Juhani Pikkarainen

Juhani Pikkarainen
Pikkarainen with Liefering in 2017
Personal information
Full name Juhani Elias Pikkarainen
Date of birth (1998-07-30) 30 July 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Paimio, Finland
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Ilves
Number 14
Youth career
0000–2015 TPS
2015–2016 Red Bull Salzburg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Liefering 1 (0)
2016–2017 → Anif (loan) 23 (1)
2018 → Blau-Weiß Linz (loan) 11 (0)
2018 Wacker Innsbruck II 1 (0)
2019 KPV 15 (0)
2020–2021 TPS 34 (1)
2022–2023 VPS 52 (2)
2024– Ilves 25 (0)
International career
2016 Finland U18 3 (0)
2016–2017 Finland U19 5 (0)
2017–2019 Finland U21 8 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024

Juhani Elias Pikkarainen (born 30 July 1998) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Veikkausliiga club Ilves.[2]

Club career

Pikkarainen with Blau-Weiß Linz in 2018

Pikkarainen started playing in Turun Palloseura (TPS), before he signed with RB Salzburg youth academy in 2015.

Pikkarainen spent three years in Austria, before he returned to Finland and signed with newly promoted Veikkausliiga club Kokkolan Palloveikot (KPV) on 11 December 2018 until 2019, with an option to extend the deal until 2020.[1] KPV were relegated back, and he then returned to his former club TPS for the 2020 season, signing a deal until the end of 2021.[3]

On 17 November 2021, he signed a contract with Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) for the 2022 season.[4] On 9 September 2022, his contract with VPS was extended for the 2023 season.[5] Pikkarainen helped VPS to finish 3rd in the league and qualify for the UEFA Conference League qualifiers. He was named in the league's Team of the Season in 2023.

On 6 November 2023, it was announced that Pikkarainen had signed with Veikkausliiga club Ilves on a two-year deal, starting in 2024.[6] He helped Ilves to finish as the runners-up in the league. Pikkarainen was named in the Veikkausliiga Team of the Season again in 2024.

International career

Pikkarainen is a former youth international for Finland.

On 2 October 2024, Pikkarainen received his first call-up to the Finland senior national team by the head coach Markku Kanerva, for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C matches against Ireland and England.[7]

Personal life

His father Tommi Pikkarainen is a Finnish football manager and a former player.[8][9]

Career statistics

As of 19 October 2024.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Liefering 2016–17 Austrian 2. Liga 0 0 0 0 – – 0 0
2017–18 Austrian 2. Liga 1 0 0 0 – – 1 0
Total 1 0 0 0 – – – – 1 0
Anif (loan) 2016–17 Austrian Regionalliga West 23 1 1 0 – – 24 1
Blau-Weiß Linz (loan) 2017–18 Austrian 2. Liga 11 0 0 0 – – 11 0
Wacker Innsbruck II 2018–19 Austrian 2. Liga 1 0 0 0 – – 1 0
KPV Akatemia 2019 Kolmonen 3 0 – – – 3 0
KPV 2019 Veikkausliiga 15 0 7 0 – – 22 0
TPS 2020 Veikkausliiga 10 1 7 0 – – 17 1
2021 Ykkönen 24 0 2 0 – – 26 0
Total 34 1 9 0 – – – – 43 1
VPS 2022 Veikkausliiga 25 2 4 1 2 0 – 31 3
2023 Veikkausliiga 27 0 2 1 3 1 – 32 2
Total 52 2 6 2 5 1 – – 63 5
Ilves 2024 Veikkausliiga 25 0 1 0 5 0 4[c] 0 35 0
Career total 165 4 24 2 10 1 4 0 203 7
  1. ^ Includes Austrian Cup and Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Conference League

Honours

VPS

Ilves

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b SOPIMUSUUTISIA: Topparilupaus Juhani Pikkarainen KPV:n , kpv.fi, 11 December 2018
  2. ^ Juhani Pikkarainen at Soccerway
  3. ^ JUHO LÄHDE PALAA TPS-PAITAAN – PIKKARAINEN JA SIIRTOLA OVAT NUOREMMAT PALUUMUUTTAJAT, fc.tps.fi, 27 November 2019
  4. ^ "Juhani Pikkarainen Vepsuun!" (in Finnish). VPS. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  5. ^ Prosper Ahiabu ja Juhani Pikkarainen jatkavat Vepsussa!, VPS, 9 September 2022
  6. ^ TERVETULOA ILVEKSEEN, JUHANI PIKKARAINEN!, ilvesedustus.fi
  7. ^ Huuhkajat nimetty lokakuun UEFA Nations League -otteluihin, Finnish FA, 2 October 2024
  8. ^ TPS 100 vuotta – Veikkausliigan erikoisuus – isä Tommi Pikkarainen valmentaa ja poika Juhani pelaa samassa joukkueessa, jalkipeli.net, 29 June 2020
  9. ^ Isä ja poika vastakkain torstaina alkavassa liigakarsinnassa – KPV:n Juhani Pikkarainen ja TPS:n Tommi Pikkarainen eivät asiasta keskustele, Keskipohjanmaa, 24 October 2019
  10. ^ Ilveksen päävalmentaja hopeasta: ”Voitettu mitali”, Yle, 19 October 2024
  11. ^ Toimittajat äänestivät: Tässä on Veikkausliigan tähdistöjoukkue, Iltalehti, 21 October 2023
  12. ^ Koplajoukkue 2024 nimetty - jalkapallotoimittajien valinnat vuoden parhaiksi palkitaan lauantaina, veikkausliiga.com, 19 October 2024
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