Joonas Rantanen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 July 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Finland | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ilves (manager) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2016–2019 | HJK women | ||
| 2020 | Klubi 04 | ||
| 2021 | HJK (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Gnistan | ||
| 2024– | Ilves | ||
Joonas Rantanen (born 27 July 1987) is a Finnish football manager, currently working as a manager of Veikkausliiga club Ilves. He has obtained a UEFA Pro -coaching license.[1]
Coaching career
[edit]Rantanen was raised in Oulunkylä neighbourhood of Helsinki, and played in a local club IF Gnistan as a youth player. His first coaching position was also in a youth team of Gnistan.[2]
HJK organisation
[edit]Rantanen started as a sports coordinator for youth teams in HJK Helsinki organisation in 2009. He worked for HJK in various positions until 2015, when he had a brief study leave.[3]
During 2016–2019, Rantanen worked as a head coach of HJK women's team competing in Naisten Liiga,[4] leading the team to win Finnish championship title in 2019, and Finnish Women's Cup in 2017 and 2019.[5]
He was named the head coach of Klubi 04, the reserve team of HJK, for the 2020 season,[6] winning the Kakkonen Group B and gaining a promotion to Ykkönen. Rantanen worked as an assistant coach in Toni Koskela's coaching staff in HJK first team for the 2021 Veikkausliiga season.[7]
Gnistan
[edit]In October 2021, Rantanen returned to his former club Gnistan,[2] and during 2022–2023 he served as the head coach of the club's first team in the second-tier Ykkönen. At the end of the 2023 season, he led the team to finish as Ykkönen runner-up and qualify for the Veikkausliiga promotion play-offs, eventually losing to IFK Mariehamn.[8] However, Gnistan were later granted the Veikkausliiga license and promoted via supplemental process, after FC Honka was declared for bankruptcy.
Ilves
[edit]On 23 October 2023, Rantanen was appointed as the manager of Veikkausliiga club Ilves on a two-year deal, starting in 2024, and reuniting with former HJK sporting director Miika Takkula.[9] In his first season as a manager in the top tier, he coached the team in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League qualifiers, advancing to the 3rd round by an aggregate win against Austria Wien.[10] He was named the Veikkausliiga Manager of the Month in September 2024, after leading his team to a winning streak during the month. He led Ilves to finish as the season's runners-up, falling two points short of the champions KuPS.
Personal life
[edit]Rantanen has graduated as a Master of Education (MEd).[11]
His father Jari Rantanen is a former police and football coach.[12][13]
His brothers Tuomas and Juuso have also worked for Gnistan.[2]
Managerial statistics
[edit]- As of 19 October 2024[14]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | W% | |||||||
| HJK women | 
|
25 August 2016 | 31 December 2019 | 84 | 58 | 12 | 14 | 69.05 | |||
| Klubi 04 |
|
1 January 2020 | 31 December 2020 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 85.00 | |||
| Gnistan |
|
1 January 2022 | 31 December 2023 | 71 | 34 | 20 | 17 | 47.89 | |||
| Ilves |
|
1 January 2024 | present | 38 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 52.63 | |||
| Total | 213 | 129 | 43 | 41 | 60.56 | ||||||
Managerial honours
[edit]HJK women
- Naisten Liiga: 2019
- Finnish Women's Cup: 2017, 2019
Klubi 04
Gnistan
Ilves
- Veikkausliiga runner-up: 2024
Individual
- Western Finland FA Manager of the Year: 2024[15]
- Veikkausliiga Manager of the Month: September 2024
References
[edit]- ^ JOONAS RANTANEN ILVEKSEN PÄÄVALMENTAJAKSI – VALMENNUSRYHMÄSSÄ TUTTUJA KASVOJA, ilvesedustus.fi
- ^ a b c JOONAS RANTANEN GNISTANIN PÄÄVALMENTAJAKSI, gnistan.fi, 22 October 2021
- ^ Joonas Rantanen – HJK:n liikuntakoordinaattorista liigajoukkueiden valmennukseen, hjk.fi, 29 June 2021
- ^ Joonas Rantanen jatkaa HJK:n naisten päävalmentajana, kymppipaikka.fi, 25 August 2016
- ^ HJK:n naisten päävalmentaja vaihtuu – Jonne Kunnas ottaa ensi kaudella vetovastuun, Yle, Hinni Hirvonen, 28 August 2019
- ^ Mestarivalmentaja HJK Klubi 04:n vetäjänä, hjk.fi, 5 December 2019
- ^ HJK:n valmennustiimi 2020 on selvillä, hjk.fi, 21 October 2019
- ^ IFK Mariehamn säilytti paikkansa Veikkausliigassa – katso, miten Gnistanin pääsarjaunelma kaatui 20 sekunnissa, Yle, 29 October 2023
- ^ Joonas Rantanen Ilveksen päävalmentajaksi – jalkapallojoukkueen nykyinen valmennustiimi jatkaa tukena, Yle, 23 October 2023
- ^ Ilves jatkaa Konferenssiliigan kolmannelle karsintakierrokselle – FK Austria Wien kaatui rangaistuspotkukilpailussa!, ilvesfootball.com, 1 August 2024
- ^ Joonas Rantanen Ilveksen peräsimeen - 2+1-vuotinen sopimus päävalmentajan tehtävään, Veikkausliiga, 23 October 2023
- ^ Pitkän uran tehnyt Jari Rantanen sai ansaitsemansa palkinnon – Jyrki Heliskoski kunniapalkinto ojennettiin Mäntän Valon kasvatille, joka on työskennellyt noin 45 vuotta pääasiassa lasten ja nuorten jalkapallossa monissa rooleissa, kmvlehti.fi, 12 December 2023
- ^ Mitäköhän tästä tulee? tuumi tähtipelaaja Joonas Rantasesta, mutta tarinalla oli upea loppu – Uusi Ilves-valmentaja käy rajuja keskusteluja Äijät ja mä -ryhmässä, Aamulehti, 21 January 2024
- ^ Joonas Rantanen, sofascore.com
- ^ Joonas Rantanen palkittiin Palloliiton Läntisen alueen Vuoden valmentajana, ilvesfootball.com, 1 February 2025
External links
[edit]- Joonas Rantanen at WorldFootball.net