Aki Riihilahti

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Aki Riihilahti
Aki Riihilahti.jpg
Personal information
Full name Aki Pasinpoika Riihilahti
Date of birth (1976-09-09) 9 September 1976 (age 47)
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 HJK (chief executive officer)
Youth career
1982–1994 HJK
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1995–1999 HJK 62 (11)
1996 → Honka (loan) 3 (0)
1999–2000 Vålerenga 51 (5)
2001–2006 Crystal Palace 157 (13)
2006–2007 1. FC Kaiserslautern 10 (1)
2007–2009 Djurgården 12 (0)
2009–2011 HJK 40 (6)
Total301(33)
International career
1998–2007 Finland 69 (11)
Managerial career
2014– HJK (chief executive officer)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Aki Pasinpoika Riihilahti (born 9 September 1976) is a retired Finnish footballer. He is known as a hard working, defensive midfielder. He is now working as the CEO of HJK Helsinki. He was voted by leading European clubs to be the vice-chairman of European Club Association (ECA) and has also important positions both at UEFA (club competition committee) and FIFA (stakeholders committee).

Contents

Club career

Riihilahti started his career at HJK where he made his Veikkausliiga debut in 1995. He has won the Finnish championship four times (1997, 2009, 2010 and 2011), the Finnish Cup three times with HJK, and the Finnish League Cup three times, and played a vital part when the first and so far only time a Finnish Club team qualified for the UEFA Champions League in the 1998–99 season. After his first spell in HJK, Riihilahti moved to Norway's Vålerenga I.F. for the 1999 season.

After two seasons in Norway, he joined England's Crystal Palace in 2001, eventually becoming a fans' favourite at the club. In Palace's 2004–05 Premier League season he showed he has what it takes to play in one of Europe's top leagues. Riihilahti was so loved by the Crystal Palace faithful that a Finnish flag with the legend 'AKI 15' across the centre was hung behind one of the Selhurst Park goals for the entire Premier League season. However, his next season, back in the Championship, following Palace's relegation, was not so successful because injuries limited his chances. Despite not playing for most of his last season with Palace, Riihilahti has a place in the club Hall of Fame as he held the club record for gaining the most caps for his country whilst at Palace.[ citation needed ]

After his contract with Palace expired in the summer of 2006, Riihilahti was picked up by 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a one-year deal. In June 2007, Riihilahti signed a two and a half-year deal with Stockholm club Djurgårdens IF and on 31 July 2009 returned to Finland to sign with HJK in which he has made a crucial contribution in the club's record 5 consecutive championships 2009–2013. On 29 October 2011, Riihilahti celebrated his 100th league match for HJK by scoring once, in the last match of the season, in a 5–2 home win against Haka, and retired after the club won a convincing double that season.

International career

Riihilahti made his debut for the Finnish national team on 5 February 1998 against Cyprus. He was a regular for Finland for most of the 2000s, and earned 69 caps scoring 11 goals. He is part of the Finnish Golden generation in football, but mainly due to his work as football director at International level he has become one of the most well-known Finnish football person.

Administrative career

Riihilahti has worked as the CEO of HJK Helsinki's stadium Bolt Arena since 2011 and as the CEO of HJK Helsinki since 2013. He graduated from the MBA program of University of Liverpool in 2011 and has done some studies in Harvard University and Yale University as well. [1] [2]

Riihilahti had a key role in establishment of the UEFA Europa Conference League which started during the 2021-2022 season. [3] [4]

Personal life

During his career Riihilahti has written columns for newspapers, such as The Times and the Finnish Iltalehti . He has also been involved in many good charity projects like ’'Icehearts and ’'Peace United .

Apart from his careers in sports and media he has been involved in many high profile political and business committees. Riihilahti divorced 2019 and is a father of two children. Riihilahti married his Tanssii Tähtien kanssa-dance partner, Katri Mäkinen in 2023.

He is the older brother of Finnish TV and sports reporter Riku Riihilahti, [5] and the uncle of professional footballer Daniel Riihilahti, playing in Brann II.

Career statistics

Club

As of 31 December 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [lower-alpha 1] OtherContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
HJK 1995 Veikkausliiga 6000002 [lower-alpha 2] 080
1996 Veikkausliiga3100003 [lower-alpha 3] 061
1997 Veikkausliiga26600002 [lower-alpha 4] 0286
1998 Veikkausliiga27400009 [lower-alpha 5] 1365
Total621100001617812
Honka (loan) 1996 Ykkönen 30———30
Vålerenga 1999 Tippeligaen 25500—1 [lower-alpha 2] 0265
2000 Tippeligaen260———260
Total515000010525
Crystal Palace 2000–01 First Division 91———91
2001–02 First Division455102 [lower-alpha 6] 1—486
2002–03 First Division251203 [lower-alpha 6] 0—301
2003–04 First Division310004 [lower-alpha 6] 0—350
2004–05 Premier League 3140000—314
2005–06 Championship 152302 [lower-alpha 6] 0—202
Total15713601110017414
1. FC Kaiserslautern 2006–07 2. Bundesliga 10110——111
1. FC Kaiserslautern II 2006–07 Regionalliga Süd 10———10
Djurgården 2007 Allsvenskan 100———100
2008 Allsvenskan2010——30
Total120100000130
HJK Helsinki 2009 Veikkausliiga1031000—113
2010 Veikkausliiga11020004 [lower-alpha 5] 0170
2011 Veikkausliiga193201 [lower-alpha 7] 06 [lower-alpha 8] 0283
Total4065010100566
Klubi 04 2013 Kakkonen 10———10
Career total3373613012127138938

Honours

HJK Helsinki

Crystal Palace

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References

  1. ↑ "LinkedinIn - Aki Riihilahti". 20 October 2023.
  2. ↑ HS, Tero Hakola (22 March 2014). "Riihilahti vie HJK:ta Harvardin opeilla eurokentille". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. ↑ ""Ägä-Cup" – HJK:n eurosarjalle oudon tylyä pilkkaa". www.sportti.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Aki Riihilahti on ihminen, joka voisi tappaa itsensä työllä: "Olen hyvä duunissani ja hyvä isä, mutta kaikki muu siltä väliltä on sekavaa"". www.eeva.fi. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Tiesitkö että nämä suomalaisjulkkikset ovat sukua toisilleen? Lue yllättävät yhteydet!, MTV Oy/ mtvuutiset.fi, 31 March 2011
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