Hannu Tihinen
Encyclopedia
Hannu Tihinen is a retired Finnish
footballer who played as a defender.
He has played for clubs in Finland, Norway, England, Belgium and Switzerland.
in the lower divisions before moving to Veikkausliiga
club HJK
for the 1997 season. He won both the Finnish championship and Finnish Cup
once with HJK, and also earned UEFA Champions League
experience with the club in the 1998-99
season. Tihinen then joined Norwegian
club Viking
in 2000. He spent two and a half seasons with Viking, while also having a brief loan spell at West Ham United
in the English
Premiership
. Whilst at West Ham he played in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford
in the 2000-01 FA Cup. In 2002 Tihinen joined Belgian
giants Anderlecht
. He played in Belgium for four years, winning two Belgian championships. After Tihinen's contract with Anderlecht expired in the summer of 2006, he was snapped up by Zürich on a three-year deal. He was Captain of the 2006-07 Swiss Championship and the 2008-09 Swiss Championship
winning team.
On 30 September 2009, Tihinen scored the winning goal for FC Zurich after 10 minutes against A.C. Milan
in the Group C game of the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League.
On 7 May 2010 Tihinen announced that he would retire after the 2009-10 season
, mainly because of his head injuries. His last game was an away draw (3-3) against Neuchâtel Xamax
on 16 May 2010. After retiring, he will join FC Zürich as an assistant director.
on 5 June 1999 against Turkey
. He formed Finland's regular central defensive pairing with Sami Hyypiä
for the most of 2000s.
Viking
Anderlecht
FC Zürich
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
footballer who played as a defender.
He has played for clubs in Finland, Norway, England, Belgium and Switzerland.
Club career
Tihinen started his career with KePSPalloseura Kemi Kings
Palloseura Kemi Kings or PS Kemi Kings is a Finnish football team based in the town of Kemi, who are currently playing in the Finnish second division, the Ykkönen.-History:...
in the lower divisions before moving to Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
club HJK
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
for the 1997 season. He won both the Finnish championship and Finnish Cup
Finnish Cup
The Finnish Cup is Finland's main national cup competition in football.This yearly competition is open for member clubs of the FA of Finland. Finnish Cup has been played since 1955.Finnish Cup winner qualifies to UEFA Europa League...
once with HJK, and also earned UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
experience with the club in the 1998-99
UEFA Champions League 1998-99
The 1998–99 UEFA Champions League was the seventh season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament, since it was renamed from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competition was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last...
season. Tihinen then joined Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
club Viking
Viking F.K.
Viking Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Stavanger. The club was founded in 1899 as football was becoming increasingly popular...
in 2000. He spent two and a half seasons with Viking, while also having a brief loan spell at West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. Whilst at West Ham he played in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
in the 2000-01 FA Cup. In 2002 Tihinen joined Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
giants Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
. He played in Belgium for four years, winning two Belgian championships. After Tihinen's contract with Anderlecht expired in the summer of 2006, he was snapped up by Zürich on a three-year deal. He was Captain of the 2006-07 Swiss Championship and the 2008-09 Swiss Championship
Swiss Super League 2008-09
Swiss Super League 2008–09 is the 112th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. The competition is officially named AXPO Super League due to sponsoring purposes. It began on 18 July 2008 with a match between Young Boys Bern and reigning champions FC Basel, which the latter won by 2–1...
winning team.
On 30 September 2009, Tihinen scored the winning goal for FC Zurich after 10 minutes against A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the Group C game of the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League.
On 7 May 2010 Tihinen announced that he would retire after the 2009-10 season
2009–10 Swiss Super League
The 2009–10 Swiss Super League is the 113th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. The competition is officially named AXPO Super League due to sponsoring purposes. It began on 11 July 2009 and will end in May 2010. FC Zürich were the defending champions...
, mainly because of his head injuries. His last game was an away draw (3-3) against Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
on 16 May 2010. After retiring, he will join FC Zürich as an assistant director.
International career
Tihinen made his debut for the Finnish national teamFinland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
on 5 June 1999 against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. He formed Finland's regular central defensive pairing with Sami Hyypiä
Sami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
for the most of 2000s.
International goals
Finland’s score first.| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 June 1999 |  HelsinkiHelsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
2–4 | Loss | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | |
| 2. | 15 August 2001 | Helsinki |
4–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 3. | 12 October 2002 | Helsinki |
3–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying | |
| 4. | 7 September 2005 | Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... |
5–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 5. | 5 September 2009 |  LankaranLankaran -History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,... |
2–1 | Win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
Helmet
Tihinen injured his head many times during his career. Because of that he wore a helmet during his last seasons. He was also very good with his head, which he used to score most of his goals.Honours
HJKHJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
- VeikkausliigaVeikkausliigaVeikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
: 1997Veikkausliiga 1997-League standings:-References:*... - Finnish CupFinnish CupThe Finnish Cup is Finland's main national cup competition in football.This yearly competition is open for member clubs of the FA of Finland. Finnish Cup has been played since 1955.Finnish Cup winner qualifies to UEFA Europa League...
: 1998
Viking
Viking F.K.
Viking Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Stavanger. The club was founded in 1899 as football was becoming increasingly popular...
- Norwegian CupNorwegian football cupThe Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
: 2001
Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
- Belgian First Division: 2003–04, 2005–06
- Belgian SupercupBelgian SupercupThe Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to...
: 2004
FC Zürich
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 2007, 2009