maanantai 26. syyskuuta 2011
sunnuntai 25. syyskuuta 2011
"THE FINNISH POWER", and ONE OF THE EUROPEAN BEST FOOTBALL/SOCCER PLAYER: JARI LITMANEN from FINLAND ( SUOMI - FINLAND )
Jari Litmanen
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jari Olavi Litmanen | ||
| Date of birth | 20 February 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | lahti, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder Second striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | HJK | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1987 | Reipas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987–1990 | Reipas | 86 | (28) |
| 1991 | HJK | 27 | (16) |
| 1992 | MyPa | 18 | (7) |
| 1992–1999 | Ajax | 159 | (91) |
| 1999–2001 | Barcelona | 21 | (3) |
| 2001–2002 | Liverpool | 26 | (5) |
| 2002–2004 | Ajax | 20 | (5) |
| 2004 | Lahti | 11 | (3) |
| 2005 | Hansa Rostock | 13 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | Malmö FF | 10 | (3) |
| 2008 | Fulham | 0 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Lahti | 40 | (10) |
| 2011– | HJK | 7 | (1) |
| Total | 436 | (172) | |
| National team | |||
| 1989– | Finland | 137 | (32) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Jari Olavi Litmanen (
pronunciation (help·info)) (born 20 February 1971 in Lahti) is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008. His international career has run from 1989 to date, making him the only footballer to play an International in four different decades.
He is widely considered to be Finland's greatest football player of all time.[1] He was chosen as the best Finnish player of the last 50 years by the Football Association of Finland in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003.[2] Litmanen also finished 42nd in the 100 Greatest Finns voting in 2004. The Association of Football Statisticians' (The AFS) compendium of 'Greatest Ever Footballers' listed Litmanen as the 53rd best footballer ever.[3] In Finland he is often called "Litti" (after Pierre Littbarski), which dates from his early years in Finland; his childhood playmate Tommi Kautonen was "Auge" after Klaus Augenthaler. He is very often also called "Kuningas" ("The King").
Litmanen was the long-time captain and is currently the second-choice captain of the Finnish national team, in an international career lasting two decades. During his club career he has represented Reipas, HJK, MyPa and Lahti in Finland, as well as Ajax, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, Hansa Rostock, Malmö FF and Fulham abroad. Once considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the world,[4] he became the first Finnish footballing superstar while playing for Ajax in the mid-1990s. He was a key player in the Amsterdam side that won the 1995 Champions League.
Contents |
Club career
Early career
Litmanen made his first-team debut for Reipas in Finland's then top division Mestaruussarja at the age of 16 in 1987. Around this time he also played ice hockey and it was said that he was among the most gifted young hockey players in Reipas.[5] After four seasons with Reipas he moved to HJK, Finland's biggest club, in 1991. A year later he joined MyPa, where he was coached by Harri Kampman, who later became his agent. Litmanen did not win any medals in the Finnish league, but he did win the Finnish Cup with MyPa in July 1992, in a 2–0 win over FF Jaro in the final at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. His performance in the cup final, including a goal, convinced a scout of Ajax that the club should sign him. "For me, he was the player," the scout later told the Finnish television. His transfer then took place later the same year.
Ajax
Prior to his move to Ajax, Litmanen had missed a contract with a top Romanian team FC Dinamo Bucureşti, where he was refused. He was eventually chased by a host of European clubs, at least by Barcelona, Leeds United and PSV Eindhoven,[6] but in the end it was Ajax who bought him.
Ajax team manager David Endt, who as the person responsible of the staff in Ajax around that time, described his first impression of Litmanen to the Finnish broadcasting corporation YLE in 2010:[7]
| “ | The press conference is over, and in comes Jari Litmanen, from behind the door. And I looked at his face and I looked at his eyes, and I recognised something in those eyes. And I thought, this is a man with a great willpower. Because he was not shy, not timid, but he was modest. He is not a man who will raise his voice, or bang with his fist on the table and say, ‘We do it this way.’ No, he was more of a diplomat, not wanting to be a leader, but being a leader. … He wanted to know everything about football, he was interested in every part of the game, and this gave him the nickname, within the team, we called him ‘the Professor,’ because you could ask anything about football, and he would know the answer. | ” |
During 1992–93, his first season at Ajax, he played mostly in the reserves. Supposedly the manager, Louis van Gaal, was already ready to send him back to Finland, but the team physiotherapist advised him to use him to stand in for Dennis Bergkamp, who was injured at the time. Van Gaal liked what he saw, and knowing that Bergkamp about to leave for Internazionale, he announced that during the following season Litmanen would be Bergkamp’s successor, something that people in Litmanen’s native Finland found difficult to believe.[7] However, this turned out to be true, and he inherited from Bergkamp the famous number 10 shirt, which is often given to playmakers. He went on to score 26 goals in the 1993–94 season, becoming the league's top scorer, and leading Ajax to the title. He was also voted the footballer of the year in the Netherlands in 1993.
