Matias Siltanen (born 29 March 2007) is a Finnish professional football player who plays as a midfielder for Veikkausliiga club KuPS.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 March 2007 | ||
| Place of birth | Kuopio, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | KuPS | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2022 | KuPS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | KuPS II | 26 | (2) |
| 2023– | KuPS | 27 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | Finland U15 | 5 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Finland U16 | 10 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Finland U17 | 14 | (4) |
| 2024– | Finland U19 | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 October 2024 | |||
Club career
editBorn in Kuopio, Siltanen started to play football in a youth team of the local club Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS). He made his senior debut in 2022 at the age of 15, with the club's reserve team KuPS II playing in the third tier league Kakkonen. After the 2022 season, Siltanen received the Boy Player of the Year award by the Eastern District of the Football Association of Finland.[1]
On 12 January 2023, Siltanen signed his first professional contract with the club, on a two-year deal with an option for an additional year.[2] He made his first team debut with KuPS on 11 February 2023, in a Finnish League Cup loss against Ilves.[3] In June, he spent time with Danish club AGF on trial.[4][5][6] After the 2023 season, Siltanen was named The Boy Player of the Year by the Football Association of Finland.[7][8]
On 6 April 2024, Siltanen debuted in Veikkausliiga with KuPS first team, as a starter in the opening game of the 2024 season, in a 3–1 home win against HJK Helsinki.[9] He scored his first goal in the league on 7 July 2024, in a 3–1 home win against IF Gnistan.[10] On 10 July, the club exercised his option for the 2025 season.[11] In September, Siltanen was noted by the CIES Football Observatory in the list of the most notable under-20 players in the world.[12][13][14] On 21 September, Siltanen and KuPS won the 2024 Finnish Cup title with a 2–1 win over Inter Turku in the final. In mid-October, Siltanen was named among the best 60 young talents in world football by The Guardian.[15][16] He became the third Finnish player to be mentioned in the said list, after Kaan Kairinen in 2015 and Sergei Eremenko in 2016. On 19 October, Siltanen and KuPS were crowned the Veikkausliiga champions, completing the club's first-ever double. During his debut season with KuPS first team, 17-year-old Siltanen played in a big role and contributed in 42 matches, scoring a goal and providing five assists in total.
International career
editSiltanen was part of the Finland U16 squad that won the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in July 2023.[17]
On 4 October 2023, he was named the captain of the Finland U17 squad in the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification tournament.[18][19] In the tournament Finland drew with Ukraine 2–2[20] and with Germany 1–1, before winning Liechtenstein 3–0, placing 2nd in the group and advancing to the Elite round.[21] Siltanen played in first two games and scored a goal against Ukraine.
Siltanen was called-up to the Finland U19 team for two friendly matches against Romania in September 2024.
Personal life
editHis father Marko Siltanen is a former footballer who played also for KuPS.[22]
Career statistics
edit- As of 19 October 2024
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| KuPS Akatemia | 2022 | Kakkonen | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | Kakkonen | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | 15 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| KuPS | 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 27 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 42 | 1 | |
| Total | 27 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 54 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 3 | ||
- ^ Includes Finnish Cup
- ^ Includes Finnish League Cup
- ^ Includes UEFA Conference League
Honours
editKuPS
- Veikkausliiga: 2024[23]
- Finnish Cup: 2024[24]
- Finnish League Cup runner-up: 2024
Finland U16
- Baltic Cup: 2023[17]
Individual
- Finnish FA: Boy Player of the Year 2023[7]
References
edit- ^ Itäisellä alueella jaettiin jalkapallokauden 2022 palkinnot, Finnish FA, 6 February 2023
- ^ Matias Siltanen monivuotiseen sopimukseen Kuopion Palloseuran kanssa, KuPS, 12 January 2023
- ^ ILVES VS. KUPS 3 - 0, int.soccerway.com
- ^ Nuori kuopiolaisjalkapalloilija on tyrkyllä yhteen Tanskan menestysseuroista – "Testijakso on ollut onnistunut", Savon Sanomat, Outi Poikonen, 12 June 2023
- ^ Matias Siltanen testijaksolla Aarhus GF:ssä, KuPS, 12 June 2023
- ^ KuPS-lupaus Matias Siltanen Tanskassa Aarhusin testissä, Veikkausliiga, 12 June 2023
- ^ a b Captain's Ball 2023 – Palkitut osa 1, Finnish FA, 1 December 2023
- ^ Päävalmentaja Honkavaaralla selkeä näkemys KuPSin huippulupauksesta: ”Odotan, että hän ottaa paikkansa kokoonpanossa”, Savon Sanomat, 6 December 2023
- ^ KuPS – HJK, veikkausliiga.com
- ^ KuPS nousi takaisin sarjataulukon kärkeen – huippulupaus Matias Siltanen iski uransa avausmaalin, Keski-Uusimaa, 7 July 2024
- ^ Optio käytetty – Matias Siltanen jatkaa KuPSissa, kups.fi, 10 July 2024
- ^ Ilveksestä ponnistanut Juho Talvitie ja KuPSin Matias Siltanen ylsivät kovalle listalle, Aamulehti, 15 September 2024
- ^ Ulkomaisista seuroista matkustetaan Suomeen katsomaan 17-vuotiasta, joka rakentaa Veikkausliigan kärkijoukkueen peliä, Yle, 31 August 2024
- ^ KuPSin superlupausta Siltasta, 17, tarkkailevat nyt seurat niin Pohjoismaista kuin myös huippuliigoista, Helsingin Sanomat, 14 August 2024
- ^ Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football, The Guardian, 15 October 2024
- ^ Brittilehti The Guardian nosti jalkapalloilija Matias Siltasen maailman parhaiden nuorten lahjakkuuksien joukkoon, Yle, 16 October 2024
- ^ a b U16-pojat marssi Baltic Cupin mestaruuteen, Football Association of Finland/ Palloliitto, 2 July 2023
- ^ Minihuuhkajiin valitut KuPSin kasvatit pääsevät mittaamaan osaamistaan lajin todellista jättiläistä vastaan, Savon Sanomat, Outi Poikonen, 4 October 2023
- ^ U17-pojat nimetty lokakuun EM-karsintaturnaukseen, Football Association of Finland/ Palloliitto, 4 October 2023
- ^ U17-pojat joutui tyytymään tasapeliin Ukrainaa vastaan, Finnish FA, 15 October 2023
- ^ U17-pojat selvitti tiensä EM-jatkokarsintoihin, Football Association of Finland/ Palloliitto, 21 October 2023
- ^ Ihmepoika Kuopiosta, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 8 May 2024
- ^ Kuopio villiintyi KuPSin mestaruudesta – Eini ilmestyi juhlahumuun, Yle, 19 October 2024
- ^ KuPS nousi takaa ohi Suomen Cupin voittoon – Petteri Pennanen ratkaisi pelin upealla laukauksella, Yle, 21 September 2024
External links
edit- Matias Siltanen at Soccerway
- Matias Siltanen at WorldFootball.net