Kaiserlautern also enjoyed a good run in their Champions League debut – topping a group also containing Benfica, PSV Eindhoven and HJK Helsinki and reaching the quarter-finals before being knocked out 6–0 on aggregate by fellow Germans Bayern Munich.
They trained for two months and played afterwards against the most successful soccer team of Finland, HJK.
As a player, he played in total of 248 matches and scored 22 goals for HJK and FC Haka.
Reipas returned to SM-sarja in 1932 but forfeited its only game against HJK
The final was held at the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki on 3 November 1996 with HJK defeating TPS by 1-1 before an attendance of 3,632 spectators.
The final was held at the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki on 31 October 1998 with HJK defeating PK-35 by 3-2 before an attendance of 5,023 spectators.
The final was held at the Finnair Stadium, Helsinki on 1 November 2003 with HJK defeating AC Allianssi by 2–1, (after extra time), before an attendance of 3,682 spectators.
In November 2008, Kärkkäinen signed a two-year contract with the capital city club HJK.