Markku Kanerva

Markku Tapio Kanerva (born 24 May 1964)[2] is a Finnish football manager, former player and elementary school teacher. He is the current manager of the Finland national team.

Markku Kanerva
Kanerva as manager of Finland in 2021
Personal information
Full name Markku Tapio Kanerva[1]
Date of birth (1964-05-24) 24 May 1964
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Finland (manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1990 HJK 184 (26)
1991–1992 Elfsborg 44 (3)
1993 FinnPa 26 (1)
1994–1998 HJK 79 (2)
1996 → Honka (loan) 1 (0)
Total 334 (32)
International career
1986–1995 Finland 59 (1)
Managerial career
2001–2002 HJK (assistant)
2003 Viikingit
2004–2010 Finland U21
2011–2016 Finland (assistant)
2016– Finland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Kanerva, who is known by the nickname "Rive", was born in Helsinki. In Finland, he played as a central defender and full back in his hometown clubs HJK Helsinki (1983–1990 and 1994–1998) and the season 1994 in the then local rivals FinnPa. The seasons 1991 and 1992, he played in the Swedish team IF Elfsborg in second-tier Superettan. His last years as a player were shadowed by injuries, but he was still an important part of the HJK defense. His playing career ended in 1998 which included the historical UEFA Champions League participation with HJK. At the Finnish top leagues Mestaruussarja and Veikkausliiga, he played total of 291 matches and scored 29 goals.

At international level, Kanerva went on to win 59 caps, and scored one goal for the Finland national team.

Coaching career

Kanerva worked as a school teacher already during his playing career in Sweden and in Haaga, Helsinki, but since then he has been concentrating on football coaching. In 2001 and 2002, he was an assistant coach of Jyrki Heliskoski and Keith Armstrong in his former club HJK, and in 2003 he was the head coach of the Vuosaari-based club FC Viikingit in second-tier Ykkönen.

As the head coach of Finland under-21 national team, he led the team to the 2009 UEFA Euro U21 Championship final tournament. In the same year, he was awarded the Coach of the Year in Finland.

On 29 November 2010, it was announced that Kanerva would coach the Finland senior national team for the Spring period in 2011, while the Finnish FA will be seeking for a new head coach.[3][4] Mika Laurikainen took his place as the Finland U21 coach. Kanerva had another spell as caretaker manager of Finland NT in 2015. In December 2016, he was permanently appointed manager of the Finland national team on a three-year contract.[5] In November 2019, he managed the Finland team to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2020 final tournament for the first time in the nation's history.

On 17 June 2024, the Finnish FA announced the extension of Kanerva's contract as the head coach, through the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and the possible final tournament, with assistant coaches Jani Honkavaara, Teemu Tainio and Tim Sparv completing the coaching staff.[6]

Personal life

His nickname "Rive" dates back to 1970s when he was playing football with the kids in the neighbourhood in Pukinmäki, Helsinki. According to the story, he was so good at football that the older kids started to call him Rive by the former Brazilian footballer Rivellino.[7]

Kanerva is married since 1991, and lives in Tapaninvainio, Helsinki. He has two chidren with his wife.[8][9][10]

Career statistics
As of 18 May 2024[11][12][13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
HJK 1983 Mestaruussarja 2042[lower-alpha 1]0224
1984 Mestaruussarja 1732[lower-alpha 1]0193
1985 Mestaruussarja 2644[lower-alpha 2]1305
1986 Mestaruussarja 2252[lower-alpha 3]0245
1987 Mestaruussarja 224–224
1988 Mestaruussarja 2712[lower-alpha 3]1292
1989 Mestaruussarja 2222[lower-alpha 3]0242
1990 Veikkausliiga 283–283
Total 1842614219828
Elfsborg 1991 Superettan 181–181
1992 Superettan 262–262
Total 443––443
FinnPa 1993 Veikkausliiga 261–261
HJK 1994 Veikkausliiga 1912[lower-alpha 2]0211
1995 Veikkausliiga 2304[lower-alpha 4]0270
1996 Veikkausliiga 1103[lower-alpha 1]0140
1997 Veikkausliiga 1202[lower-alpha 2]0140
1998 Veikkausliiga 1418[lower-alpha 5]0221
Total 792190982
Honka (loan) 1996 Ykkönen 10–10
Career total 3343231236534
  1. Includes UEFA Cup
  2. Includes UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  3. Includes European Cup
  4. Includes UEFA Intertoto Cup
  5. Includes UEFA Champions League

Managerial statistics
As of 7 June 2024
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
FC Viikingit 2003 2003 261385050.00
Finland U21 2004 2009 2912413041.38
Finland (interim) January 2011 December 2015 7331042.86
Finland December 2016 present 71311129043.66
Total 133592648044.36

Honours

HJK[12]

Sources

References
  1. Markku Kanerva – UEFA competition record (archive) 
  2. Keskitalo, Tapio (12 December 2016). "Kanerva otti maajoukkueen tyynenä komentoonsa". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. "Suomen Palloliitto - Artikkeliarkisto". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  4. "Suomen Palloliitto - Artikkeliarkisto". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  5. "Markku Kanerva A-maajoukkueen päävalmentajaksi" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  6. Markku Kanerva jatkaa Huuhkajien päävalmentajana – Valmennusryhmässä iso uudistus, Finnish FA, 17 June 2024
  7. Huuhkajien valmentaja Markku Kanerva on Rive, Perus-Markku ja Maisteri – lempinimien takaa piisaa tarinoita, Ilta-Sanomat, 17 September 2018
  8. Jalkapallomaajoukkueen valmentaja Markku Kanerva: ”Voisimme olla maailman parhaita ryhmähengessä", helsinki.fi
  9. Huuhkajien sankariluotsi Markku Kanerva saapui Linnan juhliin harvoin julkisuudessa nähdyn puolisonsa kanssa, Ilta-Sanomat, 6 December 2019
  10. Markku Kanerva Minun Helsinkini -palstalla: ”Näemme rohkean ja voitontahtoisen Suomen”, hel.fi, 3 June 2021
  11. Markku Kanerva, Finnish Fa
  12. Markku Kanerva at National-Football-Teams.com
  13. Markku Kanerva at WorldFootball.net
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.