1. Jukka Raitala was born on 15 September 1988 and is a Finnish professional footballer who plays for Veikkausliiga club IF Gnistan.
27 Facts About Jukka Raitala
1. 2.
Jukka Raitala usually plays as a left back in both his club side and the Finland football team but can operate as a right back or a central defender.
3.
Jukka Raitala joined the Keravan Pallo-75 junior team at the age of seven.
4.
Jukka Raitala played there for ten years before he moved to HJK in 2005.
5.
In Greek Day News, Jukka Raitala stated that he is interested in a move to AEK and that he is friends with AEK's Perparim Hetemaj.
6.
Jukka Raitala never did the trip and stated he does not want to risk playing time by moving.
7.
Jukka Raitala wants a guarantee for his place in the 2009 Under-21 Euros team.
8.
On 21 April 2009, Jukka Raitala signed a new three-year deal with HJK.
9.
On 15 March 2010, Jukka Raitala made his Bundesliga debut for Hoffenheim playing as a right defender against Werder Bremen.
10.
On 28 August 2011, Jukka Raitala made his La Liga debut for Osasuna playing as a left defender against Atletico Madrid.
11.
Jukka Raitala's contract was dissolved on 2 February 2015, after he had lost prospect of play time.
12.
The club ended below the relegation zone, but the Danish media wrote that Jukka Raitala had been one of the best players in the club's weakly half year.
13.
Jukka Raitala began very well, and played the first three matches and created one assist.
14.
On 30 November 2015, announced the sports director Allan Gaarde, that Jukka Raitala had to find a new club.
15.
On 3 December 2015 it was announced, that Jukka Raitala would leave the club at the end of the season with his contract expiring.
16.
Jukka Raitala signed with Norwegian Tippeligaen club Sogndal for the 2016 season in February 2016.
17.
On 23 December 2016, Jukka Raitala started his journey in Major League Soccer after Columbus Crew SC acquired him through a Discovery Signing for the 2017 season.
18.
Jukka Raitala was then immediately traded with fellow expansion draftee Raheem Edwards to Montreal Impact in exchange for defender Laurent Ciman.
19.
On 21 December 2021, it was announced that Jukka Raitala had returned to his first professional club HJK.
20.
Jukka Raitala was named the player of the year after the 2022 season, by the Finnish FA Southern district, and by the coaches of his team.
21.
On 8 December 2023, it was announced that Jukka Raitala will leave HJK after the season, since the club's CEO Aki Riihilahti and a new sporting director Vesa Maki announced that they saw no future for him in the club.
22.
When Jukka Raitala was 20 years old he made his Finland national team debut on 4 February 2009, in Tokyo in a friendly match against Japan when Stuart Baxter used him as a substitute.
23.
Jukka Raitala played his first UEFA European Championship qualification game on 3 June 2011 when Mixu Paatelainen chose him to the starting line up against San Marino in Serravalle.
24.
Jukka Raitala was a regular in the Finnish under-21 team that qualified for the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship final tournament in 2009.
25.
Jukka Raitala was a member of the twenty-six players selected by Markku Kanerva to compete in UEFA Euro 2020, the first official international competition for the Finns.
26.
Jukka Raitala competed in Finland's all three tournament matches, against Denmark, Russia and Belgium, but eventually they were eliminated from the competition in the group stage with two losses and one win.
27.
Jukka Raitala retired from the international football in November 2021, at the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, after making 63 international appearances for Finland.