Jukka Raitala
Raitala with the Columbus Crew in 2017
Personal information
Full name Jukka Raitala
Date of birth (1988-09-15) 15 September 1988
Place of birth Kerava, Finland
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Gnistan
Number 22
Youth career
1995–2005 Keravan Pallo-75
2005–2006 HJK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006 Klubi-04 22 (0)
2007–2009 HJK 66 (0)
2009–2010 → TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) 2 (0)
2010 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II 2 (0)
2010–2012 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 0 (0)
2010–2011 → SC Paderborn 07 (loan) 29 (0)
2011–2012 → Osasuna (loan) 17 (0)
2012–2015 SC Heerenveen 26 (1)
2015 FC Vestsjælland 15 (0)
2015–2016 Aalborg BK 5 (0)
2016 Sogndal 28 (1)
2017 Columbus Crew 28 (0)
2018–2020 Montreal Impact 69 (1)
2021 Minnesota United 9 (0)
2022–2023 HJK 43 (0)
2024– Gnistan 0 (0)
International career‡
Finland U17 2 (0)
2005–2006 Finland U19 3 (0)
2007–2010 Finland U21 19 (0)
2009–2022 Finland 61 (0)
Medal record
Finland national football team
Runner-upBaltic Cup2012
Third placeBaltic Cup2014
HJK Helsinki
WinnerFinnish Cup2008
Runner-upFinnish League Cup2009
WinnerVeikkausliiga2009
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 September 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:24, 22 June 2021 (UTC)

Jukka Raitala (born 15 September 1988) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays for Veikkausliiga club IF Gnistan. He usually plays as a left back in both his club side and the Finland football team but can also operate as a right back or a central defender. Raitala was born in Kerava, Finland, where he played for the local youth team before moving to HJK's youth organization.

Club career

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. After just one year in the youth team he was promoted to HJK's reserve team, Klubi-04. In his lone season with Klubi-04, Raitala made 22 appearances.

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 reported that AEK Athens, Ajax and 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.[1]

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.[2]

In January 2009, Newcastle United invited him for a week-long trial with their first team.[3] 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.[4] On 23 April, Express.de said that Raitala is going to meet Köln and he has an exit clause in his new contract with HJK.[5] This was later denied by the Finnish club.

On 21 April 2009, Raitala signed a new three-year deal with HJK.[6]

In May 2009, Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven, Bayer Leverkusen, AZ Alkmaar and Bordeaux joined the race to sign Raitala.[7][8]

1899 Hoffenheim

On 31 August, 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.[9] On 1 April 2010, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim signed him for four years.[10]

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.

Osasuna

On 28 July 2011, he was loaned again, this time to Osasuna in Spanish La Liga, with the Spaniards having an 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.

SC Heerenveen

On 6 June 2012, Raitala signed a four-year contract with a Dutch Eredivisie club, SC Heerenveen.[11] His contract was dissolved on 2 February 2015, after he had lost prospect of play time.

FC Vestsjælland & AaB

In 2015, Raitala played in Denmark. He signed a half year contract with FC Vestsjælland on a free transfer. The club ended below the relegation zone, but the Danish media wrote that Raitala had been one of the best players in the club's weakly half year.

In the Summer of 2015, Raitala signed for one more half year with AaB. Raitala began very well, and played the first three matches and created one assist. But later was it clear that the competition on the left back-position was too strong. On 30 November 2015, announced the sports director Allan Gaarde, that Raitala had to find a new club.

On 3 December 2015 it was announced, that Raitala would leave the club at the end of the season with his contract expiring.[12]

MLS career

On 23 December 2016, Raitala started his journey in Major League Soccer after Columbus Crew SC acquired him through a Discovery Signing for the 2017 season.[13]

After one season with Columbus, on 12 December 2017, Raitala was selected by Los Angeles FC in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft.[14] He was then immediately traded with fellow expansion draftee Raheem Edwards to Montreal Impact in exchange for defender Laurent Ciman.[15] Raitala's contract with Montreal expired at the conclusion of the 2020 season.[16]

On 28 January 2021, Raitala's MLS rights were traded to Minnesota United and the club subsequently signed Raitala to a new contract.[17]

Return to HJK

On 21 December 2021, it was announced that Raitala had returned to his first professional club HJK.[18]

Raitala was named the player of the year after the 2022 season, by the Finnish FA Southern district, and by the coaches of his team.[19]

On 8 December 2023, it was announced that Raitala will leave HJK after the season, since the club's CEO Aki Riihilahti and a new sporting director Vesa Mäki announced that they saw no future for him in the club. Raitala, the club legend, won three Finnish Championship titles with HJK (2009, 2022, 2023).[20][21]

IF Gnistan

On 11 December 2023, a newly promoted Veikkausliiga side Gnistan from Northern Helsinki announced the signing of Raitala.[22]

International career

When Raitala was 20 years old he made his Finnish national team debut on 4 February 2009, in Tokyo in a friendly match against Japan when Stuart Baxter used him as a substitute.[23] He played his first UEFA European Championship qualification game on 3 June 2011 when Mixu Paatelainen chose him to the starting line up against San Marino in Serravalle.[24] During summer 2011 he established himself as a regular in the Finland national team.

