Toni Koskela
{{short description|Finnish footballer and coach (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Toni Koskela
| image = Toni Koskela.jpg
| caption = Koskela with RoPS in 2018.
| fullname = Toni Koskela
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1983|2|16}}
| birth_place = Helsinki, Finland
| currentclub = Kalmar (manager)
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Puotinkylän Valtti
| youthyears2 = HJK
| youthclubs3 = Jokerit
| years1 = 2001–2003
| years2 = 2003
| years3 = 2004
| years4 = 2005–2006
| years5 = 2006
| years6 = 2006
| years7 = 2007–2008
| years8 = 2009
| clubs1 = Jokerit
| clubs2 = → Hämeenlinna (loan)
| clubs3 = KooTeePee
| clubs4 = Cardiff City
| clubs5 = Ilisiakos
| clubs6 = KooTeePee
| clubs7 = Molde
| clubs8 = JJK
| caps1 = 9
| caps2 = 9
| caps3 = 25
| caps4 = 2
| caps5 = 2
| caps6 = 11
| caps7 = 52
| caps8 = 17
| goals1 = 1
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 4
| goals4 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| goals6 = 2
| goals7 = 4
| goals8 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2004
| nationalteam1 = Finland U21
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2013–2017 | managerclubs1 = HJK (assistant)
| manageryears2 = 2015–2017 | managerclubs2 = Klubi 04
| manageryears3 = 2018–2019 | managerclubs3 = RoPS
| manageryears4 = 2019–2023 | managerclubs4 = HJK
| manageryears5 = 2023–2024 | managerclubs5 = AEL Limassol
| manageryears6 = 2025– | managerclubs6 = Kalmar
| pcupdate =
| ntupdate = 6 January 2009
}}
Toni Koskela (born 16 February 1983) is a Finnish football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Kalmar FF.
Koskela had to retire from his playing career in 2009, aged 26, due to numerous knee injuries.{{cite web|title=Polvivamma pakotti Toni Koskelan katsomon puolelle|url=http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=8&ID=38750|publisher=veikkausliiga|accessdate=17 April 2014|language=Finnish|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224111909/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=8&ID=38750|archivedate=24 December 2013}}
After a short professional playing career, he has managed teams in Finland, Cyprus and Sweden. With HJK Helsinki, he won three Finnish championship titles.{{cite web|publisher=UEFA|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefayouthleague/clubs/2607593--hjk/ |title=HJK UEFA Youth League 2015-16 squad|access-date=22 October 2015}}
Playing career
After starting his career in Finland, Koskela was snapped up by 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.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/4606380.stm "Flop Koskela finished at Cardiff"] BBC Sport Retrieved 14 November 2007 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,[https://www.kaleva.fi/fc-hameenlinna-vuokrasi-toni-koskelan/2043392 FC Hämeenlinna vuokrasi Toni Koskelan], Kaleva, 9 July 2003 FC KooTeePee and JJK Jyväskylä[https://web.archive.org/web/20131224124055/http://www.iltasanomat.fi/jalkapallo/art-1288339721378.html Toni Koskela vahvistaa JJK:ta kesäkuun loppuun], Ilta-Sanomat, 14 April 2009 in the Finnish Veikkausliiga, and Norwegian club Molde FK.
