Jukka Raitala
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jukka Raitala | ||
| Date of birth | 15 September 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Kerava, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Osasuna | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2005 | Keravan Pallo-75 | ||
| 2005–2006 | HJK | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2007 | Klubi-04 | 22 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | HJK | 66 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2010– | 1899 Hoffenheim | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → SC Paderborn 07 (loan) | 29 | (0) |
| 2011– | → Osasuna (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005–2006 | Finland U19 | ||
| 2007–2010 | Finland U21 | 25 | (0) |
| 2009– | Finland | 11 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Jukka Raitala (born 15 September 1988, Kerava, Finland) is a Finnish footballer, who is currently playing for CA Osasuna in the Spanish La Liga on loan from German club 1899 Hoffenheim.[1]
He usually plays as a left back in both his club side and the national team but can also operate as a right back or a central defender.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Club career
[edit] Early career
Raitala joined the Keravan Pallo-75 junior team at the age of seven. He played there for ten years before he moved to HJK in 2005. Only after one year in the youth team he was promoted to HJK's reserve team Klubi 04.
[edit] HJK
In 2007, he made his first appearance for the senior side at the age of eighteen and was since then a regular in the starting eleven. His success with the Finland national under-21 football team and HJK has made him a transfer target in Finland. For a long time Raitala refused to sign a new contract with HJK, but when the club left him out of the playing squad he chose to sign a new deal that kept him in Helsinki until the end of the 2011 season.
In 2008 SpVgg Greuther Fürth scouted him in Helsinki. In October 2008, Finnish sports magazine IS Veikkaaja told that AEK Athens, AFC Ajax and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are also scouting him. In Greek Day News, Raitala stated that he is interested in a move to AEK and that he is friends with AEK's Perparim Hetemaj.[2]
In November, West Bromwich Albion invited him for a test period after preparative negotiations with HJK. Raitala never did the trip and stated he does not want to risk playing time by moving. He wants a guarantee for his place in the 2009 Under-21 Euros team.[3]
In January 2009, Newcastle United invited him for a week long trial with their first team.[4] It was also reported in Finnish IS Veikkaaja that Udinese Calcio and Middlesbrough F.C. are watching his progress.
In April 2009, Express.de wrote that Raitala is 1. FC Köln's top candidate to replace Pierre Womé as their left-back.[5] On April 23, Express.de said that Raitala is going to meet Köln and he has an exit clause in his new contract with HJK.[6] This was later denied by the Finnish club.
On 21 April 2009, Raitala signed a new three-year deal with HJK.[7]
In May 2009, Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven, Bayer Leverkusen, AZ Alkmaar and Bordeaux joined the race to sign Raitala.[8][9]
[edit] 1899 Hoffenheim
On August 31, HJK announced that Raitala had joined Hoffenheim on a season-long loan deal, with an option to buy him after the loan. On 15 March 2010, Raitala made his Bundesliga debut for Hoffenheim playing as a right defender against Werder Bremen.[10] On 1 April 2010, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim signed him for four years.[11]
On 31 August 2010, he was loaned to 2. Bundesliga side SC Paderborn 07 for one season, where he made 29 league appearances in total.
[edit] Osasuna
On 28 July 2011 he was loaned again, this time to Osasuna in Spanish La Liga, with the Spaniards having a option to buy him for €1.25 million at the end of the season. On 28 August 2011, Raitala made his La Liga debut for Osasuna playing as a left defender against Atletico Madrid. Although being a starter during the first five league matches, he has since battled for the first-choice status with local prospect Eneko Satrústegui.
[edit] International career
On 4 February 2009, Raitala made his debut in the Finnish national team in a friendly match against Japan and is currently a regular player.[12]
He was also a regular in the Finnish under-21 team that qualified for the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship final tournament in 2009.
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] International
- As of 29 February 2012[13]
| Finland national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 11 | 0 |
[edit] References
- ^ "SCP holt gleich fünf Neue" (in German). kicker.de. 31 August 2010. http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/startseite/541806/artikel_SCP-holt-gleich-fuenf-Neue.html. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "Ράιταλα: εννοείται πως μ'ενδιαφέρει". DayNews.gr. 12 October 2008. http://www.daynews.gr/?type=1&cat=45&id=105479. Retrieved 22 October 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "Raitalan testimatka Englantiin lykkääntyi" (in Finnish). www.hjk.fi. 21 November 2008. http://www.hjk.fi/uutiset/6338/1. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
- ^ "20 Year-Old Finnish Defender Jukka Raitala In Tyneside Trial". www.nufcblog.com. 20 January 2009. http://www.nufcblog.com/2009/01/20/20-year-old-finnish-defender-jukka-raitala-on-trial-on-tyneside. Retrieved 20 Januar 2009.
- ^ "1. FC Köln jagt Finnen-Talent". www.express.de. 4 April 2009. http://www.express.de/nachrichten/sport/fussball/1-fc-koeln/1-fc-koeln-jagt-finnen-talent_artikel_1235811474007.html. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
- ^ "FC lockt Finnen Raitala". www.express.de. 23 April 2009. http://www.express.de/nachrichten/sport/fussball/1-fc-koeln/fc-lockt-finnen-raitala_artikel_1235811561522.html. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Jukka Raitalalle sopimus HJK:n kanssa vuoden 2011 loppuun asti". www.hjk.fi. 21 April 2009. http://www.hjk.fi/uutiset/6737/1. Retrieved 21 April 20091.
- ^ "Bayer Leverkusen ollut myös Litmasen ja Forssellin perässä". www.mtv3.fi. 5 December 2009. http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/futis/uutiset.shtml/arkistot/futis/2009/05/876643. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ "AGENT: PSV WANT RAITALA". www.sportinglife.com. 19 May 2009. http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/holland/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=international_feed/09/05/19/SOCCER_Ned-PSV_Eindhoven_Raitala.html&TEAMHD=holland=. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ "Jukka Raitala siirtyy Saksaan TSG Hoffenheimiin" (in Finish). www.hjk.fi. 31 August 2009. http://www.hjk.fi/uutiset/7258/1. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- ^ "1899 zieht Option für Raitala" (in German). MSN Sport. 1 April 2010. http://sport.msn.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/startseite/523190/artikel_1899-zieht-Option-fuer-Raitala.html. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "Raitala beim Nationalteam" (in German). transfermarkt.de. 16 January 2010. http://www.transfermarkt.de/de/news/34896/raitala-beim-nationalteam.html. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=31689
[edit] External links
- Osasuna official profile (Spanish)
- Profile at FA of Finland's official website (Finnish)
- Stats at Veikkausliiga.com (Finnish)
- Jukka Raitala at National-Football-Teams.com
- Jukka Raitala – UEFA competition record
- Profile at ESPNsoccernet
- Transfermarkt profile
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- 1988 births
- Living people
- People from Kerava
- Finnish footballers
- Veikkausliiga players
- Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi players
- Fußball-Bundesliga players
- TSG 1899 Hoffenheim players
- SC Paderborn 07 players
- La Liga footballers
- CA Osasuna footballers
- Finland international footballers
- Finnish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Germany
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
