Kasper Paananen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kasper Vili Valtteri Paananen | ||
| Date of birth | 16 March 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | SJK | ||
| Number | 31 | ||
| 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 | 61 | (26) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | Finland U16 | 9 | (7) |
| 2019 | Finland U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 2021 | Finland U19 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13 November 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 October 2023 | |||
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.
Career
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
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
- 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
Honours
Individual
- Veikkausliiga Player of the Year 2025
- Veikkausliiga Striker of the Year 2025
- Veikkausliiga Top Goalscorer 2025
- Ruutu Star Player of the Year 2025
- Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: April 2025,[7] August 2025
- Captain's Ball Gala 2025 award winners
References
- ^ 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
- ^ a b 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
External links
- Kasper Paananen at Soccerway
- Kasper Paananen at WorldFootball.net
