“It was a process to accept that when I come here, I will no longer go abroad to play,” says Jukka Raitala. HJK recruited well-known returnees familiar from the national team for the betting league season starting on Saturday.
Lived in April 2007 when young Jukka Raitala debuts in the men’s football league in HJK’s shirt. Fifteen years later, Raitala, 33, is sitting in a restaurant at Töölö Football Stadium answering questions in good spirits – again as a player for HJK.
– The feelings are really expectant. It should be January 10th when we started training, so a pretty long preseason is behind us. It has never been so long abroad. It’s nice to be able to play for points, even though the training games have been twisted here, Raitala says, referring to Finland’s long training season.
In late summer 2009, Raitala headed to Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga. It marked the beginning of a long tour abroad, which has now come to an end.
In addition to Germany, Raitala has accumulated matches abroad from the Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and North American leagues. Before returning to Finland, he spent several years in the North American MLS League, where the Finnish defender represented Columbus Crew, Montreal Impact and Minnesota United.
Raitala has warm memories of MLS.
– It was a really good five years. I was in Montreal for three years, and I probably have the best memories of it when I spent so long there. It was great to be involved in the growth of the whole league. The MLS has grown, players have evolved and the level has moved on. The difference is pretty huge and impressive already compared to when I went there. MLS has intellectual potential, Raitala is excited.
An experienced national team defender no longer longs for overseas.
– The circle is kind of closed. In the winter, I wonder if it would be time to come back to Finland. It was a process to accept that when I come here, I will no longer go abroad to play. You can never say never, but miracles should happen. My idea is to play in Finland for many more years, says Raitala, who has made a two-year contract with HJK.
The pressure kicked forward
The versatile Raitala is able to play as a winger and central defender. The place of the Kerava breeder is probably found in the HJK as the top top of the three.
– After playing with three toppers, it suited me well. You get a lot of balls in it. I feel that my strengths can be found in game opening and ball play. I enjoy that place really well.
HJK will start the season as a clear champion favorite, and the Helsinki team is also expected to succeed in the Cup and the European Games.
– We will certainly be able to do our best under a little pressure. Our range of players is so high quality that we basically have to win every single one of our league games, though probably not all the wins. However, the mentality must be such, Raitala reminds.
Here are Veikkausliiga’s most famous returnees
Raitala is HJK’s Joona Toivion In addition, a Finnish player who returned to the most famous domestic fields of the league season. HJK has also acquired, among other things, a national team leader Pyry Soirin.
Other well-known returnees to Finland include HIFK Eero MarkkanenIlves Petteri Pennanen and Djurgården from Sweden to FC Lahti Albion Ademi. Markkanen and Pennanen played in North America’s second-highest league last season.
The most meritorious new foreign player of the beginning season is HIFK’s veteran goalkeeper Antonio Alberto Bastos Pimparel or Beto. The Portuguese Beto, 39, has played 16 matches in the country’s tough men’s national team, played three times in the World Cup and once in the European Championships, and represented Porto and Seville, among others.
The league starts on Saturday, when the matches HJK – Honka, Haka – Ilves, KuPS – Inter, SJK – HIFK, VPS – AC Oulu and IFK Mariehamn – FC Lahti will be played.