International career
A former Finnish youth international, Koskela also represented Finland under-21 youth national team in 2004.[https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/toni-koskela/u-21-h-em-qualifikation-2004-2005/finnland-u-21-h-team/3/ Toni Koskela » U21 EURO Qualifiers 2004/2005], worldfootball In April 2005, Koskela and Njazi Kuqi were both temporarily suspended from the international duties by the Finnish FA, due to leaving the U21 team's hotel in Prague without permission from the head coach Markku Kanerva.[https://www.kaleva.fi/kuqi-ja-koskela-valiaikaiseen-pelikieltoon/2135164 Kuqi ja Koskela väliaikaiseen pelikieltoon], Kaleva, 7 April 2005
Managerial career
Koskela started coaching in youth teams of PK-35 and HJK.[http://www.veikkausliiga.hs.prewise.com/News.aspx?type=8&ID=38750 Polvivamma pakotti Toni Koskelan katsomon puolelle], veikkausliiga.com, 11 March 2013 In 2013, he started as an assistant coach of HJK first team, and since 2015 managed the club's reserve team Klubi 04 in third-tier Kakkonen.[https://www.hjk.fi/artikkelit/miehet/toni-koskela-aloittaa-klubi-04n-paavalmentajana/ Toni Koskela aloittaa Klubi 04:n päävalmentajana], hjk.fi, 15 September 2014 Koskela led Klubi 04 to win the Kakkonen Southern Group, but the team eventually lost in the promotion play-offs to GrIFK.[https://www.hjk.fi/artikkelit/miehet/klubi-04-grifk-0-3-0-2/ Klubi 04-GrIFK 0-3 (0-2) yht. 1-8], hjk.fi, 17 October 2015 At the end of the 2017 season, Koskela led Klubi 04 to win a promotion to second-tier Ykkönen.[https://www.ess.fi/urheilu/134778 Klubi 04:n nousun arkkitehti Toni Koskela siirtyy RoPSin päävalmentajaksi], Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, 10 November 2017
=RoPS=
Koskela was named the head coach of Rovaniemen Palloseura (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.[https://www.suomifutis.com/2018/04/hs-toni-koskela-sopi-ropsn-profiiliin-taydellisesti-rajamaet-ja-muut-vapaat-nimet-on-jo-nahty/ HS: Toni Koskela sopi RoPS:n profiiliin täydellisesti - ”Rajamäet ja muut vapaat nimet on jo nähty”], suomifutis.com At the end of the season, he was awarded the Coach of the Year.
=HJK Helsinki=
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 two-and-a-half-year deal.{{cite web|title=HJK on nimittänyt uudeksi päävalmentajakseen Toni Koskelan|url=https://www.hjk.fi/artikkelit/miehet/hjk-on-nimittanyt-uudeksi-paavalmentajakseen-toni-koskelan|publisher=HJK Helsinki|accessdate=22 May 2019|language=Finnish}} HJK reportedly paid RoPS a fee of €150,000 for Koskela's contract.[https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/hjk-maksoi-hurjan-summan-rops-n-luotsista/7491306#gs.6qj5hm HJK maksoin hurjan summan RoPSin luotsista], MTV Oy, 25 July 2019 During his first three full seasons as the head coach of HJK, Koskela led the club to three straight Veikkausliiga titles in 2020, 2021 and 2022. In addition, he managed the club to two visits in the group stages of European competitions, qualifying for the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League and for the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League. He was named the Manager of the Year in the 2022 Veikkausliiga season, for the second time in his career.
HJK parted ways with Koskela on 13 July 2023, after a 1–0 win over Larne FC in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, following a relatively poor run of overall form in domestic results.
=AEL Limassol=
On 15 October 2023, Koskela was named the manager of AEL Limassol in Cypriot First Division.{{Cite web|url=https://ael-fc.com/toni-koskela/|title=Νέος προπονητής ο Toni Koskela | Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού}}[https://yle.fi/a/74-20055336 Kyproslaisseura tiedotti palkanneensa Toni Koskelan - valmentaja kommentoi uutista Yle Urheilulle: ”Sopimus on viimeistelyä vaille valmis”], Yle, 15 October 2023 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.[https://ael-fc.com/lisi-sin-koskela/ Ανακοίνωση], ael-fc.com, 22 January 2024 Later Koskela revealed in Finnish media, that prior to his departure, the club had extensive financial problems to pay salaries for the players and the staff.[https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/toni-koskela-sai-potkut-teki-mtv-urheilulle-karun-paljastuksen-seuran-kulisseista/8862638#gs.3ed1yv Toni Koskela sai potkut – teki MTV Urheilulle karun paljastuksen seuran kulisseista], mtvuutiset.fi, 22 January 2024
=Kalmar FF=
On 20 December 2024, Koskela was named the manager of Swedish side Kalmar on a three-year contract until the end of 2027.[https://kalmarff.se/valkommen-till-kalmar-ff-toni-koskela/ VÄLKOMMEN TILL KALMAR FF, TONI KOSKELA!], kalmarff.se, 20 December 2024
Personal life
His mother is a former basketball and handball player Kristiina Koskela, and his maternal grandfather was the former referee Fjalar Åsten, who refereed in football, bandy, handball and rinkball.[https://www.is.fi/jalkapallo/art-2000001107585.html Fjalar Åsten on poissa], Ilta-Sanomat, 26 January 2016
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|23 May 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/toni-koskela/|title=Toni Koskela|website=worldfootball.net}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup{{efn|Includes Suomen Cup, FA Cup and Norwegian Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Jokerit II
|2000 |7 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 7 | 0 | |||
