Aulis Rytkönen

Aulis Rytkönen
Personal information
Date of birth (1929-01-05)5 January 1929
Place of birth Karttula, Finland
Date of death 16 April 2014(2014-04-16) (aged 85)
Place of death Helsinki, Finland
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
–1945 Kuopion työväen urheilijat
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1945–1952 KuPS 126 (66)
1952–1960 Toulouse 120 (33)
1960–1966 HJK Helsinki 85 (28)
International career
1948–1964 Finland 37 (7)
Managerial career
1960–1971 HJK Helsinki
1975–1978 Finland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Taavi Aulis Rytkönen (5 January 1929 – 16 April 2014) was a Finnish footballer.[1] He became the country's first professional player when he signed for France's Toulouse FC in 1952.

In total Rytkönen spent eight seasons (1952–1960) in France, winning the French Cup in 1957. A forward, he started his career in Finland with KuPS Kuopio in 1945,[2] and after returning from France he worked as player-coach of HJK Helsinki 1960–1966 and as coach 1967–1971.[3]

Rytkönen earned 37 caps for the Finnish national team, scoring seven goals.[4] He played for Finland at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.[5] He also worked as national coach from 1975 to 1978. He was chosen Finland's Player of the Year in 1949, 1950, and 1952.[6]

Aulis Rytkönen Street in Kuopio. Kuopion keskuskenttä in the background.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aulis Rytkönen.
  1. ^ "Finland mourns pioneering striker Rytkönen". UEFA.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  2. ^ KuPS - Kuopion Palloseura Oy Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Veikkausliiga | Aulis Rytkönen 80 vuotta Archived 12 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Finland - International Player Records
  5. ^ "Aulis Rytkönen". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  6. ^ Finland - Player of the Year Awards
  • Barreaud, Marc (1998). Dictionnaire des footballeurs étrangers du championnat professionnel français (1932–1997). L'Harmattan, Paris. ISBN 2-7384-6608-7.
  • Alaja, Erkki (2009). Monsieur magic, Aulis Rytkönen. Teos, Helsinki. ISBN 978-951-851-185-7.