Litmanen was one of the star players of Louis van Gaal's team that reached the UEFA Champions League final twice in a row. He became the first ever Finnish player to have won the European Cup or the UEFA Champions League when Ajax beat Milan in the 1994-95 final. In 1995-96, Litmanen was the Champions League top scorer with nine goals, including the equaliser in the final against Juventus, which Ajax lost on penalties 4-2. He also won the Intercontinental Cup against Grêmio in 1995, and came third in the voting for the Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year), having finished eighth the previous year.
Litmanen spent seven years in Amsterdam, winning four Dutch championships and three Dutch Cups. He is the club's top scorer in European competition with 26 goals in 54 matches. Litmanen owns the honour of being one of just three players presented in a special video featurette at the Ajax Museum. The other two are Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff.[8] In his time at Ajax, some fans called him "Merlin" because of the magic he brought to the pitch.
Barcelona
In 1999, Litmanen was re-united with his old boss van Gaal at FC Barcelona. His stint with the club was, however, largely plagued by injuries, and when van Gaal was replaced by Llorenç Serra Ferrer, his chances of playing became even smaller. In the end, Litmanen moved to Liverpool on a free transfer, in January 2001.
Liverpool
Litmanen was hailed as "one of the most exciting signings Liverpool have ever made" by the manager Gérard Houllier upon signing for the club he had supported as a boy.[9] He wanted to wear the number seven shirt as worn by his childhood hero Kenny Dalglish, however this had already been taken by Vladimir Smicer. As shirt numbers 17 and 27 were also in use, he settled for the number 37. But, once again, injuries meant that Litmanen was given little playing time. He did score goals against Tottenham Hotspur and Bayer Leverkusen, and scored a penalty in Liverpool's victory over Roma in the Champions League. He was part of the Liverpool team that won the "cup treble" of the Worthington Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001, even though he missed all three finals because of injury. Litmanen was again given permission to move clubs for free after the 2001–02 season scoring a total of 9 goals in 43 official matches during the two seasons.
Return to Ajax
Litmanen decided to return to Ajax, and was given a hero's welcome with the crowd again singing his name. He was one of the key players as Ajax reached the quarter-finals of the 2002-03 Champions League, but he continued to be plagued by injuries, and much of the following season was once again spent on the sidelines. In the spring of 2004, the club released him from his contract.
FC Lahti and Hansa Rostock
Litmanen's return to Finland, as he joined Lahti, was much hyped, and was hailed as "the return of the king".[10] However, Litmanen moved to German Bundesliga strugglers Hansa Rostock in January 2005 to help save them from relegation. In the end, though, Hansa were relegated, which ended Litmanen's stint at the club.
Malmö FF
Litmanen joined Malmö FF in July 2005 in a bid to help the Swedes qualify for the Champions League. This bid, however, failed, and Litmanen himself was injured during the whole of the autumn, only making a few appearances. He decided to continue his career with Malmö FF in the 2006 season, which saw Litmanen continue to be sidelined with a number of injuries for much of the season. However, the matches he did play showed he remains a brilliant player when healthy. After an operation to repair a damaged ankle during the winter break, Malmö FF and Litmanen decided to extend his contract over the 2007 season. However, an ankle injury in June 2007 forced Litmanen to cancel it.[11]
Fulham
In January 2008, Litmanen received a 10-day trial invitation from Fulham FC, managed by former Finland manager Roy Hodgson, and was signed on 31 January 2008 alongside countryman Toni Kallio. Just weeks after signing with Fulham, Litmanen had to return to his native Finland to rest, after serious heart concerns.
