Tommi Pikkarainen (born 6 December 1969) is a Finnish football manager and former player, currently working as a sporting director of Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) in Veikkausliiga.MTV Urheilun tiedot: Viime kauden liigakomeetta valitsi uuden urheilujohtajan, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 21 October 2024
Playing career As a player, Pikkarainen played as a centre back for KPV and Porin Pallo-Toverit in Veikkausliiga, and for KPV and Pallo-Iirot in second-tier Ykkönen. He also played for Husqvarna FF in Swedish second division. His professional playing career was limited due to knee injury when aged 24. Later he played also for Sporting Kristina and VG-62 in lower divisions in the Finnish football league system and also coached for the clubs.
Coaching career Pikkarainen has coached Pargas IF, SalPa, and Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) and Turun Palloseura (TPS) in Finnish Veikkausliiga, and Riteriai in Lithuanian A Lyga in 2020. He has also worked previously as an assistant coach for Inter Turku and Jaro, and as a U19 youth coach for TPS between 2012 and 2015.
Since March 2022, he served as a sporting director of FC Jazz, having previously played for the club when it was named Porin Pallo-Toverit in 1991.Tommi Pikkarainen seuran uusi toiminnanjohtaja, fcjazz.com, 4 March 2022 On 13 February 2024, it was announced that Pikkarainen will leave the club in the end of March as his two-year deal expires.SKLS: Tommi Pikkarainen ei jatka FC Jazzin toiminnanjohtajana, Yle, 13 February 2024Jättiyllätys: FC Jazzia johtava Tommi Pikkarainen jättää tehtävänsä, Satakunnan Kansa, 13 February 2024 Later he stated that the reason for leaving was the inequality and negligence in the city of Pori between different sports.Porin kaupunginjohtajan kommentti oli viimeinen niitti – ”Minä hävisin”, Satakunnan Kansa, 14 April 2024”Olosuhteet ovat porilaisen jalkapallon suurin pullonkaula”, toiminnanjohtaja Tommi Pikkarainen, FC Jazz, pallotv.fi, 13 March 2024FC Jazzin entinen toiminnanjohtaja valittiin kovaan pestiin – kertoo terveisensä kaupungille: ”Sama tapahtuisi Porissa”, Satakunnan Kansa, 22 October 2024
On 21 October 2024, Veikkausliiga club VPS announced the appointment of Pikkarainen as the club's new sporting director after the departure of Petri Vuorinen, starting after the ongoing season.VPS:n urheilujohtaja vaihtuu - Tommi Pikkarainen ottaa ohjat kauden päätteeksi, vepsu.fi, 21 October 2024 Pikkarainen would make a return to the club after having served as VPS head coach in Veikkausliiga in 2010–2011.
Personal life His son Juhani Pikkarainen is a professional footballer and Finland international.TPS 100 vuotta – Veikkausliigan erikoisuus – isä Tommi Pikkarainen valmentaa ja poika Juhani pelaa samassa joukkueessa, jalkipeli.net, 29 June 2020Isä ja poika vastakkain torstaina alkavassa liigakarsinnassa – KPV:n Juhani Pikkarainen ja TPS:n Tommi Pikkarainen eivät asiasta keskustele, Keskipohjanmaa, 24 October 2019
Coaching record
TeamNatFromToRecordSalPa1 January 201831 December 2018TPS1 January 201923 July 2020Riteriai11 August 202031 December 2020Total
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