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Rafinha (footballer, born 1982)

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Rafinha
Rafinha with HJK in 2018.
Personal information
Full name Rafael Scapini de Almeida
Date of birth (1982-06-29) 29 June 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Brazil
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–2005 Campinas
2005–2007 AC Oulu 67 (13)
2008–2009 Tampere United 48 (8)
2010–2011 HJK 44 (3)
2011–2016 Gent 101 (2)
2016–2019 HJK 95 (4)
2020–2022 AC Oulu 72 (1)
2023– OLS 30 (1)
Managerial career
2023– OLS (assistant)
2024– AC Oulu (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024

Rafael Scapini de Almeida (born 29 June 1982), commonly known as Rafinha (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁɐˈfĩɲɐ]), is a Brazilian football coach of OLS and a former professional footballer. Besides Brazil, he has played in Finland and Belgium.[1] During his career, Rafinha was deployed on different positions on the field, having started as a winger, moving on to midfield and ending his career as a centre back.

Rafinha is considered a club legend of AC Oulu, the club he has represented in multiple seasons.[2]

Career

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Rafinha started playing football in his native Brazil. He worked as a storage worker and played in lower amateur divisions in Campinas.[3]

In March 2005, he moved to Finland and after a successful trial, he signed with AC Oulu in second-tier Ykkönen.[4] He was named the Ykkönen Player of the Year in 2006. In the 2007 season, Rafinha debuted in Finnish top-tier Veikkausliiga, after AC Oulu had won a promotion in 2006. During 2008–2009, he played in Veikkausliiga for Tampere United, and in 2010 and 2011, he won two Finnish championship titles with HJK, and additionally the Finnish Cup in 2011.

He was acquired by Belgian club Gent in 2011 for an undisclosed fee.[5] In 2016, after five seasons, one Belgian championship title and six UEFA Champions League group stage appearances with Gent, Rafinha returned to Finland and signed with HJK. He went on winning two more championship titles with HJK, in 2017 and 2018, and Finnish Cup in 2017. He also captained the HJK team.[6]

In 2020, Rafinha returned to AC Oulu, his first club in Finland.[7] Three years later, after having helped the club to establish themselves in Veikkausliiga, he announced the ending of his professional career, at the age of 40.[8] However, next 2023 season he played for Oulun Luistinseura (OLS), the reserve team of AC Oulu in third-tier Kakkonen, and worked as an assistant coach on a player-coach contract.[9]

Coaching career

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On 26 November 2023, Rafinha was appointed as a full-time assistant coach of the reserve team OLS.[10]

Personal life

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Rafinha has a Finnish wife and two children.[11]

Career statistics

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As of 9 November 2024[12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
AC Oulu 2005 Ykkönen 22 6 0 0 22 6
2006 Ykkönen 22 6 0 0 22 6
2007 Veikkausliiga 22 1 0 0 22 1
Total 66 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 13
Tampere United 2008 Veikkausliiga 22 1 0 0 4[a] 0 26 1
2009 Veikkausliiga 25 7 0 0 25 7
Total 47 8 0 0 0 0 4 0 51 8
HJK 2010 Veikkausliiga 24 1 4 0 7 1 6[b] 0 41 2
2011 Veikkausliiga 20 2 2 0 7 0 5[c] 1 34 3
Total 44 3 6 0 14 1 11 1 75 5
Gent 2011–12 Belgian Pro League 20 1 3 0 23 1
2012–13 Belgian Pro League 24 0 4 0 1[d] 0 29 0
2013–14 Belgian Pro League 21 0 4 0 25 0
2014–15 Belgian Pro League 19 1 4 0 23 1
2015–16 Belgian Pro League 17 0 3 0 7[e] 0 27 0
Total 101 2 18 0 0 0 8 0 127 2
HJK 2016 Veikkausliiga 13 1 1 0 14 1
2017 Veikkausliiga 31 2 7 1 4[d] 0 42 3
2018 Veikkausliiga 24 1 6 1 6[f] 0 36 2
2019 Veikkausliiga 27 1 5 0 6[f] 0 38 1
Total 95 5 19 2 0 0 16 0 130 7
AC Oulu 2020 Ykkönen 21 1 3 1 24 2
2021 Veikkausliiga 26 0 3 0 29 0
2022 Veikkausliiga 25 0 3 0 2 0 30 0
Total 72 1 9 1 2 0 0 0 83 2
OLS 2023 Kakkonen 20 0 1 0 21 0
2024 Ykkönen 10 1 2 0 12 1
Total 30 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 33 1
Career totals 455 33 55 3 16 1 40 1 566 37
  1. ^ Appearance in the UEFA Champions League
  2. ^ Four Appearances in the UEFA Champions League, Two Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Three Appearances in the UEFA Champions League, Two Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Six Appearances in the UEFA Champions League, One Appearance in the Belgian Super Cup
  6. ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League

Honours

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HJK
K.A.A. Gent
Tampere United
AC Oulu
Individual
  • Ykkönen Player of the Year 2006[13]

References

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