On 31 March 2008, Litmanen made his debut in a Fulham shirt, in a Reserve-team match against Tottenham Reserves. Five minutes before half time, Litmanen scored the opening goal from a penalty kick. He was substituted after 63 minutes, and Fulham Reserves went on to lose the match 1-3. Despite signing for the club in January, Litmanen was released by Fulham in May of the same year without playing a single game in the first team.[12]
Return to Lahti
Local newspapers of Helsinki reported that during his vacation in Rome in June, he was approached by former Greece player, and now General Director of PAOK, Zisis Vryzas for the prospect of joining his club the following season. Litmanen has been training with Lahti for some weeks in Summer 2008.[13]
On 8 August 2008, it was announced that Litmanen would join his former club Lahti of the Finnish Premier Division for the remainder of the 2008 season.[14] He only played 34 minutes in his first match. He scored twice and gave passes to two other goals. He played an important role when FC Lahti for the first time managed to finish third in the league and qualify for European game in the club's history. He signed a new one-year contract with Lahti on 16 April 2009. Litmanen scored his first European goal for Lahti in a 2–0 against Gorica in the second qualifying round of UEFA Europa League, with the final aggregate score being 2–1. This was his 30th European goal in 83 European matches. On 18 September 2010 he scored a bicycle kick goal against AC Oulu in a 1-2 away victory.
On 23 October 2010 he scored his 50th Veikkausliiga goal, but this happened in a 3-2 loss against TPS and it didn't stop FC Lahti from being relegated to Ykkönen.
Return to HJK
On 20 April 2011 Litmanen signed a one-year contract with the reigning Finnish champions, HJK, at the age of 40, making him one of the only players to play at a professional level in four different decades (80's, 90's, 00's and 10's).[15] On 24 September 2011 he scored a spectacular halfvolley in the Finnish Cup final against KuPS as HJK won by 2-1.
International career
Jari Litmanen is Finland's all-time leading scorer. His international career has now lasted over two decades.
Litmanen made his Finland debut on 22 October 1989 against Trinidad and Tobago, and scored his first goal on 16 May 1991 against Malta. The fact that Finland have never qualified for a major tournament has also prevented Litmanen from proving his talent at the highest level in international competition. Litmanen served as Finland's captain from 1996 to 2008, and was arguably their key player for more than a decade, helping the team to many unexpected victories against higher ranked opposition.
Litmanen received his 100th cap on 25 January 2006 against South Korea. He now holds the record for most caps for Finland, and is one of only four Finns to have reached a century of caps, the others being Ari Hjelm, Sami Hyypiä and Jonatan Johansson.
On 19 January 2010 playing for Finland against South Korea in a friendly international in Malaga he had the distinction of playing for Finland In four different decades.
On 17 November 2010, Litmanen became the oldest player ever to score for Finland and also the oldest player overall to score a goal in the qualification competitions for the European championships when he netted a penalty in an 8-0 win over San Marino.[16] Litmanen hasn't yet stated, whether he is going to continue playing or not.
International goals
Finland's score first.
| [show]# | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|
Future career options
The sports news programme Urheiluruutu of the Finnish TV company YLE interviewed in February 2011 two former team mates of Litmanen’s about the possibility of his working for Ajax when he decides to quit his playing career. Former Ajax captain Danny Blind said the following:[17]
| “ | Jari knows the door is always open for him as an assistant coach, as a youth coach, whatever in the club. We love Jari, and we know his qualities as a football player, but also as a coach, I think, so the door is always open for him. | ” |
Michel Kreek of the Ajax Academy was equally positive about this possibility:
| “ | It would be great if Jari would return here in Ajax, we played together, Jari came to Ajax when I played in the first team, and we saw him become a world player, so if that kind of player are willing to come back to Amsterdam, to Ajax, and put some of their experience into Ajax Academy, it’s only a great help for us. | ” |
Personal life
Litmanen was born into a footballing family. His father, Olavi Litmanen, was also a Finnish international and a Reipas player. His mother also played for Reipas at the women's highest level. Litmanen became a father in November 2005, when his Estonian girlfriend Ly Jürgenson gave birth to a son named Caro. The couple's second son, Bruno, was born in September 2007.
On 10 October 2010 Litmanen became the first Finnish team sport player to receive a statue. His statue is located at Kisapuisto (Lahti) where he started his career in the 70's.[18]
Besides playing, Litmanen - using his old contacts in Netherlands - has also managed to send young Finnish players to visit the training camps and play on trial to numerous clubs in Eredivisie. Including Kari Arkivuo, Drilon Shala and Berat Sadik at Go Ahead Eagles and most recently Henri Toivomäki at Ajax.
