Kimmo Hovi

Kimmo Hovi
	Hovi in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Kimmo Markku Hovi
Date of birth	31 May 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	Mäntsälä, Finland
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	VfB Lübeck
Number	9
Youth career
2005–2007	MU
2008–2009	TuPS
2010–2012	PKKU
Senior career*
Years	Team
2012–2013	PKKU
2013	→ Melita (loan)
2014	FC Lahti
2014	→ Kuusysi (loan)
2015	Avilés
2015	→ Mérida (loan)
2015–2016	Portugalete
2016–2018	Inter Leipzig
2018	Chemnitzer FC
2019–2020	Union Fürstenwalde
2020–2022	Viktoria Berlin
2022–	Lübeck
International career‡
2013	Finland U19
2014	Finland U20
2014–2015	Finland U21
Medal record
FC Lahti
Inter Leipzig
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 May 2024; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 September 2015

Kimmo Hovi (born 31 May 1994) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a forward for German club VfB Lübeck.^[2] He has also represented Finland U21 national team.^[3] He began his senior club career playing for PKKU at age 16 in 2012, before signing with FC Lahti in 2014. During his debut season he helped FC Lahti win bronze in the Veikkausliiga. Since then he has represented various clubs from Finland, Germany, Malta and Spain.

Club career

PKKU

Hovi was born in Mäntsälä, Finland. He transferred to PKKU in 2010 and made his debut in Kakkonen during season 2012. Season 2013 was his break through when he scored 17 goals in 21 matches.^[4] After the season, he was loaned to Maltese Melita F.C.^[5]

FC Lahti

For the season 2014 he joined FC Lahti. During his first season on league level he made 11 appearances and scored one goal. He was also loaned for four matches to FC Kuusysi.

Real Avilés

In January 2015 it was announced that Hovi would join Spanish Real Avilés. He did not gain any appearances in the team and was loaned to Mérida AD.^[6]

Portugalete

For season 2015–16 Hovi played for Spanish Segunda División B club Portugalete.^[7]^[8]

Inter Leipzig

In August 2016 it was announced that Hovi would join German team Inter Leipzig.^[9]

Chemnitzer

After two successful seasons in Leipzig he was picked by Chemnitzer FC.^[10]

Union Fürstenwalde

Unsatisfied with his playtime in Chemnitzer he joined Union Fürstenwalde on 16 January 2019.^[11]

Viktoria Berlin

On 11 May 2020, Hovi joined Regionalliga Nordost club Viktoria Berlin, signing a two-year deal.^[12]

Lübeck

After two seasons in Berlin Hovi signed a deal with Lübeck.^[13]

International career

Hovi made his debut in international football on 23 March 2013 at the age 18 in a match between Finland U19 and Austria U19.^[14]

Hovi made his debut for the Finland U21 national team and his only goal on 9 September 2014 in a 5–0 away victory UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against San Marino.^[15] He gained his second cap in the UEFA European U-21 Championship qualifications in Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka on 4 September 2015 in a match against Russia.^[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 14 May 2024^[4]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National Cups		Europe		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
PKKU	2012	Kolmonen	11	0	0	0	—		11	0
	2013	Kakkonen	21	19	0	0	—		21	19
	Total		32	19	0	0	0	0	32	19
Melita (loan)	2013–14	Maltese First Division	5	0	0	0	—		5	0
VPS	2014	Veikkausliiga	0	0	1	0	—		1	0
FC Lahti	2014	Veikkausliiga	11	1	1	0	—		12	1
Kuusysi (loan)	2014	Kakkonen	4	1	0	0	—		4	1
Real Avilés	2014–15	Segunda División B	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
Mérida (loan)	2014–15	Tercera División	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
Portugalete	2015–16	Segunda División B	17	1	0	0	—		17	1
Inter Leipzig	2016–17	NOFV-Oberliga Süd	28	10	0	0	—		28	10
	2017–18	NOFV-Oberliga Süd	28	23	4	2	—		32	25
	Total		56	33	4	2	0	0	60	37
Chemnitzer FC	2018–19	Regionalliga Nordost	10	1	2	0	—		12	1
Union Fürstenwalde	2018–19	Regionalliga Nordost	14	0	0	0	—		14	0
	2019–20	Regionalliga Nordost	25	10	1	0	—		26	10
	Total		39	10	1	0	0	0	40	10
Viktoria Berlin	2020–21	Regionalliga Nordost	11	6	0	0	—		11	6
	2021–22	3. Liga	10	1	0	0	—		10	1
	Total		21	7	0	0	0	0	22	7
Lübeck	2022–23	Regionalliga Nord	29	7	4	2	—		33	9
	2023–24	3. Liga	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	Total		30	7	4	2	0	0	34	9
Career total			227	80	16	6	0	0	237	86

Honours

PKKU

Kolmonen: 2012

Viktoria Berlin

Regionalliga Nordost: 2020–21

References

^ Kimmo Hovi at Soccerway
^ "KADER" (in German). FC INTERNATIONAL LEIPZIG E.V. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
^ "Hovi Kimmo" (in Finnish). Palloliitto. 4 September 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Finland - K. Hovi - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
^ "Korkeakunnas veti hihastaan taas uuden ratkaisijan" (in Finnish). YLE Urheilu. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
^ "Suomalaishyökkääjälle jatkosopimus Espanjassa ja marssitus lainalle" (in Finnish). MTV. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
^ "FICHAJE KIMMO HOVI DEL MÉRIDA" (in Spanish). Club Portugalete. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ "Kimmo Hovi cierra plantilla 2015-2016. Buena su pretemporada que os parece?" (in Spanish). Club Portugalete. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
^ "Maalinälkäinen Kimmo Hovi Inter Leipzigiin" (in Finnish). Keski-Uusimaa. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
^ "Kimmo Hovi lähti pennittömänä 19-vuotiaana toteuttamaan unelmaansa ulkomaille – oppi tärkeän asian suomalaisista elämänarvoista" [Kimmo Hovi left a penniless 19-year old to make his dream - learned important things about Finnish life values] (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
^ "Angreifer Kimmo Hovi verlässt den CFC!" [Attacker Kimmo Hovi leaves the CFC!] (in German). TAG24. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
^ "FC Viktoria 1889 holt finnischen Stürmer Kimmo Hovi von Union Fürstenwalde" [FC Viktoria 1889 takes Finnish striker Kimmo Hovi from Union Fürstenwalde] (in German). Viktoria Berlin. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
^ "VfB Lübeck verpflichtet Kimmo Hovi – darum macht der Transfer Sinn" [VfB Lübeck signs Kimmo Hovi – that's why the transfer makes sense] (in German). SHZ. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ "Itävalta murskasi U19-joukkueen" [Austria crushed the U19 team] (in Finnish). KYMPPIPAIKKA.fi. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
^ "Pikkuhuuhkajat murskasi San Marinon" [Little Eagle Owls crushed San Marino] (in Finnish). Iltalehti. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
^ "Pikkuhuuhkajille upea voitto!" [A great victory for the Little Eagle Owls!] (in Finnish). Kymppipaikka. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2019.