The Ilves legend died last night.
Jari Niinimäki was an Ilves player legend. Mika Kylmäniemi, AOP
Former soccer player Jari Niinimäki has died at the age of 65. Tampere’s Ilves announced that Niinimäki died on the night between Friday and Saturday.
In 1986, Niinimäki won the scoring crown in the championship series that preceded the Veikkausliiga. He is 28th in the all-time scoring list at the main league level.
Niinimäki won the Finnish championship in Ilves in 1983 and the Finnish Cup in 1979.
In 11 seasons, Niinimäki scored 90 goals in 221 matches. In the national team, he played nine national matches in 1986–87.
Niinimäki was a former ice hockey player Jesse Niinimäki father. Ilves will honor Niinimäki in Sunday’s match against FC Honka.