Career statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Finland | League | Finnish Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1987 | Reipas Lahti | Veikkausliiga | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 8 | |||
| 1989 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 29 | 8 | |||
| 1990 | 26 | 14 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 14 | |||
| 1991 | HJK Helsinki | Veikkausliiga | 27 | 16 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 29 | 16 | |
| 1992 | MyPa | Veikkausliiga | 18 | 7 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 24 | 11 | |
| Netherlands | League | KNVB Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1992–93 | Ajax | Eredivisie | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| 1993–94 | 30 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 34 | ||
| 1994–95 | 27 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 42 | 27 | ||
| 1995–96 | 26 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 38 | 23 | ||
| 1996–97 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 8 | ||
| 1997–98 | 25 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 22 | ||
| 1998–99 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 32 | 13 | ||
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Copa de la Liga | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1999–00 | Barcelona | La Liga | 21 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |
| 2000–01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2000-01 | Liverpool | Premier League | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| 2001–02 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 32 | 7 | ||
| Netherlands | League | KNVB Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2002–03 | Ajax | Eredivisie | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 22 | 7 |
| 2003–04 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Finland | League | Finnish Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2004 | Lahti | Veikkausliiga | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 |
| Germany | League | DFB-Pokal | Premiere Ligapokal | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2004–05 | Hansa Rostock | Bundesliga | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Sweden | League | Svenska Cupen | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2005 | Malmö FF | Allsvenskan | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 4* | 1* | |||
| 2006 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | 8* | 2* | |||||
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0* | 0* | |||||
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2007–08 | Fulham | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Finland | League | Finnish Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2008 | Lahti | Veikkausliiga | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 3 |
| 2009 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 4 | ||
| 2010 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 5 | ||
| 2011 | HJK Helsinki | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| Total | Finland | 194 | 65 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 233 | 74 | |
| Netherlands | 179 | 96 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 54 | 26 | 253 | 135 | ||
| Spain | 21 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |||
| England | 26 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 43 | 9 | ||
| Germany | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Sweden | 10 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | 12* | 3* | |||||
| Finnish national team | 137 | 32 | — | — | — | 137 | 32 | |||||
| Career total | 580 | 205 | 45* | 19* | 14 | 4 | 82 | 30 | 721* | 258* | ||
- Asterisk (*) indicates the matches played and the number of goals at least scored, further research may produce more matches and goals.
- Finnish League Cup held for the first time only in 1994. In Sweden and in Spain, there are no league cup.
- The matches listed as the Dutch league cup are actually matches played in the Dutch Super Cup (season 1992–1993 to 1995–1996), continued as the Johan Cruijff Schaal (from season 1996–1997 on), traditionally played before the start of the season between the Dutch national champions and the KNVB Cup winners.
Honours
Reached 100 goals for AFC Ajax (total 135 goals in 253 matches)
Club titles
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
- European Super Cup: 1995
- Intercontinental Cup: 1995
- Dutch championship: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2003–04
- KNVB Cup: 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99
- Johan Cruijff Schaal: 1993, 1994, 1995
- UEFA Cup: 2000–01
- European Super Cup: 2001
- FA Cup: 2000–01
- Football League Cup: 2000–01
- FA Community Shield: 2001
Personal awards and achievements
- Finnish Footballer of the Year: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000
- Finnish Veikkausliiga Player of the Year: 1990
- Finnish Sports Personality of the Year: 1995
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1993
- European Footballer of the Year, 8th place: 1994
- European Footballer of the Year, 3rd place: 1995
- Dutch league top scorer: 1993–94
- UEFA Champions League top scorer: 1995–96
- All-time cap leader of the Finnish national team
- All-time top scorer of the Finnish national team
- All-time European top scorer of AFC Ajax 26 goals
References
- ^ news.bbc.co.uk
- ^ uefa.com
- ^ ESPNsoccernet - England - Your Verdict: 100 greatest ever footballers
- ^ guardian.co.uk
- ^ Helsingin Sanomat, May 2010, p. B 13.
- ^ "Jari Litmanen" (in Dutch). Ajax. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ^ a b David Endt in an interview to YLE TV2, 28 September 2010, during a Champions League match half time.
- ^ soccernet.espn.go.com
- ^ news.bbc.co.uk
- ^ hs.fi
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Bocanegra heads Fulham clear-out". BBC. 2006-05-23. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
- ^ Jari Litmanen – Eine unvollendete Karriere
- ^ palloliitto.fi
- ^ Litmanen joins HJK HJK.fi (Finnish)
- ^ palloliitto.fi
- ^ YLE Urheiluruutu, 3 March 2011.
