Toni Lehtinen


Toni-Pekka Lehtinen is a Finnish football manager and former player. He is currently an assistant coach of Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho. Lehtinen was previously the manager of JJK Jyväskylä.

Playing career

Early career

Lehtinen has previously played for TP-Seinäjoki and was a youth player at English club Peterborough United. He returned to TP-Seinäjoki in 2002.

FC Haka

Toni signed for FC Haka in 2003. He won the Veikkausliiga in 2004 and finished runners up in 2007. He finished as the second highest scorer in the Veikkausliiga in 2004, 2007 and 2008 with 11 league goals in each of those seasons. He won the Veikkausliiga Rookie of the Year award in 2004. He won the Finnish Cup in 2005.

Levadiakos, FC Aarau

He joined the Greek club Levadiakos in the Super League Greece in January 2009, and joined FC Aarau in the Swiss Super League later that year after the Greek season had ended.

Return to Finland

He returned to FC Haka after the 09/10 season with FC Aarau had finished. Signed for IFK Mariehamn in January 2011.
After only one season with IFK, he left the Mariehamn-based club and signed a five-year contract with SJK in Ykkönen.

International career

Toni made his debut for the Finnish national team against Bahrain in December 2004. He has made 3 appearances for his country.

Coaching career

The last years of his playing career, Lehtinen was in SJK Akatemia squad on a player-coach contract. He worked as an assistant coach and youth coach in SJK organisation, before he was named the head coach of JJK Jyväskylä in August 2021.
On 12 January 2024, Lehtinen returned to Seinäjoki after he was named the manager of SJK first team.

Honours

As a player
Haka
SJK
Individual