The contract is a 2 + 1 year model.
Mixu Paatelainen takes over HIFK. AOP
Mixu Paatelainen is the new head coach of the Veikkausliiga club Helsinki IFK. The club announced the deal on Sunday.
Paatelainen will take HIFK to the Haka match next Friday.
Paatelainen’s contract is for three years, the last of which is an option.
– There are things in football that cannot be bought with money but must be earned. These include fans and traditions. HIFK has both of these. I grew up within HIFK and now I can be a part of this club. That’s an honor for me. I will do my best, use my experience and view that together we will achieve something great, Paatelainen says in a HIFK press release.
The family ties with me are strong. Father of Paatelainen Matti Paatelainen and uncle Heikki Paatelainen both once played in the ranks of HIFK in the championship series.
Hired to head HIFK for this season Bernardo Tavares resigned earlier in April on family grounds. A week later, he was reported to have signed a coaching contract with Indonesian PSM Makassar.
Paatelainen, 55, who coached the Finnish national team in 2011–2015, has most recently served as the head coach of the Hong Kong national team. He has also coached Latvia on national teams.
Paatelainen, who became a coach in 2005 after a handsome playing career, has coached in Scotland, Finland and Thailand.
In Finland, he commanded TPS in 2007–2008.