- ^ Litmasen patsas julkistettiin - Litmanen's statue was revealed (Finnish)
External links
torstai 22. syyskuuta 2011
sunnuntai 18. syyskuuta 2011
THE FINNISH POWER: SAMI HYYPIÄ - FOOTBALL/SOCCER SUPERSTAR from FINLAND
Sami Hyypiä
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sami Tuomas Hyypiä | ||
| Date of birth | 7 October 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Porvoo, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Centre Back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1988 | Kumu | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1995 | MyPa | 96 | (8) |
| 1995–1999 | Willem II | 100 | (3) |
| 1999–2009 | Liverpool | 318 | (22) |
| 2009–2011 | Bayer Leverkusen | 53 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1997–2010 | Finland | 105 | (5) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 January 2011. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (born 7 October 1973) is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at Liverpool. On 2 May 2011, Hyypia announced his intention to retire from profesional football at the end of the 2010/11 season in order to take up a coaching role with Bayer Leverkusen.
Hyypiä began his career with Ykkönen side KuMu and soon moved to Veikkausliiga outfit MyPa. He spent four years at the club, helping them win the Finnish Cup in 1992 and 1995. He moved to Willem II Tilburg in 1995 and spent the next four years there. He became the team captain and was nominated their player of the year after helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Hyypiä moved to Liverpool, the team he supported as a child, in a deal worth £2.6 million. He quickly established himself in the first team, partnering Stéphane Henchoz in defence. By 2001, he regularly captained the team and that season Liverpool won a slew of honours, completing a cup treble of the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup, in addition to winning the UEFA Super Cup and FA Community Shield. He became first choice captain in the 2001–02 season and was part of the Football League Cup winning team in 2003. Steven Gerrard superseded him as captain in 2003 but Hyypiä still occasionally captained the side in his absence. Hyypiä won his highest football honour in 2005 as a part of Liverpool’s victorious 2004–05 Champions League campaign. He is fondly remembered by many fans as a Liverpool legend.
Hyypiä has been a prominent figure in the Finland national team and has been selected as the Finnish Sports’ Journalists and Football Association Player of the Year numerous times. He made his debut in 1992 and since then has captained the team on various occasions, as second choice captain. He is the second most capped Finnish player after Jari Litmanen.
On 2 May 2011, Hyypiä announced that he will be retiring from all football at the age of 37. Also stating that he will be trying to spend the next year getting a coaching license and plans to coach for his former playing team Bayer Leverkusen.
Contents |
Early life
Hyypiä was born in Porvoo and raised in Kuusankoski, Finland, 100 miles (160 km) north-east of Helsinki; the son of Irma and Jouko Hyypiä.[1][2][3] Hyypiä’s parents were both footballers, his father Jouko playing for Finnish team Pallo Peikot, and his mother an amateur goalkeeper. The young Sami played ice hockey, but his parents’ influence was important in him choosing a career in football; as he commented “I guess there was only one career option for me.”[4]
Club career
Early career
Hyypiä started his career with Pallo-Peikot where he played every position except his final position of defender and KuMu, before joining Veikkausliiga club MyPa for the 1992 season. He won the Finnish Cup with MyPa in 1992, when Jari Litmanen was one of his team mates, and again in 1995. [3]
In 1995 at the age of 22, he went for a trial at Newcastle United, his first taste of English football. Hyypiä said “They (Newcastle) certainly helped my career. I had a two-week trial in 1995 under Kevin Keegan and it gave me an insight into English football. I was a young player in Finland and I didn’t really expect it to lead to anything. I just went for the experience, but it was good experience and I enjoyed my time there. It helped me a lot at the time to see a big English club at close hand and I always look forward to going back.”[5]
Willem II Tilburg
Later that year, Hyypiä joined Dutch club Willem II and spent four years with the Eredivisie team, soon becoming a favourite with the fans and winning their player of the year award in his final season.[3] Hyypiä captained the side to qualification for the Champions League, thus earning a place in the hearts of supporters although he would not be taking part in the campaign.
Liverpool
In May 1999, Hyypiä was signed by Liverpool, the team he supported as a boy, for £2.6 million, having been recommended to former chief executive Peter Robinson by a TV cameraman.[6][7] Initially, Hyypiä was regarded as an unknown who would not live up to expectations but this preconception was dismissed when he immediately formed a successful central defensive partnership with fellow arrival Stéphane Henchoz.[8] Almost ten years later in a farewell tribute to Hyypiä, Ron Yeats, then the chief scout for Liverpool, commented that the deal was “one of the best bits of business we’ve done over the years…a steal – a bargain…”[9] In the 2000–01 season, Hyypiä shared the captaincy of Liverpool with Robbie Fowler while Jamie Redknapp, the full-time captain, was suffering from a long-term injury. During that season, Hyypiä and Fowler led the team to a cup treble: the Football League Cup,[10] FA Cup[11] and UEFA Cup.[12] He also went on to claim a “treble” of three consecutive FAF Finnish Footballer of the Year awards from 2001–2003.
