Markku Kanerva

Finnish footballer and manager (born 1964)

Markku Kanerva
Kanerva as manager of Finland in 2021
Personal information
Full name Markku Tapio Kanerva[1]
Date of birth (1964-05-24) 24 May 1964 (age 60)
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Finland (manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1990 HJK 184 (26)
1991–1992 Elfsborg 44 (3)
1993 FinnPa 26 (1)
1994–1998 HJK 79 (2)
1996 → Honka (loan) 1 (0)
International career
1986–1995 Finland 59 (1)
Managerial career
2001–2002 HJK (assistant)
2003 Viikingit
2004–2010 Finland U21
2011–2016 Finland (assistant)
2016– Finland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Markku Tapio Kanerva (born 24 May 1964)[2] is a Finnish football manager, former player and elementary school teacher. He is the current manager of the Finnish national team.

Playing career

Kanerva, who is known by the nickname "Rive", was born in Helsinki. In Finland, he played as a central defender and full back in his hometown clubs HJK Helsinki (1983–1990 and 1994–1998) and the season 1994 in the then local rivals FinnPa. The seasons 1991 and 1992, he played in the Swedish team IF Elfsborg in second-tier Superettan. His last years as a player were shadowed by injuries, but he was still an important part of the HJK defense. His playing career ended in 1998 which included the historical UEFA Champions League participation with HJK. At the Finnish top leagues Mestaruussarja and Veikkausliiga, he played total of 291 matches and scored 29 goals.

At international level, Kanerva went on to win 59 caps, and scored one goal for the Finnish national team.

Coaching career

Kanerva worked as a school teacher already during his playing career in Sweden and in Haaga, Helsinki, but since then he has been concentrating on football coaching. In 2001 and 2002, he was an assistant coach of Jyrki Heliskoski and Keith Armstrong in his former club HJK, and in 2003 he was the head coach of the Vuosaari-based club FC Viikingit in second-tier Ykkönen.

As the head coach of Finland under-21 national team, he led the team to the 2009 UEFA Euro U21 Championship final tournament. In the same year, he was awarded the Coach of the Year in Finland.

On 29 November 2010, it was announced that Kanerva would coach the Finland senior national team for the Spring period in 2011, while the Finnish FA will be seeking for a new head coach.[3][4] Mika Laurikainen took his place as the Finland U21 coach. Kanerva had another spell as caretaker manager of Finland NT in 2015. In December 2016, he was permanently appointed manager of the Finnish national team on a three-year contract.[5] In November 2019, he managed the Finland team to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2020 final tournament for the first time in the nation's history.

Personal life

His nickname "Rive" dates back to 1970s when he was playing football with the kids in the neighbourhood in Pukinmäki, Helsinki. According to the story, he was so good at football that the older kids started to call him Rive by the former Brazilian footballer Rivellino.[6]

Kanerva is married since 1991, and lives in Tapaninvainio, Helsinki. He has two chidren with his wife.[7][8][9]

Career statistics

As of 18 May 2024[10][11][12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
HJK 1983 Mestaruussarja 20 4 2[a] 0 22 4
1984 Mestaruussarja 17 3 2[a] 0 19 3
1985 Mestaruussarja 26 4 4[b] 1 30 5
1986 Mestaruussarja 22 5 2[c] 0 24 5
1987 Mestaruussarja 22 4 22 4
1988 Mestaruussarja 27 1 2[c] 1 29 2
1989 Mestaruussarja 22 2 2[c] 0 24 2
1990 Veikkausliiga 28 3 28 3
Total 184 26 14 2 198 28
Elfsborg 1991 Superettan 18 1 18 1
1992 Superettan 26 2 26 2
Total 44 3 44 3
FinnPa 1993 Veikkausliiga 26 1 26 1
HJK 1994 Veikkausliiga 19 1 2[b] 0 21 1
1995 Veikkausliiga 23 0 4[d] 0 27 0
1996 Veikkausliiga 11 0 3[a] 0 14 0
1997 Veikkausliiga 12 0 2[b] 0 14 0
1998 Veikkausliiga 14 1 8[e] 0 22 1
Total 79 2 19 0 98 2
Honka (loan) 1996 Ykkönen 1 0 1 0
Career total 334 32 31 2 365 34
  1. ^ a b c Includes UEFA Cup
  2. ^ a b c Includes UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  3. ^ a b c Includes European Cup
  4. ^ Includes UEFA Intertoto Cup
  5. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League

Managerial statistics

As of 20 November 2023[update]
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
FC Viikingit 2003 2003 26 13 8 5 050.00
Finland U21 2004 2009 29 12 4 13 041.38
Finland (interim) January 2011 December 2015 7 3 3 1 042.86
Finland December 2016 present 67 30 10 27 044.78
Total 129 58 25 46 044.96

Honours

HJK[11]

Sources

  • Veikkausliigan verkkonäyttely: MARKKU KANERVA at archive.today (archived 2012-09-14) (in Finnish)

References

  1. ^ Markku Kanerva – UEFA competition record (archive) Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Keskitalo, Tapio (12 December 2016). "Kanerva otti maajoukkueen tyynenä komentoonsa". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Suomen Palloliitto - Artikkeliarkisto". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Suomen Palloliitto - Artikkeliarkisto". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  5. ^ "Markku Kanerva A-maajoukkueen päävalmentajaksi" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  6. ^ Huuhkajien valmentaja Markku Kanerva on Rive, Perus-Markku ja Maisteri – lempinimien takaa piisaa tarinoita, Ilta-Sanomat, 17 September 2018
  7. ^ Jalkapallomaajoukkueen valmentaja Markku Kanerva: ”Voisimme olla maailman parhaita ryhmähengessä", helsinki.fi
  8. ^ Huuhkajien sankariluotsi Markku Kanerva saapui Linnan juhliin harvoin julkisuudessa nähdyn puolisonsa kanssa, Ilta-Sanomat, 6 December 2019
  9. ^ Markku Kanerva Minun Helsinkini -palstalla: ”Näemme rohkean ja voitontahtoisen Suomen”, hel.fi, 3 June 2021
  10. ^ Markku Kanerva, Finnish Fa
  11. ^ a b Markku Kanerva at National-Football-Teams.com
  12. ^ Markku Kanerva at WorldFootball.net
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