| rowspan="4"|Jokerit
|2001 |24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|Includes UEFA Cup|name=uc}} | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2002
|Ykkönen |1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003
|Veikkausliiga |9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 9 | 1 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| Hämeenlinna (loan)
|2003 |Veikkausliiga |9 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 9 | 0 | |||
| KooTeePee
|2004 |Veikkausliiga |25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 25 | 4 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Cardiff City
|2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06
|Championship |0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | |
| Ilisiakos
|2 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 2 | 0 | |||
| KooTeePee
|2006 |Veikkausliiga |11 | 2 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 11 | 2 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Molde
|2007 |28 | 3 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 28 | 3 | |||
| 2008
|24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 25 | 1 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!52 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 53 | 4 | |
| JJK
|2009 |Veikkausliiga |17 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 17 | 0 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!159 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 162 | 13 |
{{notelist}}
=Managerial=
{{updated|11 April 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sofascore.com/manager/toni-koskela/789795|title=Toni Koskela Manager profile|date=8 November 2023|language=bs}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|Nat !rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="8"|Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | W% |
| align=left|Klubi 04 | {{flagicon|FIN}}
|align=left|1 January 2015 |align=left|31 December 2017 {{WDL|75|39|20|16|decimals=2}} | |||
| align=left|RoPS | {{flagicon|FIN}}
|align=left|1 January 2018 |align=left|22 May 2019 {{WDL|54|26|11|17|decimals=2}} | |||
| align=left|HJK Helsinki | {{flagicon|FIN}}
|align=left|23 May 2019 |align=left|13 July 2023 {{WDL|174|99|36|39|decimals=2}} | |||
| align=left|AEL Limassol | {{flagicon|CYP}}
|align=left|15 October 2023 |align=left|22 January 2024 {{WDL|13|4|1|8|decimals=2}} | |||
| align=left|Kalmar | {{flagicon|SWE}}
|align=left|20 December 2024 |align=left|present {{WDL|6|3|1|2|decimals=2}} | |||
| colspan=4|Total
{{WDLtot|322|171|69|82}} |
Managerial honours
HJK
- Veikkausliiga: 2020, 2021, 2022
- Finnish Cup: 2020
- Finnish Cup runner-up: 2021
- Finnish League Cup: 2015, 2023
RoPS
- Veikkausliiga runner-up: 2018
Individual
- Finnish Football Manager of the Year: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Veikkausliiga Manager of the Year: 2018,{{Cite web |last=Happonen |first=Jesse |date=2018-11-03 |title=Tässä Veikkausliiga-kauden 2018 kaikki palkitut – HJK-tähti putsasi palkintopöydän |url=https://www.arvokisat.com/tassa-veikkausliiga-kauden-2018-kaikki-palkitut-hjk-tahti-putsasi-palkintopoydan/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Arvokisat |language=fi}} 2022{{Cite web |last=Liimatta |first=Ville |date=1 December 2023 |title=Vuoden 2022 Captain's Ball: Kaikki voittajat ja palkitut kootusti |url=https://www.suomifutis.com/2022/12/captains-ball-2022-voittajat-palkitut/ |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=SuomiFutis |language=fi}}
References
{{reflist}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120919021932/http://guardian.touch-line.com/StatsCentre.asp?Lang=0&CTID=55&CPID=72&pStr=Player&PLID=78785&TEID=8235 Guardian Football]
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Kalmar FF squad}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Toni Koskela managerial positions
|list1=
{{Rovaniemen Palloseura managers}}
{{HJK managers}}
{{AEL Limassol managers}}
{{Kalmar FF managers}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koskela, Toni}}
Category:Footballers from Helsinki
Category:Finnish men's footballers
Category:Cardiff City F.C. players
Category:JJK Jyväskylä players
Category:Veikkausliiga players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Norwegian First Division players
Category:Finnish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Wales
Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Wales
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Greece
Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Greece
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway
Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Norway
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:21st-century Finnish sportsmen
Category:Finnish football managers
Category:Finnish expatriate football managers
Category:Rovaniemen Palloseura managers
Category:Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi managers
Category:AEL Limassol managers
Category:Expatriate football managers in Cyprus
Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
Category:Veikkausliiga managers
Category:Cypriot First Division managers
Category:Finnish football coaches
Category:Football League (Greece) players
Category:Ilisiakos F.C. players
Category:FC Hämeenlinna players
Category:Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi non-playing staff
Category:Expatriate football managers in Sweden