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Ossi-Pekka Juhani Virta[1] (born 9 July 1988) is a Finnish football coach and a former player, currently working as an assistant coach of Veikkausliiga club HJK Helsinki. Virta has completed UEFA Pro -coaching license in March 2023.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ossi-Pekka Juhani Virta | ||
| Date of birth | 9 July 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | HJK (assistant) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| KäPa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| KäPa | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2005–2014 | KäPa (youth) | ||
| 2015 | SJK II | ||
| 2016–2020 | KTP (assistant) | ||
| 2016 | KTP (interim) | ||
| 2021 | KäPa | ||
| 2022–2023 | Haka II | ||
| 2022–2023 | Haka (assistant) | ||
| 2023 | HJK (assistant) | ||
| 2024 | HJK | ||
| 2024– | HJK (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 March 2024 | |||
Virta started playing football with Käpylän Pallo (KäPa) youth sector in 1992. He also played for the club's first team in the third-tier Kakkonen.[3]
Virta started his coaching career also in KäPa youth sector in 2005, where he coached several youth teams during his 10-year spell. He worked also as a coaching director for the club.[4]
On 15 April 2015, Virta was named the director of SJK Akatemia.[5] He also worked in the coaching staff of head coach Simo Valakari for SJK first team in Veikkausliiga.
During 2016–2020, he worked for Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (KTP) as a youth coach, assistant coach and interim head coach.[6][7][8][9] He left the club after the 2020 season, when he was named the head coach of KäPa in third-tier Kakkonen.[10][4]
After one season with KäPa, Virta signed with Veikkausliiga side FC Haka on 5 November 2021 as an academy director, and simultaneously joined the coaching staff of Teemu Tainio in the Haka first team.[11][12] During his time in Haka, Virta gained a relatively wide popularity in social media with his passionate goal celebrations.[3][13]
HJK Helsinki
In July 2023, Virta was named the assistant coach of HJK Helsinki, after Haka and HJK had agreed on a fee for his contract.[14][15] Virta joined the coaching staff of Toni Korkeakunnas on a deal until the end of 2024, with a club option.[16] He became a viral social media hit again during HJK's 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League campaign with his rapid and accurate half-time live analyses.[17][13] In January 2024, Virta was unexpectedly named the manager of HJK for the 2024 Veikkausliiga season, after it was revealed that a newly recruited head coach Ferran Sibila lacks the required UEFA Pro -coaching license.[18][19][20] According to his contract with the club, Virta works as a manager until Sibila is able to attend and start the UEFA Pro coaching class.[21][22][23][24] Sibila was sacked on 20 May 2024, and Virta continued as an assistant coach for newly returned manager Toni Korkeakunnas.[25]
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