Kasper Paananen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kasper Vili Valtteri Paananen | ||
| Date of birth | 16 March 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | SJK | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| OLS | |||
| –2016 | ORPa | ||
| 2017 | OTP | ||
| 2018–2019 | OLS | ||
| 2019–2023 | Bologna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023 | SJK II | 26 | (8) |
| 2023– | SJK | 77 | (30) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | Finland U16 | 9 | (7) |
| 2019 | Finland U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 2021 | Finland U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 2026– | Finland | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 July 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 March 2026 | |||
Kasper Vili Valtteri Paananen (born 16 March 2003) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or winger for Veikkausliiga club SJK Seinäjoki and the Finland national team.
Career
[edit]Paananen was born in Helsinki but moved to Oulu with his family at an early age. He played for OLS, OPS, Oulun Rotuaarin Pallo and OTP in his youth years, before he moved to Italy in 2019 and signed with Bologna organisation.[1] Paananen spent four years in Italy,[2][3] played 61 matches, and scored 20 goals in total for the youth academy teams of Bologna, before leaving in 2023.
He spent time with AIK, Trelleborgs FF, and played one match for Honka in Finnish League Cup, before signing with SJK Seinäjoki.[4][5] He was first registered to the club's academy squad SJK Akatemia, playing in the second tier Ykkönen. For the next 2024 Veikkausliiga season, Paananen was promoted to the first team. In his first season in the league, Paananen made 28 appearances and scored eight goals. He started the 2025 season strong and scored four goals in the first four matches, helping SJK to start the season with the club's record-breaking four consecutive wins.[6] Paananen was named the Veikkausliiga Player of the Month for April and August 2025.[7]
Personal life
[edit]His younger brother Julius Paananen is also a professional football player for AC Oulu.[8] The former professional ice hockey player Jari Viuhkola is his maternal uncle.
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 13 November 2025[9]
| Club | Season | League | Finnish Cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Honka | 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SJK Akatemia | 2023 | Ykkönen | 26 | 8 | – | – | – | 26 | 8 | |||
| SJK | 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 28 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | 38 | 12 | ||
| 2025 | Veikkausliiga | 32 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 41 | 19 | |
| Total | 61 | 26 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 81 | 31 | ||
| Career total | 87 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 108 | 39 | ||
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
International
[edit]- As of match played 27 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours
[edit]Finland
Individual
References
[edit]- ↑ 16-vuotias futislahjakkuus Kasper Paananen siirtyy Italian pääsarjaseuraan, Ilta-Sanomat, Janne Oivio, 19 August 2019
- ↑ Futislupaus Kasper Paananen, 17, oli jäädä loukkuun liki Italian koronapesäkettä – passi oli Suomessa: ”Kieltämättä aika hermostunut”, Ilta-Sanomat, Tatu Myllykoski, 23 March 2020
- ↑ Bolognesea Kasper Paanasen tapaan - 17-vuotiaalla hyökkääjälupauksella takanaan ensimmäinen vuosi Bolognan akatemiassa, Lapin Kansa, Kai Nevala, 26 May 2020
- ↑ Kasper Paananen Kerhon riveihin, SJK, 17 March 2023
- ↑ Suomalainen huippulupaus testille Ruotsin suurseuraan – viettänyt viime vuodet Italiassa, suomifutis.com, Ville Liimatta, 16 January 2023
- ↑ Kommentti: Tässä on Veikkausliigan alkukauden sensaatio, Ilta-Sanomat, 24 April 2024
- ↑ SJK:n Kasper Paananen Veikkausliigan kuukauden pelaaja huhtikuussa, Veikkaus, 5 May 2025
- ↑ Suomalainen jalkapallolupaus lähellä ammattilaissopimusta: "Olen saanut treenata sellaisten äijien kanssa, joilla olen pelannut itse Fifaa pleikkarilla", Yle, 10 May 2020
- ↑ Kasper Paananen, Football Association of Finland
- ↑ "Huuhkajat voitti Uuden-Seelannin FIFA Series -turnauksen". www.palloliitto.fi. 30 March 2026.
- ↑ "Captain's Ball -gaalan kaikki palkitut vuonna 2025". www.palloliitto.fi. 4 December 2025.
- ↑ "Captain's Ball -gaalan kaikki palkitut vuonna 2025". www.palloliitto.fi. 4 December 2025.
- ↑ "Captain's Ball -gaalan kaikki palkitut vuonna 2025". www.palloliitto.fi. 4 December 2025.
- ↑ "Captain's Ball -gaalan kaikki palkitut vuonna 2025". www.palloliitto.fi. 4 December 2025.
- ↑ "KAKSI YLITSE MUIDEN KAUDEN 2025 KUUKAUDEN PELAAJA -ÄÄNESTYKSISSÄ". www.veikkausliiga.com. 16 November 2025.
External links
[edit]- Kasper Paananen at Soccerway
- Kasper Paananen at WorldFootball.net
- Living people
- 2003 births
- Finnish men's footballers
- 21st-century Finnish sportsmen
- Men's association football midfielders
- Ykkönen players
- Veikkausliiga players
- Oulun Työväen Palloilijat players
- Oulun Luistinseura players
- Bologna FC 1909 players
- SJK Akatemia players
- Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho players
- Finland men's youth international footballers
- Finnish expatriate men's footballers
- Footballers from Oulu
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- FC Honka players
- Oulun Palloseura players
- Finland men's international footballers