Matias Siltanen

Last updated
Matias Siltanen
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-03-29) 29 March 2007 (age 17)
Place of birth Kuopio, Finland
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 KuPS
Number 28
Youth career
0000–2022 KuPS
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2022–2023 KuPS II 26 (2)
2023– KuPS 27 (1)
International career‡
2021–2022 Finland U15 5 (0)
2022–2023 Finland U16 10 (0)
2023–2024 Finland U17 14 (4)
2024– Finland U19 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 October 2024

Matias Siltanen (born 29 March 2007) is a Finnish professional football player who plays as a central midfielder for Veikkausliiga club KuPS.

Contents

Club career

Born in Kuopio, Siltanen started to play football in a youth team of the local club Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS). He made his senior debut in 2022 at the age of 15, with the club's reserve team KuPS II playing in the third tier league Kakkonen. After the 2022 season, Siltanen received the Boy Player of the Year award from the Eastern Finland Football Association. [1]

On 12 January 2023, Siltanen signed his first professional contract with the club, on a two-year deal with an option for an additional year. [2] He made his first team debut with KuPS on 11 February 2023, in a Finnish League Cup loss against Ilves. [3] In June, he spent time with Danish club AGF on trial. [4] [5] [6] After the 2023 season, Siltanen was named The Boy Player of the Year by the Football Association of Finland. [7] [8]

On 6 April 2024, Siltanen debuted in Veikkausliiga with KuPS first team, as a starter in the opening game of the 2024 season, in a 3–1 home win against HJK Helsinki. [9] He scored his first goal in the league on 7 July, in a 3–1 home win against IF Gnistan. [10] On 10 July, the club exercised his option for the 2025 season. [11] In September, Siltanen was noted by the CIES Football Observatory in the list of the most notable under-20 players in the world. [12] [13] [14] On 21 September, Siltanen and KuPS won the 2024 Finnish Cup title with a 2–1 win over Inter Turku in the final. In mid-October, Siltanen was named among the top 60 young talents in world football by The Guardian. [15] [16] He became the third Finnish player to be mentioned in the said list, after Kaan Kairinen in 2015 and Sergei Eremenko in 2016. On 19 October, Siltanen and KuPS were crowned the Veikkausliiga champions, completing the club's first-ever double. During his debut season with KuPS first team, a 17-years-old Siltanen played in a big role and contributed in 42 matches, scoring a goal and providing five assists in total.

International career

Siltanen was part of the Finland U16 squad that won the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in July 2023. [17]

On 4 October 2023, he was named the captain of the Finland U17 squad in the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification tournament. [18] [19] In the tournament Finland drew with Ukraine 2–2 [20] and with Germany 1–1, before winning Liechtenstein 3–0, placing 2nd in the group and advancing to the Elite round. [21] Siltanen played in first two games and scored a goal against Ukraine.

Siltanen was called-up to the Finland U19 team for two friendly matches against Romania in September 2024.

Personal life

His father Marko Siltanen is a former footballer who played also for KuPS. [22]

Career statistics

As of 19 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] League cup [b] EuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
KuPS Akatemia2022 Kakkonen 110———110
2023 Kakkonen152———152
Total262000000262
KuPS 2023 Veikkausliiga 0000100010
2024 Veikkausliiga27150604 [c] 0421
Total271507040431
Career total533507040693

Honours

KuPS

Finland U16

Individual

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References

  1. 1 2 Itäisellä alueella jaettiin jalkapallokauden 2022 palkinnot, Finnish FA, 6 February 2023
  2. ↑ Matias Siltanen monivuotiseen sopimukseen Kuopion Palloseuran kanssa, KuPS, 12 January 2023
  3. ↑ ILVES VS. KUPS 3 - 0, int.soccerway.com
  4. ↑ Nuori kuopiolaisjalkapalloilija on tyrkyllä yhteen Tanskan menestysseuroista – "Testijakso on ollut onnistunut", Savon Sanomat, Outi Poikonen, 12 June 2023
  5. ↑ Matias Siltanen testijaksolla Aarhus GF:ssä, KuPS, 12 June 2023
  6. ↑ KuPS-lupaus Matias Siltanen Tanskassa Aarhusin testissä, Veikkausliiga, 12 June 2023
  7. 1 2 Captain's Ball 2023 – Palkitut osa 1, Finnish FA, 1 December 2023
  8. ↑ Päävalmentaja Honkavaaralla selkeä näkemys KuPSin huippulupauksesta: ”Odotan, että hän ottaa paikkansa kokoonpanossa”, Savon Sanomat, 6 December 2023
  9. ↑ KuPS – HJK, veikkausliiga.com
  10. ↑ KuPS nousi takaisin sarjataulukon kärkeen – huippulupaus Matias Siltanen iski uransa avausmaalin, Keski-Uusimaa, 7 July 2024
  11. ↑ Optio käytetty – Matias Siltanen jatkaa KuPSissa, kups.fi, 10 July 2024
  12. ↑ Ilveksestä ponnistanut Juho Talvitie ja KuPSin Matias Siltanen ylsivät kovalle listalle, Aamulehti, 15 September 2024
  13. ↑ Ulkomaisista seuroista matkustetaan Suomeen katsomaan 17-vuotiasta, joka rakentaa Veikkausliigan kärkijoukkueen peliä, Yle, 31 August 2024
  14. ↑ KuPSin superlupausta Siltasta, 17, tarkkailevat nyt seurat niin Pohjoismaista kuin myös huippuliigoista, Helsingin Sanomat, 14 August 2024
  15. ↑ Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football, The Guardian, 15 October 2024
  16. ↑ Brittilehti The Guardian nosti jalkapalloilija Matias Siltasen maailman parhaiden nuorten lahjakkuuksien joukkoon, Yle, 16 October 2024
  17. 1 2 U16-pojat marssi Baltic Cupin mestaruuteen, Football Association of Finland/ Palloliitto, 2 July 2023
  18. ↑ Minihuuhkajiin valitut KuPSin kasvatit pääsevät mittaamaan osaamistaan lajin todellista jättiläistä vastaan, Savon Sanomat, Outi Poikonen, 4 October 2023
  19. ↑ U17-pojat nimetty lokakuun EM-karsintaturnaukseen, Football Association of Finland/ Palloliitto, 4 October 2023
  20. ↑ U17-pojat joutui tyytymään tasapeliin Ukrainaa vastaan, Finnish FA, 15 October 2023
  21. ↑ U17-pojat selvitti tiensä EM-jatkokarsintoihin, Football Association of Finland/ Palloliitto, 21 October 2023
  22. ↑ Ihmepoika Kuopiosta, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 8 May 2024
  23. ↑ Kuopio villiintyi KuPSin mestaruudesta – Eini ilmestyi juhlahumuun, Yle, 19 October 2024
  24. ↑ KuPS nousi takaa ohi Suomen Cupin voittoon – Petteri Pennanen ratkaisi pelin upealla laukauksella, Yle, 21 September 2024
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