Teemu Mikael Tainio (born 27 November 1979) is a Finnish

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

coach and former player. He is the current head coach of

FC Haka FC Haka is a Finnish football club based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is currently competing in Finland's premier division of football, Veikkausliiga. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championshi ...

. Tainio began his career with his local club, TP-47, before moving to

in 1996. A year later, he moved to France to play for

Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...

. After eight years there, he joined English club

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...

, where he spent three years before joining

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

. After a loan spell with

Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...

during the 2009–10 season, he moved to Dutch club

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...

, before joining the

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

in 2011. After two seasons in the United States, he returned to Finland to finish his career with HJK. He mostly played in a variety of midfield positions during his career, and also at

right-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

under

Juande Ramos Juan de la Cruz "Juande" Ramos Cano (born 25 September 1954) is a Spanish former footballer and manager. After playing and managing at an amateur level, Ramos led Rayo Vallecano to promotion to La Liga, followed by reaching the quarter-finals ...

at Tottenham.

Club career

Early life and career

Tainio was born in

Tornio Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...

. He was promoted to the first team of his hometown club TP-47 in

Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the third level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. The II divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mid-1990s became known as the Kakkonen ( Finnish for 'Number Tw ...

, Finland's third tier, at the age of fourteen. He was signed by

Veikkausliiga Veikkausliiga (; sv, Tipsligan) is the premier division of Finnish football, the highest tier of the Finnish football league structure, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikka ...

club

for the 1996 season. Following a trial at

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

in March 1997, Tainio joined French club AJ Auxerre in 1997, and spent eight years at the club. He won the

Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...

with Auxerre twice, and also gained

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...

experience. While with Auxerre, Tainio appeared in 204 official matches and scored 19 goals.

Tottenham Hotspur

With Tainio's contract with Auxerre due to expire in 2005, he became available on a free transfer. In January 2005, it was announced that he would move to

on a seven-year deal in the summer of 2005. He became a regular for Spurs in his first season, playing in various midfield positions. He scored his first goal for his new club in December 2005 against

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East En ...

during a Premiership match at

White Hart Lane White Hart Lane was a football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater it had a capacity of 36,284 before demolition. ...

. Tainio was one of ten Spurs squad members struck down by a virus on the evening of 6 May 2006 before their crucial final game of the season against

West Ham West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham. The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancient ...

. He nevertheless played in the match, which Spurs lost, missing out on a place in the Champions League. He scored his second Spurs goal on 9 December 2006, the third goal in the 5–1 home win against

Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...

. His third goal for the club was an equaliser against

to make the score 2–2 on 4 March 2007. Spurs went on to win the game 4–3. Tainio won the 2008

League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...

when Tottenham took a 2–1 extra-time win over Chelsea at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

in the final played on 24 February 2008. He came on as a substitute in the 75th minute when the score was 1–1. He then was booked with five more minutes left in the game for time wasting on a throw in.

Sunderland

He joined

on 23 July 2008 for an undisclosed fee. He became their first summer signing and the first Finnish player ever for Sunderland. He scored his first goal for Sunderland in a second round League Cup game at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

on 24 August 2009. He left Sunderland on 31 August 2010, when the club terminated his contract by mutual consent. Tainio joined

on 1 September 2009, on loan for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. Having recovered from a calf injury sustained on international duty, he made his debut for the club on 13 September in a 1–0 home defeat in the

Birmingham derby In English football, the Second City derby or Birmingham derby, is the local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Birmingham – Aston Villa and Birmingham City, first contested in 1879. Villa play at Villa Park while Birmingham play ...

against

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park, ...

, in which he produced a good performance in a less-familiar role at right-back.

Ajax

Tainio signed a one-year contract with

AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the ...

on the very same day after he was released by Sunderland. At Ajax, he rejoined his former Tottenham coach,

Martin Jol Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol (born 16 January 1956) is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. He played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps wit ...

. He made his Ajax debut on 11 September 2010, playing the last five minutes as a substitute for

Demy de Zeeuw Demy Patrick René de Zeeuw (born 26 May 1983) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He previously played for AGOVV, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ and AFC Ajax. While at AZ he was a key player in the squad that ...

in a 2–0 victory over Willem II. He also made appearance in the 2010–11 Champions League, playing the last 21 minutes against

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...

in the 2–0 away loss match in the group stage. After making only five official appearances while with Ajax, Tainio accepted an offer from

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

side

New York Red Bulls

Tainio joined New York Red Bulls during their pre-season training for the 2011

season. He became the first Finn to sign for the team formerly known as the New York/New Jersey Metrostars when the club officially signed him on 9 March 2011. He made his official debut for New York on 19 March 2011, in the Red Bulls' 2011 MLS season opener, a 1–0 victory over

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

, assisting on

Juan Agudelo Juan Sebastián Agudelo (born November 23, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for USL Championship club Birmingham Legion. After moving from Colombia to New Jersey at an early age Agudelo began his care ...

's game-winning goal. He has quickly become a fan favorite early in the season with multiple assists and good play to his name. On 15 November 2012, Tainio, along with teammates

Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli (born 19 April 1981, in Arendal) is a Norwegian footballer. He has played as a right back for the most of his career, but also plays defensive midfielder and right winger. Career Norway Solli made his senior debut for Odd G ...

, Bill Gaudette, and

José Angulo José Angulo (born 13 January 1988) is a Colombian professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for New Amsterdam FC in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). Career Youth Angulo grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, the s ...

were all denied contract extensions, thus ending their tenure at New York.

HJK Helsinki

On 2 January 2013, it was announced that the 33-year-old Tainio had signed a two-year contract with the reigning Finnish champions, HJK Helsinki. On 19 June 2013, he scored his first goal for HJK, in a 4−2 away win over MYPA. This was his first goal since 24 August 2009. On 14 February 2015, Tainio announced his retirement as a player.

International career

Tainio made his debut for the Finland national team on 5 February 1998 against

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

, and was a regular for the team through most of the 2000s. After signing with

in 2011, Tainio announced that he might retire at the international level, citing the long-distance flights and time difference between the States and Finland. After a two-year hiatus, Tainio made his comeback to the international team, immediately after his contract with the Red Bulls expired.

Managerial career

On 1 November 2018, Tainio was appointed as manager of

Ykkönen ''Ykkönen'' ( Finnish for 'Number One'; sv, Ettan) is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system (after the Veikkausliiga), although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland. The teams also pla ...

side

, having previously worked as an assistant coach for the side. In his first season as manager, FC Haka overwhelmingly won the Ykkönen title, earning the club promotion to top tier Veikkausliiga.

Career statistics

:''Scores and results list Finland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tainio goal.''

Honours

As a player

FC Haka * Finnish Cup:

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Auxerre *

: 2004–05 Tottenham Hotspur *

Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by t ...

: 2007–08 Ajax *

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is ...

: 2010–11 HJK *

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

*Finnish Cup:

As a manager

FC Haka *

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

References

External links

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tainio, Teemu 1979 births Living people People from Tornio Association football midfielders Finnish footballers Finland international footballers Finnish expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in France Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands Expatriate soccer players in the United States Finnish expatriate sportspeople in France Finnish expatriate sportspeople in England Finnish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands FC Haka players AJ Auxerre players Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players Sunderland A.F.C. players Birmingham City F.C. players AFC Ajax players New York Red Bulls players Veikkausliiga players Ligue 1 players Premier League players Eredivisie players Major League Soccer players Finnish expatriate sportspeople in the United States TP-47 players Finnish football managers FC Haka managers Sportspeople from Lapland (Finland)