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.

Honours

Club

HJK Helsinki
Montreal Impact

Individual

  • 2009: Finland U21 Player of the Year [26]

Career statistics

Club

As of 28 October 2018.[27][28][29]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental[lower-alpha 2] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Klubi 04 2006 Ykkönen 220–––220
HJK 2007 Veikkausliiga 2300040–270
2008 Veikkausliiga 23000––230
2009 Veikkausliiga 2000020–220
Total 660006000720
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) 2009–10 Bundesliga 2000––20
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2010–11 Bundesliga 0000––00
2011–12 Bundesliga 0000––00
Total 2000000020
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II 2010–11 Regionalliga Süd 20–––20
SC Paderborn (loan) 2010–11 2. Bundesliga 29000––290
Osasuna (loan) 2011–12 La Liga 17020––190
SC Heerenveen 2012–13 Eredivisie 18020302[lower-alpha 3]0250
2013–14 Eredivisie 2000––20
2014–15 Eredivisie 6110––71
Total 261303020341
FC Vestsjælland 2014–15 Superliga 15040––190
AaB 2015–16 Superliga 5010––60
Sogndal 2016 Tippeligaen 28100––281
Columbus Crew SC 2017 MLS 28000–2[lower-alpha 4]0300
Montreal Impact 2018 MLS 28120––301
Career total 268312090402933

International

As of match played on 21 June 2021.[30]
Finland
YearAppsGoals
200910
201010
201180
201260
201360
201420
201520
2016100
201730
201850
201970
202020
202180
Total610

References

  1. ↑ Ράιταλα: εννοείται πως μ'ενδιαφέρει (in Greek). DayNews.gr. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  2. ↑ "Raitalan testimatka Englantiin lykkääntyi" (in Finnish). www.hjk.fi. 21 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  3. ↑ "20 Year-Old Finnish Defender Jukka Raitala In Tyneside Trial". www.nufcblog.com. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  4. ↑ "1. FC Köln jagt Finnen-Talent" (in German). www.express.de. 4 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  5. ↑ "FC lockt Finnen Raitala" (in German). www.express.de. 23 April 2009. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  6. ↑ "Jukka Raitalalle sopimus HJK:n kanssa vuoden 2011 loppuun asti" (in Finnish). www.hjk.fi. 21 April 2009. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  7. ↑ "Bayer Leverkusen ollut myös Litmasen ja Forssellin perässä" (in Finnish). www.mtv3.fi. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  8. ↑ "AGENT: PSV WANT RAITALA". www.sportinglife.com. 19 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  9. ↑ "Jukka Raitala siirtyy Saksaan TSG Hoffenheimiin" (in Finnish). www.hjk.fi. 31 August 2009. Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  10. ↑ "1899 zieht Option für Raitala" (in German). MSN Sport. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "sc Heerenveen haalt Fins international Jukka Raitala" (in Dutch). www.sc-heerenveen.nl. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "AaB siger farvel til finsk landsholdsspiller" (in Danish). bold.dk. 3 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "Crew SC adds experienced European defender Jukka Raitala". Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "LAFC select Tico striker, young prospects in 2017 MLS Expansion Draft". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "Impact acquires Jukka Raitala and Raheem Edwards". impactmontreal.com. Montreal Impact. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  16. ↑ "L'Impact de Montréal exerce les options de dix joueurs | CF Montréal".
  17. ↑ Butler, Dylan (28 January 2021). "Minnesota United acquire veteran fullback Jukka Raitala in trade with CF Montréal". MLS Official Website. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Jukka Raitala Klubiin!". 21 December 2021.
  19. ↑ Jukka Raitala ja Vesa Vasara palkittiin Palloliiton Eteläisen alueen vuoden 2022 parhaina, Veikkausliiga, 11 February 2023
  20. ↑ Jukka Raitala ei jatka HJK:ssa, hjk.fi, 8 December 2023
  21. ↑ ”Olin yllättynyt” – HJK:n luottopuolustaja kertoo Aki Riihilahdelta saamastaan karusta viestistä, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 11 December 2023
  22. ↑ JUKKA RAITALA SIIRTYY GNISTANIIN, gnistan.fi, 11 December 2023
  23. ↑ "Suomelle selkäsauna Tokiossa" (in Finnish). YLE Urheilu. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  24. ↑ "Forssell laukoi Suomelle nihkeän voiton" (in Finnish). YLE Urheilu. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  25. ↑ "Montréal takes 2019 Canadian Championship title". Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  26. ↑ "Jukka Raitala" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  27. ↑ Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. "Jukka Raitala – National Football Teams". National Football Teams.
  28. ↑ Jukka Raitala at Soccerway
  29. ↑ Jukka Raitala at Major League Soccer
  30. ↑ "Jukka Raitala" (in Finnish). palloliitto.fi. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
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