In 2002, Hyypiä became first choice Liverpool captain after Redknapp, who had been blighted by long-term injuries, and Fowler both left the club. However, after such a bright start to his Liverpool career came a relative lull and in 2003, Hyypiä was replaced as Liverpool captain by Steven Gerrard. With some of the pressure lifted, his performances generally improved.
In 2003, Hyypiä received a red card against Manchester United, the only red of his career. “Van Nistelrooy was going through and maybe I took his shirt a little bit. The referee thought so. I got a straight red card. They got a penalty. It was an agony to watch the game in the dressing room. The only red card of my career. You remember that sort of thing.”[6]
In 2004, new Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez moved Jamie Carragher from fullback to partner Hyypiä in central defence. This seemingly reinvigorated Hyypiä and the team went on to have a successful season, winning the UEFA Champions League, on the back of their solid defence. On 10 August 2005, it was reported that Hyypiä had agreed to a new three-year contract after weeks of talks with the Reds which would keep him at Anfield until 2008.
During the 2005–06 season, Hyypiä was relegated to third-choice captain after Jamie Carragher’s ascent as Gerrard’s deputy on the field. In the FA Cup Sixth Round against Birmingham City, he scored the opening goal in the first minute as the Reds thrashed the home team 7–0. He started in the victorious 2006 FA Cup Final against West Ham, though he missed his spot kick in the penalty shoot-out. During the season, he climbed into the top 25 in the club’s all-time appearances table after featuring in the Carling Cup against Arsenal in January 2007.
Despite speculation in the summer of 2007 linking him to various other Premier League teams, Hyypiä insisted that he would stay at Liverpool for the remainder of his contract.[13] On 25 August 2007 Hyypiä broke his nose during an away match against Sunderland in the Stadium of Light. He quickly returned on the pitch to play against Toulouse in the Champions League qualifying match on 28 August 2007, in which he scored the second goal for Liverpool while wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
In April 2008, Hyypiä signed a new deal until Summer 2009 with Benítez stating he is a good role model for young defenders such as Martin Škrtel and Daniel Agger.[14] The 2008/2009 season marked the defender’s tenth season at the club. On 22 August 2008, Premier League newcomers Stoke City F.C. offered £2.5 million for Hyypiä but Liverpool rejected the offer.[15] On 2 March 2008 with his appearance against Bolton Wanderers, Hyypiä made it into the top 20 Liverpool FC player appearances of all time.
Hyypiä was voted in 19th place in Sky Sports’ ‘Top 50 Premier League Foreign Players’,[16] 45th in FourFourTwo magazine's 100 Greatest Foreign Players[17] and 38th in Liverpool’s 100 Players Who Shook the Kop survey.[18] Underlining the important role Hyypiä had fulfilled at Liverpool, Ian Rush noted: “He’s got to be up there with the best signings the club has ever made.”[19]
In September 2008, he was not included in the 25-man Liverpool squad for the group stages of the Champions League, as new UEFA regulations meant that clubs had to include at least eight home-grown players in their squad.[20] On 4 May 2009, it was announced that Hyypiä had signed two-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen.[21] Liverpool had offered him the chance to stay at Anfield in a coaching capacity but Hyypiä decided to carry on playing, though he expressed interest in returning to Liverpool as a coach once his playing career is over.[22]
He played his last match for Liverpool at Anfield against Tottenham Hotspur on 24 May 2009, coming on as a substitute to replace captain Steven Gerrard after 84 minutes in their 3–1 win. Gerrard passed the captain’s armband to him, personally putting it onto Hyypiä’s arm. During what remained of the match, Hyypiä managed to get a header from a corner kick in the dying minutes of the game but the attempt was blocked by Heurelho Gomes. After the match ended, an emotional Hyypiä received a standing ovation from Liverpool fans and his teammates held him aloft.[23]
Sami Hyypia made 464 appearances and scored 35 goals winning 10 trophies in the 10 years he was at Liverpool
Bayer Leverkusen
Hyypiä moved to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen during summer 2009, making his official debut on 8 August against Mainz.[24] On 24 January 2010 he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3–0 win over Hoffenheim. Hyypiä’s first season with Bayer Leverkusen saw his club finishing 4th overall, missing by two points the qualification round for Champions League. German sports magazine “Kicker” chose Hyypiä as best Bundesliga defender in 2009 and he was included Bundesliga team of the year for season 2009/10.[25][26]
After Roy Hodgson was appointed as the new Liverpool manager in August 2010 rumors began to circulate that he was determined to bring Hyypiä back to Liverpool. The transfer fell through as reportedly Hodgson could not get Hyypiä out of his contract with Bayer Leverkusen.[27][28] On 25 September 2010 Hyypiä scored his third ever Bundesliga goal with a header against VfB Stuttgart in a 4–1 win.
