Jarkko Wiss

Jarkko Wiss (born 17 April 1972) is a Finnish football manager and a former international footballer, who is currently the head coach of SJK. During his playing career, Wiss won four Finnish championship titles with Tampereen Pallo-Veikot, HJK Helsinki, and twice with Tampere United. He was capped 43 times for the Finland national team during 1996–2007. As a manager, he led KuPS to the 2025 Veikkausliiga title before joining SJK for the 2026 season.

Playing career As a player, he played in the position of defensive midfielder for TPV Tampere, FF Jaro, HJK and Tampere United in Finland, Molde, Lillestrøm and Moss in Norway, before joining Stockport County in England for a £350,000 transfer fee, as well as for Hibernian in Scotland. He was known for his powerful shots with both feet and as a hard tackler.

When playing for HJK, Wiss represented the club in the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League group stage.

International career During 1996–2007, Wiss made over 40 appearances for the Finnish national team.

Coaching career After retiring in 2007 at the age of 35, he worked both as a youth coach and as a sporting director for Tampere United between 2008 and 2009. He also managed the Finnish under-15 football team.

On 29 October 2010 it was announced that Wiss had succeeded the longtime head coach Ari Hjelm at Tampere United. He signed a two-year contract, with an option for a two-year extension, with the club on the same day. However, the club was banned from competition for the 2011 season.

Wiss was the manager of Finland national under-18 football team since 1 January 2014.

On 6 November 2015 it was announced that Wiss is taking the head coach position at Ilves starting on 1 January 2016.

On 23 September 2022, Wiss signed a contract with Inter Turku as a manager for 2023 and 2024 seasons, with an option for an additional year. On 6 November 2023, after one season with the club, Wiss was fired due to a harassment incident.

On 13 August 2024, it was reported in Finnish media that Wiss would start as the new manager of Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) for the 2025 Veikkausliiga season, a move the club confirmed two days later. Tomi Erola, the CEO of KuPS, stated that the club's values were made clear to Wiss, emphasizing that the club believed no one should be judged definitively for past mistakes. His tenure in Kuopio culminated in a highly successful 2025 season, where he guided the club the Veikkausliiga title, characterized by a dominant defensive record throughout the campaign. Despite the championship success, the club announced in November 2025 that Wiss would depart at the end of the year following the conclusion of his contract.

SJK On 21 December 2025, it was officially announced that Wiss would take over as the head coach of SJK for the 2026 season. He was tasked with rebuilding the squad to challenge for European spots, bringing in a wealth of experience from his previous championship-winning seasons. His first official matches with SJK took place in the 2026 Liigacup during the pre-season winter months.

Career statistics Club

International

International goals As of match played 4 January 2002. Finland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Wiss goal.

Managerial record

Honours Tampere United Veikkausliiga: 2006, 2007 Finnish Cup: 2007

HJK Veikkausliiga: 1997 UEFA Champions League participant: 1998–99

TPV Veikkausliiga: 1994

Managerial honours KuPS Veikkausliiga: 2025 Ilves Finnish Cup: 2019

Individual Veikkausliiga Manager of the Month: September 2016 August 2017 June 2023 August 2025 October 2025 Veikkausliiga Manager of the Year: 2025