Mikka Blakvaren

Mikka Blakvaren (Finland) - Former capitan of the Finland U-21 team. Most success in his playing carrier he had in the youth. He won third place in the U-16 World Cup and second place in the U-18 European Championship. After that his carrier become to slide down. He had some trouble to keep up to fans expetations due to his talent. When he was 19 he signed with HJK Helsinki, but for three seasons he played only in 15 games. After that he played in some lower division clubs. At age 28 he had a bike accident that ended his carrier. Rehabilitation took 3 years.

Blakvaren decided to start working as a manager. He got the job at VPS. Worked there for 4 years and got a good reviews for his performence with the club. In 2000 he got a proposition to take control of HJK Helsinki. Under his managment team won two Finland Championships and advanced to the UEFA Cup Final, becoming one of the seasons sensations.

Greatest wins:
14.09.2000 - Deportivo Alaves 2:4 HJK Helsinki (Vucko 38, Tellez 59 - Kallio 31, 81, Luiz Antonio 79, 83) UEFA CUP 1st Round
19.10.2000 - Glasgow Rangers 1:4 HJK Helsinki (Tugay 76 - Luiz Antonio 25, Jeremenko 61 pen, 65, 69) UEFA CUP 2nd Round
02.11.2000 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 Glasgow Rangers (Debbah 25, Luiz Antonio 74 - Van Bronckhorst 77) UEFA CUP 2nd Round
23.11.2000 - Vitesse 2:3 HJK Helsinki (Amoah 14, 35 - Luiz Antonio 68, Kallio 73, Jose Mari 86) UEFA CUP 3rd Round
07.12.2000 - HJK Helsinki 4:2 Vitesse (Jose Mari 34, Debbah 45, Luiz Antonio 47, 54 - Peeters 38, Ellerman 65) UEFA CUP 3rd Round
08.03.2001 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 Boavista (Luiz Antonio 37, 90 - Elpidio Silva 39) UEFA CUP 4th Round
15.03.2001 - Dinamo Kiev 1:2 HJK Helsinki (Kaladze 65 - Luiz Antonio 6, 42) UEFA CUP Quater Final
05.04.2001 - Panathinaikos 0:3 HJK Helsinki (Saastamoinen 20, Piracaia 58, Luiz Antonio 69) UEFA CUP Semi Final
19.04.2001 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 Panathinaikos (Luiz Antonio 3, Debbah 76 - Sipniefski 6) UEFA CUP Semi Final
30.05.2001 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 FC Jokerit - Finnish Premier Division
18.06.2001 - FC Lahti 04: HJK Helsinki - Finnish Premier
8.07.2001 - HJK Helsinki 3:2 VPS - Finnish Premier
01.11.2001 - HJK Helsinki 2:2 Liverpool - UEFA CUP 2nd Round (first game 0:2)

Greatest losts:
10.11.2000 - FC Jokerit 1:0 HJK Helsinki (Kuqi 66) FINNISH CUP FINAL
16.05.2001 - HJK Helsinki 0:1 Ajax Amsterdam (Babangida 87) UEFA CUP FINAL

SUCCESES:
2000 - Finland Premier Division Winner - HJK Helsinki
2001 - UEFA Cup Final - HJK Helsinki
2001 - Finland Premier Division Winner - HJK Helsinki

Individual:
2000 - Finland Premier Division Manager of the Month July
2000 - Finland Premier Division Manager of the Month September
2000 - Finland Premier Division Manager of the Month October

Players:
2000 - Finland Premier Division Player of the Month June - Luiz Antonio
2000 - Finland Premier Division Player of the Month October - Luiz Antonio
2000 - Finland Premier Division TOP SCORER - Luiz Antonio 33 goals
2001 - UEFA CUP 00/01 TOP SCORER - Luiz Antonio 14 goals
2001 - Finland Premier Division TOP SCORER - Luiz Antonio 44 goals
2001 - Finland Premier Division TEAM OF THE YEAR - Luiz Antonio, Markus Heikkenen

BIO

1996/1997 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

1997/1998 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

1998/1999 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

1999/2000 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

2000/2001 - HJK Helsinki (Finland, Premier Division)

2001/2002 - HJK Helsinki (Finland, Premier Division)

SEASON 1996/1997 VPS SWOS 96/97

Finnish Premier Division - 10th

Bad season for the team. We can't find a way to start winning.