Hyypiä made public on 6 October 2010 that post-retirement he plans to join Leverkusen as assistant manager. On 2 May 2011 Hyypiä announced ending his football career.[29]
International career
Hyypiä made his debut for the Finnish national football team against Tunisia on 7 November 1992 at age of 19. He went on to be a key member of Finnish national team, participating in five European Championship (EC) and four World Cup (WC) qualifiers. He became one of four Finnish national team players ever to reach milestone of 100 international appearances in a friendly against Sweden on 12 August 2009. Currently Hyypiä ranks as second among all-time most capped Finnish players, with total of 105 matches.[30] Hyypiä became the present captain of the Finnish national team in 2008, succeeding former captain Jari Litmanen.
International goals
Finland’s score first.
| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 October 1999 |  Helsinki |  Northern Ireland | 4–1 | Win | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 2. | 12 October 2002 | Helsinki |  Azerbaijan | 3–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 3. | 2 February 2003 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | 1–0 | Win | Friendly |
| 4. | 7 June 2003 | Helsinki |  Serbia and Montenegro | 3–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 5. | 11 October 2006 |  Almaty | Kazakhstan | 2–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
Retirement from football
In May 2011 Hyypiä confirmed during press conference that the 2010–11 season will be his last in professional football. Shortly after making his retirement public Hyypiä told becoming part of coaching staff for both Finnish national team and Bayer Leverkusen.[31][32]
Hyypiä has set up a fund to help young promising athletes of his native Finland. As part of his efforts to raise funds for the fund, he participated in the Helsinki City Marathon, his first ever, on 20 August 2011. His time was 3 h 56 min 09 s.[33]
Career statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Finland | League | Finnish Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1992 | MyPa | Veikkausliiga | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||||
| 1993 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||||||
| 1994 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 5 | ||||||
| 1995 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||||||
| Netherlands | League | KNVB Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1995–96 | Willem II Tilburg | Eredivisie | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | 30 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |||
| 1997–98 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |||
| 1998–99 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |||
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1999–00 | Liverpool | Premier League | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | 35 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 58 | 4 | ||
| 2001–02 | 37 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 56 | 5 | ||
| 2002–03 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 55 | 5 | ||
| 2003–04 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 51 | 5 | ||
| 2004–05 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 49 | 3 | ||
| 2005–06 | 36 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 57 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 3 | ||
| 2007–08 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 44 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | ||
| Germany | League | DFB-Pokal | Premiere Ligapokal | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2009–10 | Bayer Leverkusen | Bundesliga | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 2 | |||
| 2010–11 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| Total | Finland | 96 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 105 | 8 | |||||
| Netherlands | 100 | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 113 | 4 | |||
| England | 318 | 22 | 29 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 94 | 8 | 460 | 35 | ||
| Germany | 53 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 61 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 567 | 36 | 41 | 3 | 19 | 3 | 112 | 8 | 739 | 50 | ||
| Finland national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 |
| 1996 | 5 | 0 |
| 1997 | 4 | 0 |
| 1998 | 7 | 0 |
| 1999 | 7 | 1 |
| 2000 | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 | 7 | 0 |
| 2002 | 6 | 1 |
| 2003 | 9 | 2 |
| 2004 | 8 | 0 |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 |
| 2006 | 7 | 1 |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 |
| 2008 | 5 | 0 |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 105 | 5 |
Career honours
MyPa
Winner:
- Finnish Cup: (2) 1992, 1995
Runner-up:
- Veikkausliiga: 1993, 1994, 1995
Willem II Tilburg
Runner-up
Liverpool
Winner:
- FA Cup: (2) 2001, 2006
- Football League Cup: (2) 2001, 2003
- FA Community Shield: (2) 2001, 2006
- UEFA Cup: (1) 2001
- UEFA Champions League: (1) 2005
- UEFA Super Cup: (2) 2001, 2005
Runner-up:
- FA Premier League: 2001-02, 2008-09
- FA Community Shield: 2002
- FIFA Club World Championship: 2005
- Football League Cup: 2005
- UEFA Champions League: 2007
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Runner-up
Personal awards
- Finnish Sports’ Journalists Player of the Year: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006,[35] 2009,[36] 2010[37]
