Teemu Tainio facts for kids
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Tainio playing for the New York Red Bulls in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Teemu Mikael Tainio | ||
| Date of birth | 27 November 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Tornio, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | TP-47 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | Haka | 46 | (14) |
| 1997–2005 | Auxerre | 150 | (14) |
| 2005–2008 | Tottenham Hotspur | 61 | (3) |
| 2008–2010 | Sunderland | 21 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Ajax | 2 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | New York Red Bulls | 42 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | HJK | 36 | (3) |
| Total | 364 | (34) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–2014 | Finland | 64 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017 | Klubi 04 (assistant) | ||
| 2018 | Haka (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2023 | Haka | ||
| 2023–2024 | AEL Limassol (assistant) | ||
| 2024 | Tallinna Kalev (assistant) | ||
| 2024 | Finland (assistant) | ||
| 2024–2025 | Tallinna Kalev | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Teemu Mikael Tainio (born November 27, 1979) is a Finnish football coach and former player.
He started his football journey with his local club, TP-47, before moving to FC Haka in 1996. A year later, he moved to France to play for Auxerre. After eight years there, he joined the English club Tottenham Hotspur. He spent three years with Tottenham before joining Sunderland.
After a loan period with Birmingham City in 2009–10, he moved to the Dutch club Ajax. He then joined the New York Red Bulls in 2011. After two seasons in the United States, he returned to Finland to finish his playing career with HJK.
Teemu mostly played in different midfield positions during his career. He was known for helping his team both attack and defend. Sometimes, he even played as a right-back.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Football Days
Teemu Tainio was born in Tornio, Finland. He joined the first team of his hometown club, TP-47, when he was just fourteen years old. This club played in Kakkonen, which was Finland's third-highest football league. In 1996, he was signed by FC Haka, a team in Finland's top league, Veikkausliiga.
Playing for Auxerre in France
After a trial with Manchester United in 1997, Teemu Tainio was bought by the French club AJ Auxerre. He spent eight years playing for Auxerre. During his time there, he helped the team win the Coupe de France (French Cup) twice. He also gained experience playing in the UEFA Champions League, which is a big European club competition. Teemu played in 204 official matches for Auxerre and scored 19 goals.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
In 2005, Teemu Tainio moved to Tottenham Hotspur in England. He quickly became a regular player for Spurs in his first season. He played in various midfield roles, showing his versatility.
He scored his first goal for Tottenham in December 2005 against Newcastle United. Teemu was part of the Tottenham team that won the League Cup in 2008. They beat Chelsea 2–1 in extra time in the final at Wembley Stadium. He came on as a substitute in that exciting match.
Moving to Sunderland
On July 23, 2008, Teemu joined Sunderland. He was the first Finnish player to ever play for Sunderland. He scored his first goal for Sunderland in a League Cup game against Norwich in August 2009.
Later, in September 2009, Teemu joined Birmingham City on loan. He played well for Birmingham, even playing as a right-back in a match against Aston Villa.
Short Spell at Ajax
After leaving Sunderland, Teemu signed a one-year contract with the Dutch club AFC Ajax. At Ajax, he reunited with his former Tottenham coach, Martin Jol. He made his debut for Ajax in September 2010. He also played in the Champions League for Ajax.
Playing in the USA with New York Red Bulls
In 2011, Teemu Tainio moved to the United States to play for the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls. He was the first Finnish player to sign for the Red Bulls. He made his debut in March 2011 and quickly became a fan favorite. He helped his team by providing several assists. His time with the Red Bulls ended in November 2012.
Finishing Career at HJK Helsinki
On January 2, 2013, Teemu Tainio signed a two-year contract with HJK Helsinki, the reigning Finnish champions. He scored his first goal for HJK in June 2013, which was his first goal since August 2009. Teemu announced his retirement as a player on February 14, 2015.
International Career
Teemu Tainio made his debut for the Finland national team on February 5, 1998, against Cyprus. He was a regular player for Finland throughout the 2000s. After joining the New York Red Bulls in 2011, he took a break from international football due to the long flights. However, after his contract with the Red Bulls ended, he returned to play for Finland in 2013. He played 64 matches for his country and scored 6 goals.
Managerial Career
After ending his playing career, Teemu Tainio worked as a scout for his former club, Tottenham. He then returned to Finland and started as an assistant coach for Klubi 04, which is the reserve team of HJK Helsinki.
Coaching FC Haka
On November 1, 2018, Teemu Tainio became the manager of FC Haka, a team in Finland's second-highest league, Ykkönen. In his first season as manager in 2019, FC Haka won the Ykkönen title by a large margin. This win earned the club promotion back to the top league, Veikkausliiga.
In the 2022 Veikkausliiga season, Teemu led Haka to finish 4th in the league. This was a great achievement for the club, especially with a limited budget. It also meant Haka qualified for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers, which was their first time playing in a European competition since 2008.
Assistant Coach Roles
Teemu Tainio also worked as an assistant coach for AEL Limassol in Cyprus from October 2023 to January 2024. In March 2024, he became an assistant coach for Tallinna Kalev in Estonia. He was then named the manager of Tallinna Kalev in August 2024.
Additionally, Teemu was named an assistant coach for the Finland national football team in June 2024. His role with the national team ended in February 2025.
Personal Life
Teemu Tainio's son, Maximus Tainio, is also a professional footballer in Finland. He plays for Salon Palloilijat (SalPa).
Honours and Achievements
Teemu Tainio won many trophies during his playing career:
With FC Haka
- Finnish Cup: 1997
With Auxerre
- Coupe de France: 2002–03, 2004–05
With Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup: 2007–08
With Ajax
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 2010–11
With HJK
- Veikkausliiga (Finnish League): 2013, 2014
- Finnish Cup: 2014
Managerial Honours
With FC Haka
- Ykkönen (Finnish Second League): 2019
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See also
In Spanish: Teemu Tainio para niños
