Jari Niemi
Jari Niemi (born 2 February 1977 in Nokia) is a retired Finnish footballer. He has played for R.A.E.C. Mons, Standard Liège and K. Sint-Truidense V.V. in Belgium. In the Finnish Veikkausliiga Niemi has also played for TPV Tampere, FC Haka and Tampere United, and has won five Finnish championships. During the second qualifying round of the 2007/2008 Champions League edition, Niemi scored the only goal in Tampere's prestigious 1:0 away win against Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia. As Tampere had attained a 1:0 win in their home game, they became the first Finnish side to eliminate a Bulgarian club from the high-profile competition. However, the Finns were unable to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, as they were eliminated by Norwegian side Rosenborg BK in the third qualifying round.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 February 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Nokia, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker, Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1997 | TPV | 60 | (14) |
| 1998–1999 | Haka | 54 | (6) |
| 2000–2003 | Tampere United | 111 | (36) |
| 2003–2004 | R.A.E.C. Mons | 17 | (4) |
| 2004 | Standard Liège | 9 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | K. Sint-Truidense V.V. | 43 | (1) |
| 2006–2010 | Tampere United | 100 | (19) |
| 2011–2012 | Ilves | 27 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2000–2005 | Finland | 23 | (3) |
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 December 2009 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 May 2013 | |||
Niemi was able to play either as a right midfielder/winger or a striker.