- Finnish Football Association Player of the Year: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009,[35] 2010[38]
- Finnish Sportsperson of the Year: 2001[39]
- UEFA Team of the Year selection: 2001[40]
- Premier League Player of the Month: November 1999[41]
- Goal.com Central Defender of the Decade: December 2009[42]
- Goal.com Team of the Decade selection: December 2009[42]
- Soccer Aid Winner – 2010
References
- ^ a b "Sami Hyypia 1st team squad profile". Liverpool F.C.. Archived from the original on 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ Hyypia, Sami; Hakala, Olli (2003-09-25). "Sami Hyypia: From Voikkaa to the Premiership". Amazon / Mainstream Publishing. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
- ^ a b c Winter, Henry (1999-09-11). "Hyypiä happy to fill the gaps in Liverpool's suspect defence". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-08-07.[dead link]
- ^ "Hyypiä fears Beckham threat". BBC Sport. 2001-03-22. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
- ^ Hetherington, Paul (2001-09-30). "Football: Sami remembers the Tyne of his life". The Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ a b Walker, Michael (2005-09-17). "Liverpool's centre of culture". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (2002-04-06). "Sami's so unlucky". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ Walker, Michael (2002-03-23). "Good is not good enough for Anfield's brick wall". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ From one colossus to another…
- ^ "Blues shot down as Liverpool lift cup". BBC Sport. 2001-02-25. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ "Owen shatters Arsenal in Cup final". BBC Sport. 2001-05-12. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ Winter, Henry (2001-05-17). "UEFA Cup Final: Liverpool hit treble top". Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ Rice, Jimmy (2007-05-30). "Hyy[oa has no plans to leave". Liverpool F.C.. Retrieved 2008-12-18.[dead link]
- ^ "Hyypia signs new Liverpool deal". BBC Sport. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ Barrett, Tony (2008-08-22). "Rafa Benitez rejects Stoke bid for Sami Hyypia". The Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ "Football: Today's Top 20: The best foreign players in the Premiership". The Independent. 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2008-08-07.[dead link]
- ^ "Four Four Two's 100 Greatest Foreign Players , To Play in the EPL/SPL". April 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
- ^ "100 Players Who Shook the Kop: The Definitive List". Liverpool F.C. 2006-10-06. Archived from the original on 2008-07-31. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
- ^ Rush, Ian (2008-12-09). "Ian Rush: Why bargain buy Sami Hyypia is one of Liverpool's best ever signings". The Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ "Hyypia shocked at Reds omission". BBC Sport. 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ "Hyypia to join Bayer Leverkusen". BBC Sport. 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ I’d Like to Return to Liverpool as a Coach (in Finnish)
- ^ Brett, Oliver (2009-05-24). "Liverpool 3–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ "Hyypia agrees German switch". Sky Sports. 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/startseite/518932/artikel_Hyypiae_Klarer-geht's-nicht.html
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_Fu%C3%9Fball-Bundesliga
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Hyypia wanted Reds return". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Ex-Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia ends playing career". BBC. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ Pietarinen, Heikki (2008-12-18). "Finland – International Player Records". RSSSF. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ http://www.iltalehti.fi/jalkapallo/2011050213645435_jp.shtml
- ^ http://www.iltalehti.fi/jalkapallo/2011050213645162_jp.shtml
- ^ YLE Urheiluruutu, 20 Aug 2011.
- ^ http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/hyypia-intl.html
- ^ a b Pietarinen, Heikki (2008-01-31). "Finland – Player of the Year Awards". RSSSF. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ YLE Urheilu: Vuoden parhaat valittu, Kontiolle jo 21:s Vuoden paras -titteli
- ^ Suomen Palloliitto Sami Hyypiä jälleen urheilutoimittajien ykkönen
- ^ http://www.palloliitto.fi/viestinta/?num=176535 Palloliiton Vuoden Pelaaja
- ^ "Hyypiä grabs top award". BBC Sport. 2001-12-28. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ "Team of the Year 2001". UEFA. 2002-01-03. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ Hadfield, David (1999-12-05). "Houllier heartened as Hyypia is honoured". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ a b "Goal.com Player Of The Decade: Results – Position By Position & The Team Of The Decade Revealed". Goal.com. 2009-12-28. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
External links
- Sami Hyypiä career stats at Soccerbase
- Profile at ESPNsoccernet
- FIFA.com Profile
- UEFA.com Profile
- LFCHistory.net Profile
- Profile at FA of Finland’s official website (Finnish)
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jamie Redknapp | Liverpool F.C. Captain 2002–2003 | Succeeded by Steven Gerrard |
| Preceded by Jari Litmanen | Finland football captain 2008–2011 | Succeeded by Petri Pasanen |