–2002

| managerclubs4 = VG-62

| manageryears5 = 2003–2006

| managerclubs5 = FC Inter Turku

| manageryears6 = 2007

| managerclubs6 = RoPS

| manageryears7 = 2011

| managerclubs7 = PIF

| manageryears8 = 2012–2013

| managerclubs8 = RoPS

| manageryears9 = 2016–2017

| managerclubs9 = IFK Mariehamn|

| club-update =

| ntupdate =

}}

Kari Virtanen (born 15 September 1958) is a Finnish football manager and former player.{{cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/35072/Kari_Virtanen.html|title=Kari Virtanen |website=national-football-teams.com|accessdate=7 August 2018}} He is currently coach of Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku.

Club career

As a player Virtanen spent his career in Finland and Sweden, representing Piikkiön Palloseura, TPS, IFK Eskilstuna, AIK, Rovaniemen Palloseura, Kemin Palloseura and Kuusankosken Kumu.

International career

Virtanen represented Team Finland in the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, Soviet Union. Finland finished 3rd in Group D with one win, one draw and one loss. Virtanen was in starting eleven in all three matches.

Managerial career

As a manager Virtanen has been working with teams in different tiers of Finnish football league system. His first manager position in Veikkausliiga was in 2003 with Inter Turku. He has been a manager of Rovaniemen Palloseura on two occasions. In 2012 he won Ykkönen with RoPS and promoted to Veikkausliiga. In the following season RoPS also won Finnish Cup for the second time in their history.

In 2016 he was named as a co-manager of IFK Mariehamn with Peter Lundberg. IFK Mariehamn won Veikkausliiga for the first time in history that season.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/espn-fc-united/68/post/2980670/ifk-mariehamn-dubbed-the-finnish-leicester-after-stunning-title-win|title=IFK Mariehamn dubbed the Finnish Leicester after stunning title win

|website=espn.com|date=25 October 2016|accessdate=7 August 2018}} Virtanen remained in the club as an advisor for one more season.

Honours and achievements

=Player=

AIK Fotboll

Svenska Cupen: 1985

Rovaniemen Palloseura

Finnish Cup: 1986

=Manager=

Rovaniemen Palloseura

Ykkönen: 2012
Finnish Cup: 2013

IFK Mariehamn

Veikkausliiga: 2016

Individual

Veikkausliiga Manager of the Month: April 2016,[http://www.veikkausliiga.com/uutiset/2016/05/03/walter-viitala-huhtikuun-kuukauden-pelaaja Walter Viitala huhtikuun kuuka] October 2016[http://www.veikkausliiga.com/uutiset/2016/11/03/jani-lyyski-kuukauden-pelaajaksi Jani Lyyski kuukauden pelaajaksi] {{in lang|fi}} (with Peter Lundberg)
Veikkausliiga Manager of the Year: 2016 (with Peter Lundberg){{cite web|url=http://www.veikkausliiga.com/veikkausliiga/palkinnot|title=Palkinnot|author=Veikkausliiga |website=veikkausliiga.com|language=Finnish|accessdate=7 August 2018}}
Finnish Football Manager of the Year: 2016[ (with Peter Lundberg) {{cite web|url=http://www.jalkapallovalmentajat.fi/taustaa/palkitut_valmentajat/|title=Palkitut valmentajat|author=Finnish Football Managers' Association|website=jalkapallovalmentajat.fi|language=Finnish|accessdate=7 August 2018|archive-date=20 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320050032/http://www.jalkapallovalmentajat.fi/taustaa/palkitut_valmentajat/|url-status=dead}}