Jussi Niska

Jussi Niska

Personal information
Date of birth	(2002-08-15) 15 August 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth	Rovaniemi, Finland
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Inter Turku
Number	2
Youth career
	FC Lynx
	FC Santa Claus
0000–2019	RoPS
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2020	RoPS II	7	(0)
2020–2021	RoPS	36	(0)
2022–	Inter Turku	44	(1)
International career‡
2018	Finland U16	2	(0)
2018	Finland U17	4	(0)
2023–	Finland U21	7	(0)
Medal record RoPS Ykkönen 2021 Inter Turku Finnish League Cup 2022 Finnish Cup 2022
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023

Jussi Niska (born 15 August 2002) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku and the Finland U21 national team. ^[1]

Club career

Rovaniemen Palloseura

Born in Rovaniemi, Niska played for the youth teams of FC Lynx, FC Santa Claus, ^[2] and RoPS. He debuted in Veikkausliiga for the RoPS first team on 2 July 2020 at the age of 17, in a 3–1 away defeat against Inter Turku. ^[3]

After RoPS got relegated in 2020, Niska stayed with the club in Ykkönen in the 2021 season, ^[2] finishing 2nd in the division, but eventually falling short to AC Oulu in the promotion play-offs. ^{[4] [5]}

FC Inter Turku

Niska signed a three-year deal with Inter Turku in Veikkausliiga on 23 December 2021, ^[6] after RoPS faced some serious financial difficulties and were relegated to Kakkonen.

On 6 July 2022, Niska scored the winning goal as Inter Turku defeated Drita 1–0 in the 1st leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League 1st round qualifying match. ^{[7] [8]}

International career

A regular Finnish youth international, Niska has represented Finland in various age brackets. ^[9]

Career statistics

As of 26 April 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup [lower-alpha 1]		Other		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
RoPS II	2019	Kakkonen	6	0	—		—		—		6	0
	2020	Kakkonen	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	Total		7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
RoPS	2020	Veikkausliiga	20	0	5	0	—		—		25	0
	2021	Ykkönen	16	0	4	0	—		—		20	0
	Total		36	0	9	0	0	0	0	0	45	0
Inter Turku	2022	Veikkausliiga	21	1	2	1	6 [lower-alpha 2]	0	2 [lower-alpha 3]	1	31	3
	2023	Veikkausliiga	22	0	2	0	6 [lower-alpha 2]	0	—		30	0
	2024	Veikkausliiga	1	0	0	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	—		3	0
	Total		44	1	4	1	14	0	2	1	64	3
Career total			87	1	13	1	14	0	2	1	116	3

1. Includes Suomen Cup
2. Appearance(s) in Finnish League Cup
3. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Club

RoPS

• Ykkönen: 2021 Runners-up

Inter Turku

• Finnish Cup: 2022 Runners-up
• Finnish League Cup: 2024, 2022 Runners-up

References

1. "Tehoja saisi tulla enemmän" - Jussi Niska noussut isoon rooliin Interissä, Veikkausliiga, 14 May 2022
2. Saukko, Markku (24 March 2021). "RoPS on nuori ja yhtä rovaniemeläinen kuin 1980-luvulla - 18-vuotias johtohahmo Jussi Niska tähtää RoPSin kanssa takaisin Liigaan ja sitten Eurooppaan". Lapin Kansa (in Finnish). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
3. Inter RoPS, Veikkausliiga
4. REF soccerway
5. AC Oulu säilytti sarjapaikkansa – RoPS-hyökkääjä ei sulattanut joukkuekaverin ulosajoa: "Se oli tuomarivirhe", Yle, Hinni Hirvonen, 7 November 2021
6. JUSSI NISKA JA LUKA KUITTINEN PITKILLÄ SOPIMUKSILLA FC INTERIIN, Inter Turku
7. Inter Turku (FIN) 1 - 0 Drita (KOS), UEFA
8. Laine, Rauno (2022-07-06). "Jussi Niska ratkaisi Turun Interin voiton Europelien avauksessa". Lapin Kansa (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-01.
9. "Interin Jussi Niska innolla Pikkuhuuhkajiin. "Valinnasta saa luottamusta omaan tekemiseen"". Veikkausliiga (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-01.

External links

• Jussi Niska at Soccerway
• Jussi Niska at WorldFootball.net