Jari Litmanen
Encyclopedia
Jari Olavi Litmanen (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. 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. 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.
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 for 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, 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.
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. 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 very soon during the same summer, and he did not finish the Finnish football season with MyPa.
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, 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:
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. 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 championship
s 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
. 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. 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.
FC Lahti
Litmanen's return to Finland, as he joined Lahti
, was much hyped, and was hailed as "the return of the king
". 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.
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.
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.
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. 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
.
said that Litmanen is something akin to “precision munition” for HJK. He played in this role on 24 September 2011 in the 2011 Finnish Cup
final against KuPS, coming on to the field after 80 minutes of play, when the score was 0–0. During the second half of extra time, he scored a spectacular halfvolley to make it 1–0 for HJK on the 108th minute. They went on to win the match 2–1. This was Litmanen’s first Finnish Cup
final after he won it with MyPa
in 1992. He said that if he plays such a cup final every 19 years, he won’t play too many of them during his career anymore. On 2 October 2011 HJK secured the 2011 Finnish championship
and thus a double. As of that day, Litmanen had played 18 matches for HJK that season, and they had won every single match in which Litmanen had been on the field. On 14 Oct 2011 this series ended, when HJK drew 0–0 with JJK Jyväskylä.
On 29 October Litmanen celebrated his 200th league match by giving three assists in HJK's 5−2 win over FC Haka.
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, which was his last international game so far. Litmanen hasn't yet stated, whether he is going to continue playing or not.
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: Michel Kreek
of the Ajax Academy was equally positive about this possibility:
, 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 Estonia
n 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.
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.
|1987
||rowspan=4|Reipas Lahti||rowspan=4|Veikkausliiga
||9||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||10||0
|-
|1988
||26||8||4||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||30||8
|-
|1989
||25||6||4||2||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||29||8
|-
|1990
||26||14||3||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||29||14
|-
|1991
||HJK Helsinki
||Veikkausliiga
||27||16||0||0||colspan=2|—||2||0||29||16
|-
|1992
||MyPa
||Veikkausliiga
||18||7||6||4||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||24||11
|-
|1992–93
||rowspan=7|Ajax||rowspan=7|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
|-
|1999–00
||rowspan=2|Barcelona
||rowspan=2|La Liga
||21||3||3||1||colspan=2|—||5||0||29||4
|-
|2000–01||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0||0||0
|-
|2000-01||rowspan=2|Liverpool
||rowspan=2|Premier League||5||1||2||1||2||0||2||0||11||2
|-
|2001–02
||21||4||1||0||1||0||9||3||32||7
|-
|2002–03
||rowspan=2|Ajax||rowspan=2|Eredivisie
||14||5||1||0|||0||0||7||2||22||7
|-
|2003–04
||6||0||0||0||0||0||3||0||9||0
|-
|2004
||Lahti
||Veikkausliiga
||11||3||1||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||13||3
|-
|2004–05||Hansa Rostock||Bundesliga
||13||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||14||1
|-
|2005
||rowspan=3|Malmö FF
||rowspan=3|Allsvenskan
||2||1||||||colspan=2|—||2||0||4*||1*
|-
|2006
||8||2||||||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||8*||2*
|-
|2007
||0||0||||||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||0*||0*
|-
|2007–08||Fulham
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0
|-
|2008
||rowspan=3|Lahti
||rowspan=4|Veikkausliiga
||6||3||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||6||3
|-
|2009
||13||2||2||0||3||1||6||1||24||4
|-
|2010
||21||5||0||0||2||0||colspan=2|—||23||5
|-
|2011
||HJK Helsinki
||18||1||1||1||1||0||2||0||22||2
200||65||22||7||7||1||10||1||239||74
179||96||16||10||4||3||54||26||253||135
21||3||3||1||colspan=2|—||5||0||29||4
26||5||3||1||3||0||11||3||43||9
13||1||1||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||14||1
10||3||||||colspan=2|—||2||0||12*||3*
137||32||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||137||32
586||205||45*||19*||14||4||82||30||727*||258*
Finland MyPa
Finland HJK
Netherlands Ajax
Kingdom of England Liverpool
Netherlands Ajax
Kingdom of England Liverpool
Finland HJK
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
) is a Finnish footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, 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. He was chosen as the best Finnish player of the last 50 years by the Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
in the UEFA Jubilee Awards
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
in November 2003. Litmanen also finished 42nd in the 100 Greatest Finns
Suuret suomalaiset
Suuret suomalaiset was a 2004 television show broadcast in Finland by YLE , which determined the 100 greatest Finns of all time according to the opinions of its viewers. The viewers were able to vote during a programme which lasted from October to December 2004...
voting in 2004. The Association of Football Statisticians' (The AFS) compendium of 'Greatest Ever Footballers' listed Litmanen as the 53rd best footballer ever.
In Finland he is often called "Litti" (after Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Michael Littbarski is a German football manager and former player. He was mainly a winger or attacking midfielder and is best known for his brilliant dribbling abilities. He was a FIFA World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990. He was also runner–up twice in 1982 and 1986 with West Germany...
), which dates from his early years in Finland; his childhood playmate Tommi Kautonen
Tommi Kautonen
Tommi "Auge" Kautonen is a Finnish football manager and former player . He is currently the head coach of FC Lahti....
was "Auge" after Klaus Augenthaler
Klaus Augenthaler
Klaus "Auge" Augenthaler is a former football player and now manager.-Playing years:...
. He is very often also called "Kuningas" ("The King").
Litmanen was the long-time captain for the Finnish national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, in an international career lasting two decades. During his club career he has represented Reipas, HJK, MyPa
MyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
and Lahti
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
in Finland, as well as Ajax, FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Hansa Rostock
FC Hansa Rostock
F.C. Hansa Rostock is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the former East Germany and have made several appearances in the 1. Bundesliga. Rostock currently compete in the 2. Bundesliga...
, Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
abroad. Once considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, 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.
Early career
Litmanen made his first-team debut for Reipas in Finland’s then top division MestaruussarjaMestaruussarja
Mestaruussarja was the top division of Finnish football from 1930 to 1989. It was replaced by Veikkausliiga in 1990.In 1930 league format was used for the first time to decide Finnish champion. Before that from 1908 to 1929 the championship was decided with cup competition. The league was...
at the age of 16 in 1987. Around this time he also played ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and it was said that he was among the most gifted young hockey players in Reipas. After four seasons with Reipas he moved to HJK
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
, Finland's biggest club, in 1991. A year later he joined MyPa
MyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
, where he was coached by Harri Kampman
Harri Kampman
Harri Kampman is a Finnish football manager and former player who has managed Motherwell, MyPa and AC Oulu.-References:...
, who later became his agent. Litmanen did not win any medals in the Finnish league, but he did win the Finnish Cup
Finnish Cup
The Finnish Cup is Finland's main national cup competition in football.This yearly competition is open for member clubs of the FA of Finland. Finnish Cup has been played since 1955.Finnish Cup winner qualifies to UEFA Europa League...
with MyPa in July 1992, in a 2–0 win over FF Jaro
FF Jaro
FF Jaro is a Finnish football club, based in the bilingual town of Jakobstad. It currently plays in the Finnish Premier League Veikkausliiga...
in the final at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium
Helsinki Olympic Stadium
The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952...
. 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 very soon during the same summer, and he did not finish the Finnish football season with MyPa.
Ajax
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Leeds United and PSV Eindhoven, but in the end it was Ajax
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
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:
During 1992–93, his first season at Ajax, he played mostly in the reserves. Supposedly the manager, Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
, was already ready to send him back to Finland, but the team physiotherapist advised him to use him to stand in for Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
, who was injured at the time. Van Gaal liked what he saw, and knowing that Bergkamp about to leave for Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, 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. 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
Dutch Footballer of the Year
The title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
in the Netherlands in 1993.
Litmanen was one of the star players of Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
's team that reached the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final twice in a row. He became the first ever Finnish player to have won the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
or the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
when Ajax beat Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the 1994-95
UEFA Champions League 1994-95
The 1994–95 UEFA Champions League was the 40th edition of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the third since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Ajax of the Netherlands with a late goal in the final against defending champions Milan of Italy...
final. In 1995-96
UEFA Champions League 1995-96
The 1995–96 UEFA Champions League was the 41st season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the fourth since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Juventus, who beat defending champions Ajax on penalties in the final for their first championship...
, Litmanen was the Champions League top scorer with nine goals, including the equaliser in the final against Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, which Ajax lost on penalties 4-2. He also won the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
against Grêmio
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , is a Brazilian professional association football team based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup, two Copa...
in 1995, and came third in the voting for the Ballon d'Or
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
(European Footballer of the Year), having finished eighth the previous year.
Litmanen spent seven years in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, winning four Dutch championship
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
s and three Dutch Cups
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
. 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
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
. In his time at Ajax, some fans called him "Merlin" because of the magic he brought to the pitch.
BarcelonaFC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
In 1999, Litmanen was re-united with his old boss van Gaal at FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. His stint with the club was, however, largely plagued by injuries, and when van Gaal was replaced by Llorenç Serra Ferrer
Llorenç Serra Ferrer
Lorenzo Serra Ferrer is a Spanish football coach.His career was mainly associated with RCD Mallorca and Real Betis, and he also served the former in various other capacities.-Playing career:...
, his chances of playing became even smaller. In the end, Litmanen moved to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on a free transfer, in January 2001.
LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
Litmanen was hailed as "one of the most exciting signings Liverpool have ever made" by the manager Gérard HoullierGérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
upon signing for the club he had supported as a boy. He wanted to wear the number seven shirt as worn by his childhood hero Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
, however this had already been taken by Vladimir Smicer
Vladimír Šmicer
Vladimír Šmicer is a former Czech football midfielder and forward player. Šmicer was a devout player of Slavia Prague, the only Czech club he ever played for. He also played notably for Lens in France, with whom he won the Ligue 1 title. In 1999, Šmicer moved to England, where he played several...
. 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
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Bayer Leverkusen, and scored a penalty in Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
's victory over Roma in the Champions League. He was part of the Liverpool team that won the "cup treble" of the Worthington Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
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 LahtiFC LahtiFC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
and Hansa Rostock
Litmanen's return to Finland, as he joined LahtiFC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
, was much hyped, and was hailed as "the return of the king
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
". However, Litmanen moved to German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. 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 FFMalmö FFMalmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
Litmanen joined Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
in July 2005 in a bid to help the Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
qualify for the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. 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.
Fulham
In January 2008, Litmanen received a 10-day trial invitation from Fulham FC, managed by former FinlandFinland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
manager Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
, and was signed on 31 January 2008 alongside countryman Toni Kallio
Toni Kallio
Toni Kallio is a Finnish footballer who is currently playing for Veikkausliiga side FC Inter Turku. His preferred position is left back, but he can also operate as centre back and used to play as forward when he joined HJK...
. 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
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
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.
Return to LahtiFC LahtiFC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
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 PAOKPAOK FC
P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club...
, Zisis Vryzas
Zisis Vryzas
Zisis Vryzas is a former football player, and had been the vice president of PAOK FC for the past 3 years. He was born 9 November 1973 in Kavala, city of northern Greece, located in the region of Macedonia . He played as a striker for various teams in Greece and abroad, as well as the Greek...
for the prospect of joining his club the following season. Litmanen has been training with Lahti
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
for some weeks in Summer 2008.
On 8 August 2008, it was announced that Litmanen would join his former club Lahti
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
of the Finnish Premier Division
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
for the remainder of the 2008 season. 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
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
on 16 April 2009. Litmanen scored his first European goal for Lahti in a 2–0 against Gorica
ND Gorica
ND Gorica is a Slovenian football club, playing in the town of Nova Gorica. They are one of the most successful Slovenian clubs with four Slovenian League, two Slovenian Cup and one Slovenian Supercup titles. Together with NK Maribor and NK Celje they are the only club that have participated in...
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
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
goal against AC Oulu
AC Oulu
AC Oulu is a Finnish football club, based in Oulu. The club's coach is Juha Malinen, and it plays its home matches at Raatin Stadion.-History :...
in a 1-2 away victory.
On 23 October 2010 he scored his 50th Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
goal, but this happened in a 3-2 loss against TPS
Turun Palloseura
Turun Palloseura, TPS for short and nicknamed Tepsi, is a Finnish football club based in Turku. The club was founded in 1922. TPS currently play in the Veikkausliiga, the highest level of Finnish football. They play their home matches at the 9,372 seater Veritas Stadion, Turku.-History:FC TPS Turku...
and it didn't stop FC Lahti from being relegated to Ykkönen
Ykkönen
Ykkönen is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system , although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland.-Competition:...
.
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). He usually starts as a substitute and plays around 10–30 minutes of the game. The HJK coach Antti MuurinenAntti Muurinen
Antti Muurinen is a Finnish football coach. He is currently the head coach of HJK Helsinki in Finland's Veikkausliiga.Muurinen is probably best known as the head coach of the Finnish national team...
said that Litmanen is something akin to “precision munition” for HJK. He played in this role on 24 September 2011 in the 2011 Finnish Cup
2011 Finnish Cup
The 2011 Finnish Cup is the 57th season of the main annual football cup competition in Finland. It is organized as a single-elimination knock–out tournament. Participation in the competition is voluntary....
final against KuPS, coming on to the field after 80 minutes of play, when the score was 0–0. During the second half of extra time, he scored a spectacular halfvolley to make it 1–0 for HJK on the 108th minute. They went on to win the match 2–1. This was Litmanen’s first Finnish Cup
Finnish Cup
The Finnish Cup is Finland's main national cup competition in football.This yearly competition is open for member clubs of the FA of Finland. Finnish Cup has been played since 1955.Finnish Cup winner qualifies to UEFA Europa League...
final after he won it with MyPa
MyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
in 1992. He said that if he plays such a cup final every 19 years, he won’t play too many of them during his career anymore. On 2 October 2011 HJK secured the 2011 Finnish championship
2011 Veikkausliiga
The 2011 Veikkausliiga was the eighty-first season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 2 May 2011 and ended on 29 October 2011. HJK Helsinki were the defending champions and successfully defended their title....
and thus a double. As of that day, Litmanen had played 18 matches for HJK that season, and they had won every single match in which Litmanen had been on the field. On 14 Oct 2011 this series ended, when HJK drew 0–0 with JJK Jyväskylä.
On 29 October Litmanen celebrated his 200th league match by giving three assists in HJK's 5−2 win over FC Haka.
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
Trinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
, and scored his first goal on 16 May 1991 against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
. 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
Ari Hjelm
Ari-Juhani Hjelm is a Finnish football coach and former player. He was the head coach of home-town club Tampere United in Finland's Veikkausliiga....
, Sami Hyypiä
Sami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä 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...
and Jonatan Johansson
Jonatan Johansson (footballer)
Jonatan Lillebror Johansson is a retired Finnish footballer. He last played for TPS in Finnish Veikkausliiga. His main position was a striker and he was a regular in the Finnish national team.- Early career :...
.
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, which was his last international game so far. Litmanen hasn't yet stated, whether he is going to continue playing or not.
International goals
Finland's score first.| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 May 1991 | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
1–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying | |
| 2. | 25 March 1992 |  GlasgowGlasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
1–1 | Draw | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 3. | 13 October 1993 |  StockholmStockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
2–3 | Lose | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 4. | 16 November 1994 | Helsinki |
5–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 5. | ||||||
| 6. | 29 March 1995 |  Serravalle |
2–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 7. | 11 June 1995 | Helsinki |
2–1 | Win | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 8. | 2 June 1996 | Helsinki |
1–2 | Lose | Friendly | |
| 9. | 2 June 1996 |  DenizliDenizli Denizli is a growing industrial city in the Southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about a hundred meters. Denizli is located in southwestern Turkey, in the country's Aegean Region.The city... |
1–1 | Draw | Friendly | |
| 10. | 2 April 1997 |  BakuBaku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal... |
2–1 | Win | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone .A total of 50 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 15 places in the final tournament... |
|
| 11. | 8 June 1997 | Helsinki |
3–0 | Win | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 12. | 6 September 1997 |  LausanneLausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... |
2–1 | Win | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 13. | 14 October 1998 | Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... |
3–1 | Win | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | |
| 14. | 29 March 2000 |  CardiffCardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
2–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 15. | 16 August 2000 | Helsinki |
3–1 | Win | Friendly (Nordic Cup) | |
| 16. | ||||||
| 17. | 2 September 2000 | Helsinki |
2–1 | Win | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 18. | 15 August 2001 | Helsinki |
4–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 19. | 5 September 2001 | Helsinki |
5–1 | Win | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 20. | 27 March 2002 |  PortoPorto Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes... |
4–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 21. | ||||||
| 22. | 30 April 2003 | Helsinki |
3–0 | Win | Friendly | |
| 23. | 31 April 2004 |  VallettaValletta Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's... |
2–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 24. | 28 May 2004 | Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... |
1–3 | Lose | Friendly | |
| 25. | 26 March 2005 |  TepliceTeplice Teplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town .... |
3–4 | Lose | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 26. | 2 September 2006 |  Bydgoszcz |
3–1 | Win | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 27. | ||||||
| 28. | 11 October 2006 |  AlmatyAlmaty Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500... |
2–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 29. | 6 February 2008 |  NicosiaNicosia Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line... |
1–2 | Lose | Friendly | |
| 30. | 26 March 2008 |  SofiaSofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... |
1–2 | Lose | Friendly | |
| 31. | 9 September 2009 |  VaduzVaduz Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the national parliament. The town, located along the Rhine, has about 5,100 inhabitants , most of whom are Roman Catholic. Its cathedral is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop.... |
1–1 | Draw | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 32. | 17 November 2010 | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
8–0 | Win | Euro 2012 qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
Future career options
The sports news programme UrheiluruutuUrheiluruutu
Urheiluruutu is a daily sport news television programme in Finland's National Broadcasting Company YLE.The programme originally launched on August 18, 1962. The sportsreader was Anssi Kukkonen and the programme was gathered up by Seppo Kannas. Kukkonen is also the father of the name 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
Danny Blind
Dirk Franciscus "Danny" Blind is a football coach and former Dutch international player. He played as a defender for Sparta Rotterdam, AFC Ajax and the Dutch national team.Blind was born in Oost-Souburg, Netherlands...
said the following: Michel Kreek
Michel Kreek
Michel Kreek is a former Dutch footballer, who played one international match for the Netherlands national football team: on February 22, 1995 in the lost friendly against Portugal.-Honours:Ajax...
of the Ajax Academy was equally positive about this possibility:
Personal life
Litmanen was born into a footballing family. His father, Olavi LitmanenOlavi Litmanen
Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish former international footballer. He spent his entire domestic career with Reipas.He won 5 Finnish Cup winners' medals with Reipas, 1964, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1978.-Personal life:...
, 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 Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n 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
Team sport
A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...
player to receive a statue. His statue is located at Kisapuisto (Lahti) where he started his career in the 70's.
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
Kari Arkivuo
Kari Arkivuo is a Finnish professional football player who plays as a full back for BK Häcken.-Club career:A product of his local FC Kuusysi, Arkivuo made his senior debut for FC Lahti on 3 May 2001 against Inter. He was able to appear in four league matches during his debut season, scoring once...
, Drilon Shala
Drilon Shala
Drilon Shala is a Finnish football player of Kosovar-Albanian ancestry currently playing for FC Lahti; he formerly played for PP-70. Although he represented Finland at U19 level in 2010 he accepted an offer to play for the Kosovo national team.-External links: -References:*...
and Berat Sadik
Berat Sadik
Berat Sadik born 14 September 1986 in Skopje, FYR Macedonia) is a Finnish footballer playing for HJK of the Finnish Veikkausliiga.- Early life :...
at Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles
The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. The club's home stadium is De Adelaarshorst. To date, the club has won the national championship four times...
and most recently Henri Toivomäki
Henri Toivomäki
Henri Toivomäki is a Finnish footballer, who plays as a defender. He currently plays for AFC Ajax. He previously played for FC Lahti and Atalanta.-Career:...
at Ajax.
Career statistics
|-|1987
Mestaruussarja 1987
Statistics of the Mestaruussarja, the premier division of Finnish football, in the 1987 season.- League standings :- References :*...
||rowspan=4|Reipas Lahti||rowspan=4|Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
||9||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||10||0
|-
|1988
Mestaruussarja 1988
- Preliminary stage :- Championship group :- Relegation group :- References :*...
||26||8||4||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||30||8
|-
|1989
Mestaruussarja 1989
- Preliminary stage :- Championship group :- Relegation group :- References :*...
||25||6||4||2||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||29||8
|-
|1990
Veikkausliiga 1990
-Preliminary stage:-Quarterfinals:*Kuusysi Lahti - Haka Valkeakoski 3-1 ; 2-2 ; 4-3*RoPS Rovaniemi - MP Mikkeli 1-1,4-5 ; 2-1 ; 0-1*TPS Turku - HJK Helsinki 0-0,3-2 ; 1-2 ; 1-3*KuPS Kuopio - Reipas Lahti 1-1,4-5 ; 0-2-Semifinals:...
||26||14||3||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||29||14
|-
|1991
Veikkausliiga 1991
-League standings:-References:*...
||HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
||Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
||27||16||0||0||colspan=2|—||2||0||29||16
|-
|1992
Veikkausliiga 1992
-League standings:-References:*...
||MyPa
MyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
||Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
||18||7||6||4||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||24||11
|-
|1992–93
Eredivisie 1992-93
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1992/1993 season was contested by 18 teams. Feyenoord won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 Fortuna Sittard and FC Den Bosch both relegated after losing their promotion/relegation play-offs....
||rowspan=7|Ajax||rowspan=7|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||12||1||1||0||0||0||1||0||14||1
|-
|1993–94
Eredivisie 1993-94
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1993/1994 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 RKC remained in the Eredivisie after winning promotion/relegation play-offs. VVV lost theirs and relegated...
||30||26||2||2||1||2||5||4||38||34
|-
|1994–95
Eredivisie 1994-95
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1994/1995 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship. Starting this season, clubs qualifying for the Intertoto Cup can play for a spot in the UEFA Cup.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup....
||27||17||3||3||1||1||11||6||42||27
|-
|1995–96
Eredivisie 1995-96
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1995/1996 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship. From this season onwards a match win was rewarded with 3 points instead of 2.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup...
||26||14||2||0||0||0||10||9||38||23
|-
|1996–97
Eredivisie 1996-97
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1996/1997 season was contested by 18 teams. PSV won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 RKC and NEC both remained in the eredivisie after winning promotion/relegation play-offs.-Relegation play-offs:...
||16||6||0||0||1||0||7||2||24||8
|-
|1997–98
Eredivisie 1997-98
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1997/1998 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship.-League standings:1 Ajax also won the KNVB Cup, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the Champions League, just like finalists PSV. sc Heerenveen, the winner of the third place match,...
||25||16||3||4||0||0||6||2||34||22
|-
|1998–99
Eredivisie 1998-99
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1998/1999 season was contested by 18 teams. Feyenoord won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup...
||23||11||4||1||1||0||4||1||32||13
|-
|1999–00
La Liga 1999-00
1998-99 season was composed of the following clubs:* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alavés* Deportivo de La Coruña* RCD Espanyol* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CD Numancia* Racing de Santander* Rayo Vallecano...
||rowspan=2|Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
||rowspan=2|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||21||3||3||1||colspan=2|—||5||0||29||4
|-
|2000–01||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0||0||0
|-
|2000-01||rowspan=2|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan=2|Premier League||5||1||2||1||2||0||2||0||11||2
|-
|2001–02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||21||4||1||0||1||0||9||3||32||7
|-
|2002–03
Eredivisie 2002-03
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 2002/2003 season was contested by 18 teams. PSV won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 FC Zwolle remained in the eredivisie after winning their promotion/relegation play-offs...
||rowspan=2|Ajax||rowspan=2|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||14||5||1||0|||0||0||7||2||22||7
|-
|2003–04
Eredivisie 2003-04
The 2003-2004 season of the Dutch Eredivisie began in August 2003 and ended in May 2004. The title was won by Ajax.- League standings :- Topscorers :- Relegation playoffs :- Match table :- References :* *...
||6||0||0||0||0||0||3||0||9||0
|-
|2004
Veikkausliiga 2004
-League standings:-References:*...
||Lahti
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
||Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
||11||3||1||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||13||3
|-
|2004–05||Hansa Rostock||Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||13||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||14||1
|-
|2005
Allsvenskan 2005
Allsvenskan 2005, part of the 2005 Swedish football season, was the 81st Allsvenskan season played. The first match was played 9 April 2005 and the last match was played 23 October 2005...
||rowspan=3|Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
||rowspan=3|Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
||2||1||||||colspan=2|—||2||0||4*||1*
|-
|2006
Allsvenskan 2006
Allsvenskan 2006, part of the 2006 Swedish football season, was the 82nd Allsvenskan season played. The first match was played 1 April 2006 and the last match was played 5 November 2006...
||8||2||||||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||8*||2*
|-
|2007
Allsvenskan 2007
Allsvenskan 2007, part of the 2007 Swedish football season, was the 83rd Allsvenskan season played. The first match was played 6 April 2007 and the last match was played 28 October 2007...
||0||0||||||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||0*||0*
|-
|2007–08||Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0
|-
|2008
Veikkausliiga 2008
The 2008 season of Veikkausliiga was the seventy-eighth season of top-tier football in Finland. It started on 27 April 2008 and ended on 26 October 2008. The defending champions were Tampere United.-Promotion and relegation:...
||rowspan=3|Lahti
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...
||rowspan=4|Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
||6||3||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||6||3
|-
|2009
Veikkausliiga 2009
The 2009 Veikkausliiga was the seventy-ninth season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 18 April 2009 and ended on 17 October 2009. Inter Turku were the defending champions....
||13||2||2||0||3||1||6||1||24||4
|-
|2010
2010 Veikkausliiga
The 2010 Veikkausliiga was the eightieth season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 16 April 2010 and ended on 23 October 2010.-Teams:...
||21||5||0||0||2||0||colspan=2|—||23||5
|-
|2011
2011 Veikkausliiga
The 2011 Veikkausliiga was the eighty-first season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 2 May 2011 and ended on 29 October 2011. HJK Helsinki were the defending champions and successfully defended their title....
||HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
||18||1||1||1||1||0||2||0||22||2
200||65||22||7||7||1||10||1||239||74
179||96||16||10||4||3||54||26||253||135
21||3||3||1||colspan=2|—||5||0||29||4
26||5||3||1||3||0||11||3||43||9
13||1||1||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||14||1
10||3||||||colspan=2|—||2||0||12*||3*
137||32||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||137||32
586||205||45*||19*||14||4||82||30||727*||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 CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
winners.
Club titles
Finland MyPaMyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
- Finnish CupFinnish CupThe Finnish Cup is Finland's main national cup competition in football.This yearly competition is open for member clubs of the FA of Finland. Finnish Cup has been played since 1955.Finnish Cup winner qualifies to UEFA Europa League...
: 1992
Finland HJKHJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
- Finnish championship 20112011 VeikkausliigaThe 2011 Veikkausliiga was the eighty-first season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 2 May 2011 and ended on 29 October 2011. HJK Helsinki were the defending champions and successfully defended their title....
- Finnish Cup 20112011 Finnish CupThe 2011 Finnish Cup is the 57th season of the main annual football cup competition in Finland. It is organized as a single-elimination knock–out tournament. Participation in the competition is voluntary....
Netherlands Ajax
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1994–95UEFA Champions League 1994-95The 1994–95 UEFA Champions League was the 40th edition of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the third since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Ajax of the Netherlands with a late goal in the final against defending champions Milan of Italy... - European Super CupEuropean Super CupThe UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
: 19951995 UEFA Super CupThe 1995 UEFA Super Cup was contested between the UEFA Champions League holders AFC Ajax and the Cup Winners' Cup holders Real Zaragoza. The cup was played later than usual, the two legs taking place in February 1996. The first leg was draw 1–1 at the La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza. The... - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 19951995 Intercontinental CupThe 1995 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on November 28, 1995 between Ajax, winners of the 1994-95 European Cup, and Grêmio, winners of the 1995 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo... - Dutch championshipEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
: 1993–94Eredivisie 1993-94The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1993/1994 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 RKC remained in the Eredivisie after winning promotion/relegation play-offs. VVV lost theirs and relegated...
, 1994–95Eredivisie 1994-95The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1994/1995 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship. Starting this season, clubs qualifying for the Intertoto Cup can play for a spot in the UEFA Cup.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup....
, 1995–96Eredivisie 1995-96The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1995/1996 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship. From this season onwards a match win was rewarded with 3 points instead of 2.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup...
, 1997–98Eredivisie 1997-98The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1997/1998 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship.-League standings:1 Ajax also won the KNVB Cup, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the Champions League, just like finalists PSV. sc Heerenveen, the winner of the third place match,...
, 2003–04Eredivisie 2003-04The 2003-2004 season of the Dutch Eredivisie began in August 2003 and ended in May 2004. The title was won by Ajax.- League standings :- Topscorers :- Relegation playoffs :- Match table :- References :* *... - KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99 - Johan Cruijff Schaal: 1993, 19941994 Dutch SupercupThe match for the fifth Dutch Supercup was held on 21 August 1994 in the Olympisch Stadion in Amsterdam. The match featured the winners of the 1993-94 Eredivisie Ajax and the winners of the 1993-94 KNVB Cup Feyenoord...
, 19951995 Dutch SupercupThe match for the sixth Dutch Supercup was held on 16 August 1995 in the De Kuip in Rotterdam. The match featured the winners of the 1994–95 Dutch first division, and of course the UEFA Champions League 1995, Ajax, and, the winners of the 1994–95 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord. This was the third...
Kingdom of England LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- UEFA Cup: 2000–01UEFA Cup 2000-01In perhaps the most bizarre European final ever, the 2000–01 UEFA Cup was won by Liverpool in a dramatic golden goal final against Deportivo Alavés for their third title in the competition. It completed a unique cup treble for the club, as they also won the FA Cup and the League Cup that season...
- European Super CupEuropean Super CupThe UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
: 20012001 UEFA Super CupThe 2001 UEFA Super Cup was a football match between German team Bayern Munich and English team Liverpool on 24 August 2001 at Stade Louis II, the annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Bayern were appearing in the Super Cup for the third... - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2000–01 - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2000–01 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20012001 FA Charity ShieldThe 2001 FA Charity Shield was the 79th FA Charity Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 12 August 2001 between 2000–01 Premier League champions Manchester United and 2000–01 FA Cup winners...
Dutch Double 1997–98
Netherlands Ajax
- Eredivisie 1997–98 and
- KNVB Cup 1997–98KNVB Cup 1997–98The 80th edition of the KNVB Cup started on August 12, 1997. The final was played on May 17, 1998: Ajax beat PSV 5–0 and won the cup for the thirteenth time...
English Treble 2000–01
Kingdom of England LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- UEFA Cup 2000–01
- FA Cup 2000–01
- Football League Cup 2000–01Football League Cup 2000–01The 2000–01 Football League Cup was the 41st season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs...
Finnish Double 2011
Finland HJKHJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
- Finnish championship 20112011 VeikkausliigaThe 2011 Veikkausliiga was the eighty-first season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 2 May 2011 and ended on 29 October 2011. HJK Helsinki were the defending champions and successfully defended their title....
and - Finnish Cup 20112011 Finnish CupThe 2011 Finnish Cup is the 57th season of the main annual football cup competition in Finland. It is organized as a single-elimination knock–out tournament. Participation in the competition is voluntary....
- The Finnish competitions are played during the same year (football is not active during the winter).
Personal awards and achievements
- Finnish Footballer of the YearFinnish Footballer of the YearThere are two different Finnish Player of the Year Awards in Finland. The sports journalists have elected their "Player of the Year" since 1947, the Football Association of Finland theirs since 1953.-Finnish Footballer of the Year:-References:*...
: 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 YearDutch Footballer of the YearThe title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
: 1993 - European Footballer of the YearEuropean Footballer of the YearThe "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
, 8th place: 1994 - European Footballer of the Year, 3rd place: 1995
- Dutch league top scorer: 1993–94
- UEFA Champions League top scorer: 1995–96UEFA Champions League 1995-96The 1995–96 UEFA Champions League was the 41st season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the fourth since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Juventus, who beat defending champions Ajax on penalties in the final for their first championship...
- All-time cap leader of the Finnish national teamFinland national football teamThe Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
- All-time top scorer of the Finnish national team
- All-time European top scorer of AFC Ajax 26 goals