1. Personal Information
Jukka Koskinen was born on 29 November 1972. He holds Finnish nationality.
2. Playing Career
Jukka Koskinen's professional football career spanned over a decade, encompassing engagements with clubs in Finland and the Netherlands, as well as a pioneering stint in South Korea. He also represented the Finland national football team at the international level.
2.1. Club Career
Koskinen began his professional career with Reipas Lahti, playing for the club in 1989 and 1990. He then moved to MyPa in 1990, where he spent a significant part of his career until 1997. During his time at MyPa, he made 133 league appearances and scored 7 goals, contributing to the team's success in domestic and European competitions.
In 1997, Koskinen transitioned to Dutch football, joining Willem II Tilburg in the Eredivisie. He played for Willem II for two seasons, making 25 league appearances and scoring 1 goal before departing in 1999.
His next move marked a significant milestone, as he became the first Finnish player to join the K League in South Korea, signing with Anyang LG Cheetahs (now FC Seoul) in 1999. Under the registered name 유카YukaKorean, he played as a defensive midfielder for the club. During the 1999 season, Koskinen made 12 appearances in the regular league and an additional 2 appearances in the League Cup, totaling 14 matches without scoring any goals or providing assists.
After his spell in South Korea, Koskinen returned to Finland, joining FC Haka in 2000. He played for Haka until 2002, making 37 league appearances and scoring 2 goals. His final club was FC Lahti, where he played from 2003 to 2005, contributing 50 league appearances and 5 goals before concluding his professional playing career.
2.2. International Career
Jukka Koskinen represented the Finland national football team in 17 A-matches. He made his international debut on 15 November 1995, in a UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier against Russia, coming on as a substitute for Tommi Grönlund. He participated in the King's Cup held in Bangkok, Thailand in 1996. During this tournament, he scored a goal against a Romania League select team, although this particular match was not officially recognized as an A-match.
2.3. International Goals
As of his match played on 13 February 1996, Jukka Koskinen scored one international goal for Finland.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 February 1996 | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | Romania | 1-0 | 1-1 | King's Cup |
3. Position
Jukka Koskinen primarily played as a defender. Throughout his career, he was also utilized in a midfield role, specifically as a defensive midfielder.
4. Honours
Haka
- Veikkausliiga: 2000
MyPa
- Finnish Cup: 1995
5. Statistics
Jukka Koskinen's career statistics are detailed below, encompassing his appearances and goals across various club and international competitions.
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cups | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Reipas Lahti | 1989 | Ykkönen | 5 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1990 | Veikkausliiga | 16 | 1 | - | - | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| MyPa | 1990 | Ykkönen | 14 | 1 | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||
| 1991 | Veikkausliiga | 6 | 1 | - | - | 6 | 1 | |||
| 1992 | Veikkausliiga | 33 | 4 | - | - | 33 | 4 | |||
| 1993 | Veikkausliiga | 18 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 1994 | Veikkausliiga | 10 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1995 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| 1996 | Veikkausliiga | 17 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 1997 | Veikkausliiga | 9 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| Total | 133 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 145 | 7 | ||
| Willem II | 1997-1998 | Eredivisie | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 20 | 1 | |
| 1998-99 | Eredivisie | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | ||
| Anyang LG Cheetahs | 1999 | K League 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | |
| Haka | 2000 | Veikkausliiga | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2001 | Veikkausliiga | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2002 | Veikkausliiga | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| Total | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 2 | ||
| Lahti | 2003 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 3 | - | - | 26 | 3 | ||
| 2004 | Veikkausliiga | 19 | 2 | - | - | 19 | 2 | |||
| 2005 | Veikkausliiga | 5 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 270 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 278 | 25 | ||
5.2. International
| Finland | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals | |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 1 | |
6. Influence and Legacy
Jukka Koskinen holds a unique place in the history of Finnish and South Korean football as the first player from Finland to play in the K League. His move to Anyang LG Cheetahs in 1999 opened a new pathway for Finnish footballers to explore opportunities in Asian leagues and contributed to the burgeoning football relations between Finland and South Korea. His pioneering presence helped pave the way for future international player exchanges between the two nations.