Vesa Vasara

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Vesa Vasara
Vesa Vasara.jpg
Vasara with Honka in 2018
Personal information
Full name Vesa-Pekka Vasara
Date of birth (1976-08-16) 16 August 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Inter Turku (manager)
Youth career
MPS
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1992–1993 MPS 30 (5)
1994–2000 HJK 136 (17)
2001 Jokerit 29 (0)
2002–2003 Kalmar FF 32 (2)
2004–2005 Jaro 24 (4)
2006–2008 Honka 59 (8)
International career
Finland U21 11 (2)
1999–2002 Finland 12 (2)
Managerial career
2009–2011 Honka II
2012–2013 Honka (assistant)
2014–2016 HJK (assistant)
2017–2023 Honka
2024– Inter Turku
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vesa-Pekka Vasara (born 16 August 1976) is a Finnish professional football manager for Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku, and a former player who played for the Veikkausliiga sides HJK Helsinki, FC Jokerit, FF Jaro, and FC Honka, as well as for Kalmar FF in Sweden. He was also capped 12 times for the Finland national team, scoring twice.

Contents

Playing career

Vasara started his career with Malmin Palloseura (MPS) in Malmi, North Helsinki, before joining Vantaan Pallo in 1994.

On 26 August 1998, Vasara scored a goal for HJK Helsinki against Metz, in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round, helping his team to get a 1–1 away draw (2–1 on aggregate) and qualify to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, as the first-ever Finnish club. [1] Vasara ultimately spent six seasons with HJK.

Later he played for Kalmar FF in Swedish Allsvenskan, and for Jokerit, Jaro and Honka in Veikkausliiga.

Managerial career

Vasara was selected as the Veikkausliiga Manager of the Month for June 2018 while managing Veikkausliiga side Honka. [2] Vasara worked as a manager of Honka for seven seasons, until Honka was declared for bankruptcy at the end of the 2023, and he was released.

Vasara was subsequently named the manager of a fellow Veikkausliiga side Inter Turku, signing a two-year deal with the club, starting in 2024. [3] [4] [5]

Personal life

His brother Jussi Vasara is also a former professional footballer. [6]

Career statistics

Club

As of 1 September 2024. [7]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
MPS 1992 Kolmonen
1993 Kakkonen
Total30500305
Vantaan Pallo 1994Kakkonen75–75
HJK 1995 Veikkausliiga 2424 [a] 0282
1996 Veikkausliiga2313 [b] 1262
1997 Veikkausliiga2552 [c] 0275
1998 Veikkausliiga2326 [d] 1293
1999 Veikkausliiga2564 [b] 0296
2000 Veikkausliiga1611 [b] 0171
Total1361720215619
Jokerit 2001 Veikkausliiga2902 [b] 0310
Kalmar FF 2002 Allsvenskan 150–150
2003 Allsvenskan172–172
Total32200322
Jaro 2004 Veikkausliiga244–244
Honka 2005 Ykkönen 222–222
2006 Veikkausliiga235–235
2007 Veikkausliiga141–141
Total59800598
Career total3153522233737
  1. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup
  2. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  4. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 17 April 2002 [7]
Finland
YearAppsGoals
199910
200062
200140
200210
Total122

International goals

As of match played 4 February 2000. Finland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Vasara goal.
List of international goals scored by Vesa Vasara
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
14 February 2000 La Manga Stadium, La Manga, SpainFlag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1–02–1 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship
22–1

Managerial

As of 10 January 2025
TeamNatFromToRecord
PWDLW%
Honka Flag of Finland.svg 1 January 201731 December 20232571246667048.25
Inter Turku Flag of Finland.svg 1 January 2024present4122514053.66
Total44421597132048.42

Honours

As a player

HJK

As a manager

Honka

Inter Turku

References

  1. ↑ Champions League Qual. 1998/1999 » 2. Round » FC Metz - HJK Helsinki 1:1, worldfootball
  2. ↑ "Honka-tähti kuukauden pelaajaksi – myös kuukauden valmentaja samasta seurasta".
  3. ↑ VESA VASARASTA FC INTERIN UUSI PÄÄVALMENTAJA, fcinter.fi, 17 November 2023
  4. ↑ MTV Urheilun tiedot: Turkulaisseura kiinnitti uuden päävalmentajan, mtvuutiset.fi/MTV Oy, Timo Innanen, 17 November 2023
  5. ↑ Lähde: Vesa Vasarasta tulee Interin uusi päävalmentaja, hs.fi/Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 17 November 2023
  6. ↑ Citation
  7. 1 2 Vesa Vasara at National-Football-Teams.com


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