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 | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Tallinna Kalev (manager) | ||
| 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2014 | Finland | 64 | (6) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2017 | Klubi 04 (assistant) | ||
| 2018 | Haka (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2023 | Haka | ||
| 2023–2024 | AEL Limassol (assistant) | ||
| 2024 | Tallinna Kalev (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Finland (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Tallinna Kalev | ||
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Teemu Mikael Tainio (born 27 November 1979) is a Finnish football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Tallinna Kalev and an assistant coach for the Finland national football team.
Tainio started his football journey with his local club, TP-47. He then moved to FC Haka in 1996. A year later, he went to France to play for Auxerre. After eight years there, he joined the English club Tottenham Hotspur. He spent three years with Tottenham before moving to Sunderland.
After a loan period with Birmingham City in 2009–10, he played for the Dutch club Ajax. In 2011, he joined the New York Red Bulls in the United States. After two seasons, he returned to Finland to finish his playing career with HJK. Teemu mostly played as a midfielder during his career, but sometimes he also played as a right-back.
Contents
Teemu Tainio's Club Career
Starting His Football Journey
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 is Finland's third-highest football league. In 1996, he was signed by FC Haka, a club in Finland's top league, Veikkausliiga.
Playing for AJ Auxerre in France
In March 1997, Teemu had a trial with Manchester United. Later that year, he was bought by AJ Auxerre, a top French club. He spent eight years playing for Auxerre. During his time there, he won the Coupe de France (French Cup) twice. He also gained experience playing in the UEFA Champions League, which is a very important European competition. Teemu played in 204 official matches for Auxerre and scored 19 goals.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
Teemu's contract with Auxerre was ending in 2005, so he could move to a new club for free. In January 2005, it was announced that he would join Tottenham Hotspur in England. He signed a seven-year deal. In his first season, he became a regular player for Spurs, playing in different midfield positions.
He scored his first goal for Tottenham in December 2005 against Newcastle United. In May 2006, many Spurs players, including Teemu, got sick with a virus before a big game. Even though he was unwell, Teemu still played in the match. He scored two more goals for Spurs in the 2006–07 season.
In 2008, Teemu won the League Cup with Tottenham. They beat Chelsea 2–1 in extra time in the final at Wembley Stadium. Teemu came on as a substitute in that important match.
Moving to Sunderland and Birmingham City
On 23 July 2008, Teemu joined Sunderland. He was their first new player that summer and the first Finnish player ever for the club. He scored his first goal for Sunderland in a League Cup game in August 2009. He left Sunderland in August 2010.
On 1 September 2009, Teemu joined Birmingham City on loan for the rest of the season. He recovered from an injury and made his debut for Birmingham on 13 September. He played well in a new position as a right-back.
Playing for Ajax in the Netherlands
After leaving Sunderland, Teemu signed a one-year contract with AFC Ajax in the Netherlands. He joined his former Tottenham coach, Martin Jol, there. He made his debut for Ajax in September 2010. He also played in the Champions League for Ajax. After playing only five official games, Teemu decided to move to the United States.
Adventures with New York Red Bulls
Teemu joined the New York Red Bulls in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2011. He was the first Finnish player to sign for the team. He made his debut on 19 March 2011, helping his team win by assisting a goal. He quickly became a favorite among the fans because of his good play and many assists. In November 2012, his contract with the Red Bulls ended.
Returning to Finland with HJK Helsinki
On 2 January 2013, Teemu signed a two-year contract with HJK Helsinki, the reigning Finnish champions. On 19 June 2013, he scored his first goal for HJK. This was his first goal since August 2009. On 14 February 2015, Teemu Tainio announced that he was retiring as a player.
Teemu Tainio's International Career
Teemu Tainio played his first game for the Finland national team on 5 February 1998 against Cyprus. He was a regular player for Finland throughout most of the 2000s.
When he joined the New York Red Bulls in 2011, Teemu thought about retiring from international football. This was because of the long flights and time differences between the United States and Finland. After a two-year break, Teemu returned to play for the national team once his contract with the Red Bulls ended.
Teemu Tainio's Managerial Career
After he stopped playing football, Teemu Tainio worked as a scout for his old club, Tottenham. Then he returned to Finland. He started as an assistant coach for Klubi 04, which is the reserve team of HJK Helsinki.
Managing FC Haka
On 1 November 2018, Teemu Tainio became the manager of FC Haka, a team in the Ykkönen league (Finland's second tier). He had previously been an assistant coach for the team. In his first season as manager in 2019, FC Haka won the Ykkönen title by a large margin. This meant the club was promoted to the top league, Veikkausliiga.
In the 2022 Veikkausliiga season, Teemu led Haka to finish 4th in the league. They did this even with a small budget. This result earned them a spot in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. It was the club's first time playing in a European competition since 2008–09.
Assistant Coach Roles
On 28 October 2023, Teemu started working as an assistant coach for AEL Limassol in Cyprus. However, on 22 January 2024, the head coach's contract was ended, and Teemu's contract was also terminated.
On 7 March 2024, Teemu Tainio was named the assistant coach of Tallinna Kalev in Estonia. On 1 August 2024, he became the manager of the club. Additionally, on 17 June 2024, Teemu was also named an assistant coach for the Finland national football team.
Personal Life
Teemu Tainio has a son named Maximus Tainio. Maximus is also a professional footballer in Finland. He plays for the club Salon Palloilijat (SalPa).
Honours and Achievements
Teemu Tainio won several titles during his playing and managerial careers.
As a Player
- FC Haka
- Finnish Cup: 1997
- Auxerre
- Coupe de France: 2002–03, 2004–05
- Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2003
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup: 2007–08
- Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11
- HJK
- Veikkausliiga: 2013, 2014
- Finnish Cup: 2014
As a Manager
- FC Haka
- Ykkönen: 2019
