Luka Kuittinen

Luka Kuittinen
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-03-29) 29 March 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Rovaniemi, Finland
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Inter Turku
Number 22
Youth career
RoPS
TP-47
–2020 RoPS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 RoPS II 11 (1)
2021 RoPS 29 (3)
2022– Inter Turku 54 (3)
2022– → Inter Turku II 11 (2)
2023 → SalPa (loan) 4 (0)
International career‡
2021 Finland U19 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 February 2024

Luka Kuittinen (born 29 March 2003) is a Finnish professional football defender for Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku.[1]

Club career

Born in Rovaniemi, Kuittinen started football in a youth sector of a local club Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS). He made a senior debut with the club's reserve team in third-tier Kakkonen in the 2020 season. Next season, he played for RoPS first team in the second-tier Ykkönen, but was released after the season among other players due to club's financial problems which caused RoPS to be demoted to Kakkonen.[2]

On 26 December 2021, he signed a three-year deal with Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku. Kuittinen debuted in the league in the 2022 season, and scored his first league goal on 7 June 2024, in a 2–0 away win against Lahti.[3] He was named in the Veikkausliiga Team of the Month in June 2024.[4] On 12 September 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension with Inter.[5]

International career

Kuittinen has represented Finland U19 national team on one occasion in 2021.[6]

In the late August 2024, Kuittinen received his first call-up to the Finland U21 national team.[7]

Career statistics

As of 23 October 2024.[8]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] League cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
RoPS II 2020 Kakkonen 11 1 3 1 – – 14 2
RoPS 2021 Ykkönen 29 3 4 0 – – 33 3
Inter Turku II 2022 Kolmonen 4 0 – – – 4 0
2023 Kolmonen 5 1 – – – 5 1
2024 Kakkonen 2 1 – – – 2 1
Total 11 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 2
Inter Turku 2022 Veikkausliiga 18 0 3 0 2 0 1[b] 0 24 0
2023 Veikkausliiga 13 0 3 1 6 1 – 22 2
2024 Veikkausliiga 23 3 6 0 4 0 – 33 3
Total 54 3 11 1 12 1 1 0 78 5
SalPa (loan) 2023 Ykkönen 4 0 – – – 4 0
Career total 114 9 19 2 12 1 1 0 146 12
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Conference League

Honours

RoPS

Inter Turku

References

  1. ^ Luka Kuittinen hakee seuraavaa askelta Interissä - "Fiilikset ovat hyvät, odottavaiset ja vapautuneet", Veikkausliiga, 26 December 2021
  2. ^ Ammattilaisjoukkue meni ja sureva fani laski RoPSille kynttilän – pelaajalupaus Luka Kuittinen: "Ei voi kuin olla kiitollinen ja pahoillaan", Yle, 10 December 2021
  3. ^ Kuittinen osui vihdoin hyökkäyspäässäkin, Itä-Häme, 7 June 2024
  4. ^ Luka Kuittinen Veikkausliigan kesäkuun joukkueessa, fcinter.fi
  5. ^ Luka Kuittinen jatkaa Interissä kahden vuoden sopimuksella, fcinter.fi, 12 September 2024
  6. ^ RoPSin Luka Kuittinen sai mieluisana yllätyksenä kutsun ensimmäiseen maajoukkueleiritykseensä – myös Otto Kemppainen on U19-joukkueessa, Lapin Kansa, 30 August 2021
  7. ^ RoPS-kasvatti Luka Kuittinen pääsi ensimmäistä kertaa Pikkuhuuhkajiin – EM-karsinnoissa mukana myös Miska Ylitolva ja Jussi Niska, Lapin Kansa, 28 August 2024
  8. ^ Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, L.Kuittinen, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto