Raitala’s life is full
Jukka Raitala, the last of all time The impact of Montreal the captain returns home to play for the Finnish champion HJK Helsinki, the club where it all started professionally for the defender of the 63-time national team.
Of course, Raitala spent the last season in MLS Minnesota United where opportunities were limited after leaving Montreal in 2020.
But he fulfilled his lifelong ambition by playing for Finland in the delayed 2020 European Championship finals (held a year after the original schedule), starting all three block games. It contained a game that no one will forget when Christian Eriksson fell on the lawn in Copenhagen.
Movement means the Champions League football to Raitala next season, when HJK goes straight to the qualifying round 1.
“I am very pleased with the agreement. It feels good to return to Helsinki with a familiar club and environment. Hunger is fiercely sporting, I want to continue to develop the club and bring my own experience and value to the club,” said Raitala.
“There are constantly young and talented players at HJK with whom you can work every day and take them forward. When I was here when I was young, there were a lot of experienced players here, and I’m really grateful for that.
MiJ Takkula, Sports Director of HJK, also talks about Raitala’s …
– It’s great to have an experienced A national team player come back to strengthen our defense. Jugi is able to play on the defensive line in a number of different locations and his basic game at different stages of the game is of a high standard. Takkula said.
Raitala would have joined international scholarship holder Rasmus Schuller, who was also previously at Minnesota United in Helsinki, but Schuller has moved to new pastures with the Swedish Djurgarden. Tim Sparv is the second former international teammate to leave Helsinki – he retired after helping in HJK’s latest championship.
The former Impact man is expected to replace Daniel O’Shaughnessy of Ireland, whose next stop appears to be with Bundesliga 2 Karlsruher SC.
It is a well-traveled road and one Raitala has familiarly gone to play in Hoffenheim and Paderborn, Germany, after leaving HJK twelve years ago.
Since then, the Finn has played in the top leagues of Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and the USA, and a special highlight of his career has been in the Osasuna team, which won the Mess-inspired Barcelona, then still in its glory, La Liga.
Joel Perovuo, a football expert at Elmo TV, sees the change as positive for both the player and the club. “Undoubtedly good recruitment. Raitala will basically replace O’Shaughnessy, but will also be able to play for the left defender or winger if necessary. I hope that Raitala will not appear on HJK’s shirt on the right as in the national team, ”Perovuo added.
“Raitala brings quality to HJK’s game and is able to give line breaks. The track is still fast enough and with good mobility. ”
Jukka Raitala played 69 MLS matches (1 goal) in Montreal Impact (19th highest in club history). His nine matches last season in Minnesota took him to an MLS career for a total of 106, with the other 28 matches coming Columbus crew before joining Montreal as part of an agreement by which Laurent Ciman headed to LA.
The Finnish u21 player of the year in 2009, the same year he won the championship with HJK, Raitala also won the Finnish Cup in 2008 and became the Canadian champion in 2019. Toronto FC lost in a penalty shootout at BMO Field.