Finnish Cup - Quater Final

We lose the first game we play.

STATS

Team: VPS

Country: Finland

Division: Premier Division

Games: 23

Wins: 3

Draws: 7

Losts: 13

League: 10th

Cup: Quater Final

SEASON 1997/1998 VPS SWOS 96/97

Finnish Premier Division - 8th Place
Progres is a slow proces but that season was a little step forward.

Finnish Cup: Semi Final
We win in the first game and the fight as hard as we can for the final but HJK beats us in pens.

STATS

Team: VPS

Country: Finland

Division: Premier Division

Games: 24

Wins: 8

Draws: 5

Losts: 11

League: 8th

Cup: Semi Final

SEASON 1998/1999 VPS SWOS 96/97

Finnish Premier Division - 10th Place
Poor season, nothing elese to say.

Finnish Cup - RUNNER-UP
At least we tried to win the Cup and that almost happened. Went to the last game after two good performances and fight in the final but in the end lost 1:2 with MyPA.

STATS

Team: VPS

Country: Finland

Division: Premier Division

Games: 25

Wins: 7

Draws: 6

Losts: 12

League: 10th

Cup: FINAL

SEASON 1999/2000 VPS SWOS 96/97

Finnish Premier Division - 5th Place
Finally a good season from VPS, could have been even better if the start was more decent.

Finnish Cup: Semi Final

STATS

Team: VPS

Country: Finland

Division: Premier Division

Games: 24

Wins: 11

Draws: 6

Losts: 7

League: 5th

Cup: Semi Final

SEASON 00/01 - HJK Helsinki Championship Manager 00/01

Mikka was appointed as a manager of Finnish HJK Helsinki in June 2000. The club was not doing good during the time, as it was somwhere between 5th and 3rd place in the table. There was a great threat that team won't win the championship.

Finnish Premier Division - WINNER
I started work after 10 games already been played in wich HJK won 5 times, lost 2 times and drawn 3 times. In my first game I had to face Inter Turku at home. Helsinki won easy 5:2 and after that we beat FC Jazz 3:0. In my third game HJK lost very important game with MyPA 2:3 but since then it was a lot better. We won 5 next games
Game 14: HJK 3:1 VPS (Luiz Antonio, Saastamoinen, Nylund)
Game 15: FC Lahti 0:4 HJK (Nylund, Hakanpaa, Luiz Antonio, Vasara)
Game 16: HJK 5:3 Tampere Utd (Luiz Antonio 2, Vasara 2, J. Saarinen)
Game 17: Kotkan TP 0:2 HJK (Luiz Antonio 2)
Game 18: HJK 6:1 FC Haka (Heikkinen 2, Saastamoinen, Koivuranta OG, Pantelic, Jeremenko)

That series ended with lost against FC Jokerit, but soon came another even more impresive series of 9 straight wins, wich basicly give us the championship.

Game 20: HJK 2:0 TPS (Saarinen, Vasara)
Game 21: RoPS 0:4 HJK (Hakanpaa, Jeremenko, Luiz Antonio 2)
Game 22: HJK 2:0 FC Jazz (Radosevic, Luiz Antonio)
Game 23: HJK 3:0 MyPa (Luiz Antonio, Saarinen, Heikkinen)
Game 24: Inter Turku 1:2 HJK (Kallio, Luiz Antonio)
Game 25: VPS 1:5 HJK (Ilola, Kallio, Luiz Antonio 3)
Game 26: HJK 5:0 FC Lahti (Kallio 2, Vasara, Heikkinen, Luiz Antonio)
Game 27: Tampere Utd 1:3 HJK (Luiz Antonio, Hakanpaa, Vasara)
Game 28: HJK 4:1 Kotkan TP (Saarinen, Kuivasto, T. Kallio, Ilola)

Then team got a bit tired after playing in Finnish Cup and UEFA Cup so the lost a game with FC Haka, but 4 last games of the season was all won, so HJK Helsinki easily grabed the first place in the league, first time since 1997.

Finnish Cup - Runner up
I started the job when the team was already in 7th round of the Cup. Let me show you how easy we gone to the final.

