Jarkko Jokiranta
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 May 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Elimäki, Finland[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gnistan (sporting director) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| MYPA[1] | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Elimäen Villisiat | |||
| City Stars | |||
| JPS | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023– | Gnistan (sporting director) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 June 2024 | |||
Jarkko Jokiranta (born 17 May 1984) is a Finnish sports coach and a former player, currently working as a sporting director of IF Gnistan in Veikkausliiga.
Jokiranta has played in the youth sector of MyPa. As a senior player, he played for Elimäen Villisiat, City Stars and JPS in lower divisions.[1]
Career
While studying in Pajulahti, Jokiranta also worked as a youth coach for JyPK girls' teams in Jyväskylä.
He started as a youth director of JJK Jyväskylä in 2011.[2] He has also worked as a youth talent coach for the club,[3] before he joined HJK Helsinki as a talent coach in August 2017.[4] On 17 September 2021, he started to work for Finnish FA as a director of club development in the Southern Finland.[5]
On 4 October 2023, a newly promoted Veikkausliiga club IF Gnistan announced the appointment of Jokiranta as their new sporting director, starting in the position for the 2024 season.[6][7][8][1] He is also responsible of developing the club's youth sector. His contract includes an unusual option for transforming the head coach in 2027.[9]