Aulis Rytkönen

Aulis Rytkönen
Personal information
Date of birth5 January 1929
Place of birthKarttula, Finland
Date of death16 April 2014 (aged 85)
Place of deathHelsinki, Finland
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
–1945Kuopion työväen urheilijat
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1945–1952KuPS126(66)
1952–1960Toulouse120(33)
1960–1966HJK Helsinki85(28)
National team
1948–1964Finland37(7)
Teams managed
1960–1971HJK Helsinki
1975–1978Finland
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Taavi Aulis Rytkönen (5 January 1929 16 April 2014) was a Finnish footballer.[1] He became the country's first professional player when he signed for France's Toulouse FC in 1952.

In total Rytkönen spent eight seasons (1952–1960) in France, winning the French Cup in 1957. A forward, he started his career in Finland with KuPS Kuopio in 1945,[2] and after returning from France he worked as player-coach of HJK Helsinki 1960–1966 and as coach 1967–1971.[3]

Rytkönen earned 37 caps for the Finnish national team, scoring seven goals.[4] He played for Finland at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He also worked as national coach from 1975 to 1978. He was chosen Finland's Player of the Year in 1949, 1950, and 1952.[5]

Aulis Rytkönen Street in Kuopio. Kuopion keskuskenttä in the background.

References

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