7th Round: Kotan TP 0:5 HJK (Luiz Antonio 7, 30, Piracaia 18, Jeremenko 23, Saarinen 45)
Quater Final: HJK 5:0 KuPS (Jeremenko 3 pen, 17, Vasara 22, Saarinen 68, Debbah 82)
Semi Final: HJK 4:0 MyPa (Luiz Antonio 24, 45, 83, Vasara 62)

In the fineal HJK faced strong challange of FC Jokerit. Unfortunetly the luck turned on us and after a close game we lost 0:1

UEFA Cup - Quater Final still playing
We started in the quals as Finnish teams are not rated strong in Europe. I guess we prove them wrong, as we managed to beat some much more highly rated teams and managed to reach the final. In the final we met the mighty Ajax Amsterdam. Game is very close and both teams have chances. HJK plays very brave but in the end their lose a focus for a moment and lost a goal that decides the game.

Qual. Round: HJK 4:0 Ararat (Piracaia 7, Saarinen 43, 61, Luiz Antonio 56)
Qual. Round: Ararat 0:2 HJK (Kuivasto 6, Jeremenko 79)

1st Round: Alaves 2:4 HJK (Vucko 38, Tellez 59 - Kallio 31, 81, Luiz Antonio 79, 83)
1st Round: HJK 3:3 Alaves (Epitie 8, Vucko 18, 58 - Radosevic 66, Heikkinen 73, Saarinen 86)

2nd Round: Rangers 1:4 HJK (Tugay 76 - Luiz Antonio 25, Jeremenko 61 pen, 65, 69)
2nd Round: HJK 2:1 Rangers (Debbah 25, Luiz Antonio 74 - Van Bronckhorst 77)

3rd Round: Vitesse 2:3 HJK (Amoah 14, 35 - Luiz Antonio 68, Kallio 73, Jose Mari 86)
3rd Round: HJK 4:2 Vitesse (Jose Mari 34, Debbah 45, Luiz Antonio 47, 54 - Peeters 38, Ellerman 65)

4th Round: Boavista 4:3 HJK (Elpidio Silva 27, 70, 74, Naddah 86 - Jeremenko 84 pen, Debbah 90, Heikkinen 90)
4th Round: HJK 2:1 Boavista (Luiz Antonio 34, 90 - Elpidio Silva 39)

Quater Final: Dinamo Kiev 1:2 HJK (Kaladze 65 - Luiz Antonio 6, 42)
Quater Final: HJK 1:1 Dinamo Kiev (Kallio 42 - Leonenko 8)

Semi Final: Panathinaikos 0:3 HJK (Saastamoinen 20, Piracaia 58, Luiz Antonio 69)
Semi Final: HJK 2:1 Panathinaikos (Luiz Antonio 3, Debbah 76 - Sipniefski 6)

FINAL: HJK 0:1 Ajax (Babangida 87)

STATS:
Team: HJK Helsinki
Country: Finland
Division: Premier Division
Work Period: 16.06.2000 -

Season 00/01
Games: 37
Wins: 31
Draws: 1
Losts: 5
Premier Division: 1st
Finnish Cup: Final (lost 0:1 with FC Jokerit)
UEFA Cup: Final (lost 0:1 with Ajax)

TOP SCORER
Luiz Antonio - 46
MVP
Luiz Antonio - 8.04
ASSISTS
Janne Saarinen - 12

SQUADS
19.06.2000 - HJK 5:2 Inter Turku - Premier Division (first game in the club)
1.Jani Viander
5.Jarmo Saastamoinen
4.Ville Nylund
19.Rami Hakanpaa
30.Sami Yla-Jussila
17.Janne Saarinen
16.Piracaia
18.Markus Heikkinen
14.Luiz Antonio
10.Vesa Vasara
7.Aleksej Jeremenko

19.10.2000 - Rangers 1:4 HJK - Champions League
1. Jani Viander
20.Toni Kuivasto
5.Jarmo Saastamoinen
19.Rami Hakanpaa
13.Jari Ilola
21.Jose Mari
29.Marko Pantelic
7.Aleksej Jeremenko
14.Luiz Antonio
22.James Debbah
16.Piracaia

SEASON 00/01 - HJK Helsinki Championship Manager 00/01

Finnish Premier Division - WINNER

Good season and another league championship.

