Miika Takkula

{{short description|Finnish sporting director and former footballer, born 1983}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Miika Takkula

| fullname =

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1983|04|17}}

| birth_place = Kiiminki, Finland

| height =

| currentclub = Ilves (sporting director)

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2001–2002

| clubs1 = Tervarit

| caps1 = 12

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2002

| clubs2 = → KajHa (loan)

| caps2 = 7

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2003–2004

| clubs3 = AC Oulu

| caps3 = 40

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2005

| clubs4 = Inter Turku

| caps4 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2005

| clubs5 = → VG-62 (loan)

| caps5 = 20

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2006–2007

| clubs6 = AC Oulu

| caps6 = 12

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2006

| clubs7 = → OLS (loan)

| caps7 = 3

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2007

| clubs8 = → OPS (loan)

| caps8 = 2

| goals8 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2019–2023

| managerclubs1 = HJK (sporting director)

| manageryears2 = 2023–

| managerclubs2 = Ilves (sporting director)

}}

Miika Takkula (born 17 April 1983) is a Finnish sporting director and former footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently serving as the sporting director of Veikkausliiga club Ilves.

Playing career

During his playing career, Takkula played in Finland for his hometown clubs Tervarit and AC Oulu in Ykkönen and in Kakkonen. He had also loan stints with Kajaanin Haka, VG-62, Oulun Luistinseura and Oulun Palloseura. He ended his playing career after the 2007 season due to injuries.

Career

After his retirement as a player, Takkula started to work in HJK Helsinki organisation in 2008. He started in an after-school day care arranged by the club. He worked with youth teams, as a youth coach and as an academy coach, and additionally in other positions in the club. In 2013, he was named the coaching director of the club's youth sector. In 2018–2019, he spent eight months in Australia working in a local academy of AC Milan.{{Cite web |title=Kiiminkiläislähtöinen Miika Takkula on nyt HJK:n urheilu- ja kehitysjohtaja – Entisen AC Oulun pelaajan matka tehtävään alkoi pienen huoneen nurkkauksesta reilut 13 vuotta sitten |url=https://www.kaleva.fi/kiiminkilaislahtoinen-miika-takkula-on-nyt-hjkn-ur/3474689 |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Kaleva |language=fi}}

In July 2019, Takkula returned to Finland and was named the sporting director of HJK first team in Veikkausliiga. During his four-year spell in HJK, the club won three Finnish Championship titles in a row and qualified to the group stages of European competitions in three consecutive seasons.

In the middle of the 2023 season, it was announced that Takkula departed HJK and was named the sporting director of fellow Veikkausliiga side Ilves.{{Cite web |title=Ilves vahvistaa organisaatioitaan – Miika Takkula urheilutoimenjohtajaksi |url=https://www.veikkausliiga.com/uutiset/2023/08/28/ilves-vahvistaa-organisaatioitaan-miika-takkula-urheilutoimenjohtajaksi |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=www.veikkausliiga.com |language=fi}}{{Cite web |last=Lietjärvi |first=Mikko |date=2023-08-28 |title=Ilves Edustus Oy ja Ilves Stadion Oy vahvistavat organisaatioitaan |url=https://ilvesedustus.fi/ilves-edustus-oy-ja-ilves-stadion-oy-vahvistavat-organisaatioitaan/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Ilvesedustus.fi {{!}} Edustusjoukkueiden yhteinen koti |language=fi}} Takkula had worked in different roles in HJK for a total of 15 years before his departure.{{Cite web |last=Mäntylä |first=Pekka |date=2023-08-28 |title=Miika Takkula jättää HJK:n urheilujohtajan tehtävät |url=https://www.hjk.fi/artikkelit/miehet/miika-takkula-jattaa-hjkn-urheilujohtajan-tehtavat/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=HJK Helsinki |language=fi}}{{Cite web |title=HJK ry: Urheilu ja kehitysjohtaja Miika Takkula ja henkilöstöpäällikkö Laura Salmi |url=https://www.mehilainen.fi/tyoterveys/asiakasreferenssit/helsingin-jalkapalloklubi |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=www.mehilainen.fi |language=fi}}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-28 |title=Seurapomo jättää HJK:n – siirtyy toisen Veikkausliiga-joukkueen palkkalistoille |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/seurapomo-jattaa-hjk-n-siirtyy-toisen-veikkausliiga-joukkueen-palkkalistoille/8766616 |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi}}{{Cite web |date=2023-01-17 |title=HJK:n seurapomo siirtyy Ilveksen riveihin |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20013000/64-3-173615 |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Yle Urheilu |language=fi}} At the end of the 2024 season, the Ilves first team built by Takkula, finished as the Veikkausliiga runners-up, falling two points short to KuPS.

Personal life

He is the brother of Finnish politician and former MEP Hannu Takkula, and cellist Heikki Takkula.{{Cite web |last=Raunio |first=Antti |date=2023-10-21 |title=Uusi Ilves-pomo lataa kovan tavoitteen mestaruudesta – Tällainen on Miika Takkulan menestysvisio |url=https://www.aamulehti.fi/jalkapallo/art-2000009910082.html |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Aamulehti |language=fi}}