Ville Koski

Ville Koski

Koski with Finland U21 in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Ville Aleksi Jukanpoika Koski
Date of birth	(2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth	Tuusula, Finland [1]
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Istra 1961
Number	5
Youth career
	TuPS [2]
0000–2018	PKKU
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018	PKKU	13	(0)
2019–2020	Honka II	27	(2)
2020–2023	Honka	67	(4)
2024–	Istra 1961	33	(0)
International career‡
2018–2019	Finland U17	7	(0)
2019	Finland U18	2	(0)
2021–	Finland U21	27	(1)
2023–	Finland	1	(0)
Medal record Honka Finnish League Cup 2022 Finnish Cup 2023
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 February 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Ville Aleksi Jukanpoika Koski (born 27 January 2002) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Croatian Football League club Istra 1961, and the Finland under-21 national team.

Club career

PK Keski-Uusimaa

Born in Tuusula, Koski started playing football in the youth teams of local clubs Tuusulan Palloseura (TuPS) and PK Keski-Uusimaa. He made his senior debut with PK Keski-Uusimaa first team on 13 May 2018 at the age of 16, playing in the 1–1 draw against Jippo, in the third-tier league Kakkonen. ^[3]

Honka

In 2019, he joined the FC Honka organisation in Espoo. He played with the club's reserve team Honka II in Kakkonen for two seasons, before he made his debut in the premier division Veikkausliiga on 12 September 2020, aged 18, with Honka first team, when he came in from the bench for the final minutes, in 1–3 away victory against Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS). ^[4] Despite his young age, in the next season Koski quickly established his place in the starting line-up and became an integral part of the team's defense. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Koski scored his first goal in the league on 13 August 2022, in a 4–0 away win against Ilves. ^[10]

Istra 1961

In the early December 2023, it was announced that Koski had signed with Croatian premier division 1. HNL side Istra 1961 on a three-and-a-half-year deal. ^[11] He was already close to sign with the club in the 2023 summer transfer window but the deal got cancelled then. ^[12] The transfer was effective in January 2024. ^{[13] [14] [15] [16]}

International career

A regular Finnish youth international, Koski has represented Finland at various youth national team levels. He has also captained the Finland U21 national team. ^[17] Koski was integral part of the Finland U21 team, which qualified for the upcoming 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament, for the second time in the nation's history.

Koski made his full international debut for Finland senior national team on 12 January 2023, in a friendly match against Estonia. ^{[18] [19]}

Career statistics

Club

As of 15 February 2025 ^[20]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	Division	League		Cup [a]		League cup [b]		Europe		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
PK Keski-Uusimaa	2018	Kakkonen	13	0	—		—		—		13	0
Honka Akatemia	2019	Kakkonen	15	1	—		2	0	—		17	1
	2020	Kakkonen	12	1	—		3	0	—		15	1
	Total		27	2	0	0	5	0	0	0	32	2
Honka	2020	Veikkausliiga	1	0	0	0	—		0	0	1	0
	2021	Veikkausliiga	17	0	2	0	—		4 [c]	0	23	0
	2022	Veikkausliiga	24	2	0	0	2	0	—		26	2
	2023	Veikkausliiga	25	2	2	0	3	0	2 [c]	0	32	2
	Total		67	4	4	0	5	0	6	0	82	4
Istra 1961	2023–24	1. HNL	12	0	—		—		—		12	0
	2024–25	1. HNL	21	0	1	0	—		—		22	0
	Total		33	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	34	0
Career total			140	6	5	0	10	0	6	0	161	6

1. Includes Suomen Cup and Croatian Football Cup
2. Includes Kakkonen Cup and Finnish League Cup
3. Includes UEFA Europa Conference League

International

As of match played on 12 January 2023.

National team	Year	Competitive		Friendly		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Finland	2023	0	0	1	0	1	0
Total		0	0	1	0	1	0

Honours

Honka

• Finnish League Cup: 2022
• Finnish Cup runner-up: 2023

Individual

• Football Association of Finland: U21 Player of the Year 2024

References

1. Ville Koski at WorldFootball.net
2. Pikkuhuuhkajat nimetty marraskuun otteluihin, Finnish FA, 7 November 2023
3. PKKU VS. JIPPO 1 - 1, int.soccerway.com
4. "RoPS - FC Honka 1:3 (Veikkausliiga 2020, 14. Round)". Worldfootball.net. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
5. Kova luu, Ilta-Sanomat, 20 July 2023
6. Kostiainen, Jari (8 May 2023). "Ville Koski oli vain 14 vuotta, kun pelaaja-agentti soitti – näin FC Honka hioo timantteja jopa 10 000 pelaajan joukosta" (in Finnish). Länsiväylä. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
7. Kuparinen, Heikki (30 March 2022). "Vuodessa avainpelaajaksi noussut Ville Koski toivoo espoolaisten paluuta katsomoon – onhan Hongalla sarjan paras maalivahti ja kenttä: "Kunhan ympärille saisi vähän paremmat puitteet"" (in Finnish). suomifutis.com. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
8. Peltola, Pasi (29 Dec 2021). "Ville Koski ponnahti Kalevan viheriöltä liigakenttien toppariksi Hongassa: "Keravan kaatosadematsin Hongan paidassa muistan hyvin"" (in Finnish). keski-uusimaa.fi. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
9. Ville Koski suhtautuu jalkapalloon rennon itsekriittisesti: "En uppoa syviin vesiin", keski-uusimaa.fi, Miska Miettinen, 22 May 2023
10. ILVES VS. HONKA 0 - 4, int.soccerway.com
11. DOBRO NAM DOŠAO VILLE KOSKI, nkistra.com
12. Ville Koski siirtyy Kroatiaan, suomifutis.com, Tuukka Ikkeläjärvi, 3 December 2023
13. Ville Koski novi igrač Istre, ofenziva.ffa.hr
14. Istra 1961 dovela finskog reprezentativca!, istarski.hr, 2 December 2023
15. Finac Ville Koski novi je igrač Istre 1961, regionalexpress.hr, 2 December 2023
16. Ville Koski kertoi miten Kroatian pääsarja eroaa Veikkausliigasta: ”Ei koiteta aina pelata niin täydellistä jalkapalloa”, suomifutis.com, 4 September 2024
17. Pikkuhuuhkajat otti tärkeän voiton Azerbaidzhanista, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 7 June 2022
18. soccerway
19. Ville Koski ja Agon Sadiku Huuhkajiin!, esporthonka.com, 30 December 2022
20. "Ville Koski". flashscore.fi. Retrieved 12 June 2023.