Toni Korkeakunnas

Toni Korkeakunnas

Korkeakunnas with Lahti in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth	(1968-05-15) 15 May 1968 (age 57)
Place of birth	Helsinki, Finland [1]
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) [2]
Position(s)	Midfielder [2]
Team information
Current team	Haugesund (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1987–1993	TP-Seinäjoki	141	(28)
1994	VPS	24	(3)
1995	TP-Seinäjoki	11	(1)
1995	PK-35	8	(2)
1996–1997	HIFK	39	(12)
1998–1999	Gnistan	36	(5)
Managerial career
1999–2002	Gnistan
2004	Hämeenlinna
2007	Gnistan
2008–2010	Viikingit
2008–2010	Finland U19
2011–2013	MYPA
2014–2018	Lahti
2019–2022	Finland (analyst)
2022	HJK (assistant)
2023	HJK
2023–2024	Finland (assistant)
2024–2025	HJK
2025–	Haugesund
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Toni Korkeakunnas (born 15 May 1968) is a Finnish football manager and a former professional player, who serves currently as the head coach of Norwegian Eliteserien club Haugesund.

Playing career

Korkeakunnas started his senior career with TP-Seinäjoki, where he spent eight years in total. Additionally he played for Vaasan Palloseura (VPS), PK-35, HIFK and Gnistan during his career.

Managerial career

At the club level, Korkeakunnas has managed in Veikkausliiga in FC Hämeenlinna, MYPA and FC Lahti. At the end of his first season with Lahti in 2014, he led the club to finish 3rd in Veikkausliiga, tying their best-record in the league. ^[3] He has also been a head coach of IF Gnistan in second-tier Ykkönen and third-tier Kakkonen, and FC Viikingit in Ykkönen.

On 23 November 2021, Korkeakunnas signed a contract to join HJK as an assistant coach for the 2022 season. ^[4]

On 13 July 2023, HJK sacked Toni Koskela following a poor run of form, and appointed Korkeakunnas manager for the rest of the 2023 season. Korkeakunnas also works in Markku Kanerva’s coaching staff in the Finland national football team. ^[5] Korkeakunnas led HJK to the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, and won the fourth straight Veikkausliiga title for the club in 2023. In the end of the season, his contract was not extended.

However, after a poor start to the 2024 season, HJK sacked their associate head coach Ferran Sibila and sporting director Vesa Mäki on 20 May 2024, and Korkeakunnas returned again to the club's head coach position, on a deal until the end of 2025. ^[6] His contract with Finland national team and the Finnish FA was simultaneously terminated. ^[7] Korkeakunnas managed HJK to qualify for the new UECL league phase in 2024, but couldn't defend the domestic championship as HJK finished third in the league. On 22 April 2025, after a 1–0 home loss against IF Gnistan, Korkeakunnas led HJK to a historical six-game losing streak in the league. ^[8] He was sacked on 4 May, after a 1–1 draw against Inter Turku. ^[9]

On 27 May 2025, Korkeakunnas was named the manager of FK Haugesund in Norwegian Eliteserien. ^[10] The club were sitting at the bottom of the table having gained only one point in nine matches. On 10 August, Korkeakunnas managed Haugesund to win their first match of the season, in a 3–2 home win against Sarpsborg.

Personal life

Korkeakunnas was born in Helsinki and grew up in Loviisa. He holds a Master of Education degree and has worked as an elementary school teacher. ^[3]

Korkeakunnas or "Toke", as he is called, has also earned an extra nickname "Tikku" for constantly chewing toothpicks during the match. ^[11]

Managerial statistics

As of 14 September 2025 ^[12]

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	W%
Gnistan		1 January 1999	31 December 2002					–	–	!—
Hämeenlinna		19 May 2004	31 December 2004	24	2	6	16	24	47	−23	008.33
Gnistan		1 January 2007	31 December 2007	27	10	9	8	43	31	+12	037.04
Viikingit		1 January 2008	31 December 2010	73	37	19	17	126	60	+66	050.68
MYPA		1 January 2011	31 December 2013	125	48	23	54	158	164	−6	038.40
Lahti		1 January 2014	1 October 2018	202	73	73	56	262	228	+34	036.14
HJK		14 July 2023	31 December 2023	24	10	4	10	41	41	+0	041.67
HJK		21 May 2024	3 May 2025	43	19	8	16	82	65	+17	044.19
Haugesund		27 May 2025	Present	12	1	2	9	8	31	−23	008.33
Total				530	200	144	186	744	667	+77	037.74

Managerial honours

HJK

• Veikkausliiga: 2023

FC Lahti

• Finnish League Cup: 2016

Individual

• Veikkausliiga Manager of the Year: 2012 ^[13]
• Veikkausliiga Manager of the Month: July 2011, ^[14] April 2012, ^[15] August 2012, ^[16] August 2013, ^[17] July 2014, ^[18] July 2015, ^[19] July 2017, ^[20] June 2024 ^[21]
• Finnish Coach of the Month: October 2023 ^[22]

References

1. Veikkausliiga Hall of Fame Archived 14 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
2. Toni Korkeakunnas at WorldFootball.net
3. Toni Korkeakunnas – Opettaja, fclahti.fi, 12 August 2017
4. "Valmennustiimi vahvistuu" (in Finnish). HJK. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
5. https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000009716653.html%7Cdate=13 July 2023
6. Toni Korkeakunnas palaa HJK:n päävalmentajaksi, hjk.fi, 20 May 2024
7. Toni Korkeakunnas siirtyy HJK:n miesten edustusjoukkueen päävalmentajaksi – samalla sopimus Huuhkajissa päättyy, Finnish FA, 20 May 2024
8. HJK:n katastrofi syvenee – taas turpiin ja päälle surkuhupaisa ennätys, Ilta-Sanomat, 22 April 2025
9. Kiitos, Toke! – HJK:n valmennukseen muutos, hjk.fi, 4 May 2025
10. NY HOVEDTRENER PÅ PLASS, fkh.no, 27 May 2025
11. Veikkausliigaseuran valmentajalla erikoinen tapa peleissä: ”Se on hyvin terapeuttista”, is.fi, 17 April 2015
12. "Toni Korkeakunnas Manager profile" (in Bosnian). 24 June 2024.
13. Pelipaikkojen parhaat 2012 nimetty (in Finnish)
14. Ojalalle toinen titteli peräkkäin Archived 20 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
15. Magnus Bahnesta Veikkausliigan huhtikuun pelaaja Archived 15 September 2012 at archive.today (in Finnish)
16. Pekka Sihvola elokuun kuukauden pelaaja Archived 5 February 2013 at archive.today (in Finnish)
17. Hongan Abdoulaye Méïté Veikkausliigan elokuun pelaaja Archived 2013-09-04 at archive.today (in Finnish)
18. Henrik Moisander heinäkuun kuukauden pelaaja Archived 2014-08-01 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
19. Mika Hilander Veikkausliigan heinäkuun pelaaja (in Finnish)
20. (in Finnish)
21. SJK:n Jaime Moreno Veikkausliigan kuukauden pelaaja kesäkuussa, veikkaus.fi, 5 July 2024
22. Lokakuun valmentaja: Toni Korkeakunnas, suomenvalmentajat.fi, 6 November 2023

External links

Media related to Toni Korkeakunnas at Wikimedia Commons