 Korkeakunnas withLahti in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1968-05-15)15 May 1968 (age 57) | ||
| Place of birth | Helsinki, Finland[1] | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder[2] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Haugesund (manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1993 | TP-Seinäjoki | 141 | (28) |
| 1994 | VPS | 24 | (3) |
| 1995 | TP-Seinäjoki | 11 | (1) |
| 1995 | PK-35 | 8 | (2) |
| 1996–1997 | HIFK | 39 | (12) |
| 1998–1999 | Gnistan | 36 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1999–2002 | Gnistan | ||
| 2004 | Hämeenlinna | ||
| 2007 | Gnistan | ||
| 2008–2010 | Viikingit | ||
| 2008–2010 | Finland U19 | ||
| 2011–2013 | MYPA | ||
| 2014–2018 | Lahti | ||
| 2019–2022 | Finland (analyst) | ||
| 2022 | HJK (assistant) | ||
| 2023 | HJK | ||
| 2023–2024 | Finland (assistant) | ||
| 2024–2025 | HJK | ||
| 2025– | Haugesund | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Toni Korkeakunnas (born 15 May 1968) is a Finnishfootball manager and a former professional player, who serves currently as the head coach of NorwegianEliteserien clubHaugesund.
Korkeakunnas started his senior career withTP-Seinäjoki, where he spent eight years in total. Additionally he played forVaasan Palloseura (VPS),PK-35,HIFK andGnistan during his career.
At the club level, Korkeakunnas has managed inVeikkausliiga inFC Hämeenlinna,MYPA andFC Lahti. At the end of his first season with Lahti in 2014, he led the club to finish 3rd in Veikkausliiga, tying their best-record in the league.[3] He has also been a head coach ofIF Gnistan in second-tierYkkönen and third-tierKakkonen, andFC Viikingit in Ykkönen.
On 23 November 2021, Korkeakunnas signed a contract to joinHJK as an assistant coach for the 2022 season.[4]
On 13 July 2023, HJK sackedToni Koskela following a poor run of form, and appointed Korkeakunnas manager for the rest of the 2023 season. Korkeakunnas also works inMarkku Kanerva’s coaching staff in theFinland national football team.[5] Korkeakunnas led HJK to the2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, and won the fourth straightVeikkausliiga title for the club in2023. In the end of the season, his contract was not extended.
However, after a poor start to the2024 season, HJK sacked their associate head coachFerran Sibila and sporting directorVesa Mäki on 20 May 2024, and Korkeakunnas returned again to the club's head coach position, on a deal until the end of 2025.[6] His contract with Finland national team and theFinnish FA was simultaneously terminated.[7] Korkeakunnas managed HJK to qualify for the new UECL league phase in 2024, but couldn't defend the domestic championship as HJK finished third in the league. On 22 April 2025, after a 1–0 home loss againstIF Gnistan, Korkeakunnas led HJK to a historical six-game losing streak in the league.[8] He was sacked on 4 May, after a 1–1 draw againstInter Turku.[9]
On 27 May 2025, Korkeakunnas was named the manager ofFK Haugesund in NorwegianEliteserien.[10] The club were sitting at the bottom of the table having gained only one point in nine matches. On 10 August, Korkeakunnas managed Haugesund to win their first match of the season, in a 3–2 home win againstSarpsborg.
Korkeakunnas was born inHelsinki and grew up inLoviisa. He holds aMaster of Education degree and has worked as an elementary school teacher.[3]
Korkeakunnas or "Toke", as he is called, has also earned an extra nickname "Tikku" for constantly chewing toothpicks during the match.[11]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W% | ||||
| Gnistan |  | 1 January 1999 | 31 December 2002 | – | – | !— | |||||
| Hämeenlinna | | 19 May 2004 | 31 December 2004 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 24 | 47 | −23 | 008.33 |
| Gnistan | | 1 January 2007 | 31 December 2007 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 43 | 31 | +12 | 037.04 |
| Viikingit | | 1 January 2008 | 31 December 2010 | 73 | 37 | 19 | 17 | 126 | 60 | +66 | 050.68 |
| MYPA | | 1 January 2011 | 31 December 2013 | 125 | 48 | 23 | 54 | 158 | 164 | −6 | 038.40 |
| Lahti | | 1 January 2014 | 1 October 2018 | 202 | 73 | 73 | 56 | 262 | 228 | +34 | 036.14 |
| HJK | | 14 July 2023 | 31 December 2023 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 41 | 41 | +0 | 041.67 |
| HJK | | 21 May 2024 | 3 May 2025 | 43 | 19 | 8 | 16 | 82 | 65 | +17 | 044.19 |
| Haugesund |  | 27 May 2025 | Present | 21 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 57 | −40 | 009.52 |
| Total | 539 | 201 | 144 | 194 | 753 | 693 | +60 | 037.29 | |||
HJK
FC Lahti
Individual
Media related toToni Korkeakunnas at Wikimedia Commons