Juha Reini

Juha Reini
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-03-19) 19 March 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth Kokkola, Finland
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
GBK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 KPV 27 (2)
1996–1998 VPS 54 (0)
1998–2002 Genk 66 (2)
2002–2006 AZ Alkmaar 32 (1)
2006 KPV 24 (5)
International career
1997–2004 Finland 23 (0)
Managerial career
2009 VPS
2013–2015 TPS (chief executive officer)
2015 TPS (sporting director)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juha Reini (born 19 March 1975) is Finnish marketing director, sports executive and former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Playing career

A versatile defender, Reini started his professional career in Finland with Veikkausliiga club VPS in 1996. In 1998, he moved to Genk in Belgium. There, he won two Belgian championships – in 1999 and 2002 – and also captained the side.[1] In 2002, Reini moved to Dutch Eredivisie club AZ. He suffered multiple injuries during his stint with the club, which limited his appearances for both club and for the Finland national football team.[2] After having played eight seasons of professional football abroad, Reini returned to his first club KPV in 2006, and retired after the Finnish Cup final against HJK Helsinki.[3] For the Finland national team, he gained 23 caps.

Managerial career

From 2006 to 2010, Reini worked as a scout for AZ, first in Scandinavia and later focusing only on Finland.[4] He was then appointed sporting director of his former club, VPS in autumn 2008,[5] but left the position after one season, where he temporarily managed the first team alongside Petri Vuorinen. In the autumn of 2009, Reini announced his resignation from the VPS on personal grounds.[6][7]

Later career

From 2010 to 2013, Reini worked as the agent of several Finland national team players together with Tapio Raatikainen. Their clients included Teemu Pukki, Joona Toivio, Kasper Hämäläinen and Jere Uronen.[8][9] In the summer of 2013, he took up the position of chairman of TPS, holding office until January 2015.[10] He then moved to the position of TPS's director of sports, from which he resigned in the summer of 2015, citing his desire to continue his career in coaching positions.[11][12][13]

Apart from management, Reini has been an expert with Yle Sport since 2002. In addition, Reini has been a member of the Football Association of Finland's Top Football Committee in 2006–2012.

He has also worked as an operative director in brand partnership area.[14][15] Since 2021, Reini has worked as a marketing director for a Finnish craft brewery RPS Brewing.[16]

Career statistics

As of 11 May 2024.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
KPV 1993 Ykkönen
1994 Ykkönen
1995 Ykkönen
Total 27 2 0 0 0 0 27 2
VPS 1996 Veikkausliiga 23 0 – – 23 0
1997 Veikkausliiga 24 0 – – 24 0
1998 Veikkausliiga 7 0 – – 7 0
Total 54 0 0 0 0 0 54 0
Genk 1998–99 Belgian First Division 26 0 4 0 5[b] 1 35 1
1999–00 Belgian First Division 16 1 4 0 – 20 1
2000–01 Belgian First Division 12 0 3 0 2[c] 0 17 0
2001–02 Belgian First Division 10 0 1 0 – 11 0
Total 64 1 12 0 7 1 83 2
AZ Alkmaar 2002–03 Eredivisie 13 0 – – 13 0
2003–04 Eredivisie 18 1 – – 18 1
2004–05 Eredivisie 0 0 – – 0 0
2005–06 Eredivisie 1 0 – – 1 0
Total 32 1 0 0 0 0 32 1
KPV 2006 Ykkönen 24 5 – – 24 5
Career total 223 9 12 0 7 1 242 10
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup, Belgian Cup, Belgian League Cup and KNVB Beker
  2. ^ Includes UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Cup

References

  1. ^ De Gruyter, Erik (10 April 2000). "Juha Reini én Genk krijgen rode kaart: "Domme reactie typeert seizoen van Racing"". Het Belang van Limburg (in Flemish).
  2. ^ "AZ vraagt ontslag aan voor 'breekbare' Reini". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 31 March 2006.
  3. ^ Savela, Juha (30 October 2018). "Turussa viime vuodet asunut KPV-kasvatti Juha Reini odottaa liigakarsintaa ristiriitaisin tuntein: henkilökohtaisesti painajaismainen tilanne, Reini kuvailee". KPK (in Finnish).
  4. ^ "Fins talent toegevoegd aan AZ-selectie". Trouw (in Dutch). 4 September 2008.
  5. ^ "Juha Reini blir sportchef i VPS". svenska.yle.fi (in Swedish). 5 September 2008.
  6. ^ "Vaasan palloseurassa uusi valmentajakaksikko". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 15 May 2009.
  7. ^ "Juha Reini vahvisti lähtönsä VPS:sta". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 23 September 2009.
  8. ^ Savela, Juha (16 November 2019). ""Järkyttävän hyvä fiilis" – Joukkue, hyvät pelaajat ja realistinen pelitapa ovat menestyksen takana, arvioivat Michael Käld, Juha Reini ja Tapio Raatikainen". KPK (in Finnish).
  9. ^ "Teemu Pukista satelee yhteydenottoja agentille". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 26 August 2011.
  10. ^ "Juha Reini jättää TPS jalkapallon urheilutoimenjohtajan tehtävät". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 30 April 2015.
  11. ^ "TPS:n urheilutoimenjohtaja jättää tehtävänsä". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 30 April 2015.
  12. ^ Juha Reini TPS:n johtoon, Turun Sanomat, 26 June 2013
  13. ^ Juha Reini jätti TPS:n – "Valmentamisessa on tulevaisuuteni", Helsingin Sanomat, 30 April 2015
  14. ^ Juha Reini Mätchin operatiiviseen johtoon, matchinc.fi
  15. ^ ”Eihän minulla ole papereitakaan” – neljä korkeakoulua kesken jättänyt ex-huippupelaaja tekee elantonsa kaupallisella alalla, Iltalehti, 16 July 2021
  16. ^ JUHA REINI ON 46-VUOTIAS ENTINEN MAAJOUKKUEFUTAAJA., Olutposti, 15 December 2021