Finnish Cup - Semi Final

Again no luck in the Cup. We lose in the semi final again with FC Jokerit.

Champions League - 3rd Qualification Round

UEFA Cup - 2nd Round

TOP SCORER
Luiz Antonio - 64
MVP
Luiz Antonio - 8.18
ASSISTS
Aleksej Jeremenko - 16

SQUADS
16.05.2001 - HJK 0:1 Ajax - UEFA CUP FINAL
12.Ville Wallen
5.Jarmo Saastamoinen
19.Rami Hakanpaa
18.Markus Heikkinen
17.Janne Saarinen
21.Jose Mari
7.Aleksej Jeremenko
25.Josip Radosevic
14.Luiz Antonio
16.Piracaia
11.Toni Kallio

01.11.2001 - HJK 2:2 Liverpool - UEFA Cup 2nd Round
12.Ville Wallen
20.Toni Kuivasto
5.Jarmo Saastamoinen
21.Jose Mari
19.Rami Kakanpaa
50.Mika Lehkosuo
7.Aleksej Jeremenko
25.Josip Radosevic
14.Luiz Antonio
16.Piracaia
11.Toni Kallio

All time
Games: 133
Wins: 60
Draws: 25
Losts: 47
League Championships: 1
Domestic Cups: 0
International Trophies: 0
International Club Trophies: 0
POINTS: 130
SEASONS: 4

Greatest wins:
14.09.2000 - Deportivo Alaves 2:4 HJK Helsinki (Vucko 38, Tellez 59 - Kallio 31, 81, Luiz Antonio 79, 83) UEFA CUP 1st Round
19.10.2000 - Glasgow Rangers 1:4 HJK Helsinki (Tugay 76 - Luiz Antonio 25, Jeremenko 61 pen, 65, 69) UEFA CUP 2nd Round
02.11.2000 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 Glasgow Rangers (Debbah 25, Luiz Antonio 74 - Van Bronckhorst 77) UEFA CUP 2nd Round
23.11.2000 - Vitesse 2:3 HJK Helsinki (Amoah 14, 35 - Luiz Antonio 68, Kallio 73, Jose Mari 86) UEFA CUP 3rd Round
07.12.2000 - HJK Helsinki 4:2 Vitesse (Jose Mari 34, Debbah 45, Luiz Antonio 47, 54 - Peeters 38, Ellerman 65) UEFA CUP 3rd Round
08.03.2001 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 Boavista (Luiz Antonio 37, 90 - Elpidio Silva 39) UEFA CUP 4th Round
15.03.2001 - Dinamo Kiev 1:2 HJK Helsinki (Kaladze 65 - Luiz Antonio 6, 42) UEFA CUP Quater Final
05.04.2001 - Panathinaikos 0:3 HJK Helsinki (Saastamoinen 20, Piracaia 58, Luiz Antonio 69) UEFA CUP Semi Final
19.04.2001 - HJK Helsinki 2:1 Panathinaikos (Luiz Antonio 3, Debbah 76 - Sipniefski 6) UEFA CUP Semi Final

Greatest losts:
10.11.2000 - FC Jokerit 1:0 HJK Helsinki (Kuqi 66) FINNISH CUP FINAL
16.05.2001 - HJK Helsinki 0:1 Ajax Amsterdam (Babangida 87) UEFA CUP FINAL

SUCCESES:
2000 - Finland Premier Division Winner - HJK Helsinki
2001 - UEFA Cup Final - HJK Helsinki
2001 - Finland Premier Division Winner - HJK Helsinki

Individual:
2000 - Finland Premier Division Manager of the Month July
2000 - Finland Premier Division Manager of the Month September
2000 - Finland Premier Division Manager of the Month October

Players:
2000 - Finland Premier Division Player of the Month June - Luiz Antonio
2000 - Finland Premier Division Player of the Month October - Luiz Antonio
2000 - Finland Premier Division TOP SCORER - Luiz Antonio 33 goals
2001 - UEFA CUP 00/01 TOP SCORER - Luiz Antonio 14 goals

BIO

BIO

1996/1997 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

1997/1998 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

1998/1999 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

1999/2000 - VPS (Finland, Premier Division)

2000/2001 - HJK Helsinki (Finland, Premier Division)

2001/2002 - HJK Helsinki (Finland, Premier Division)

International BIO