Jari Litmanen

Jari Litmanen in 2009

Jari Olavi Litmanen [ jɑri litmɑnɛn ] ( born February 20, 1971 in Lahti ) is a Finnish former football player who was most recently at HJK Helsinki under contract.

Association

At the age of 16 he made ​​his debut with the Finnish club Lahti Reipas. For the club, he scored 28 goals in 86 league games. He then moved to Finland's capital, where he played for HJK Helsinki in 1991. In 1992, he stood at Myllykosken Pallo under contract and won the national cup competition. Between 1992 and 1999, Litmanen ran for the Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and scored in 224 games 126 goals. He won the Champions League and won the World Cup winner. Four times he was in the Netherlands and three times champions trophy winner. After his time at Ajax, he moved to FC Barcelona for which he played from 1999 to 2001. With Liverpool was Jari Litmanen a year later the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and English League Cup winners.

In summer 2002, Litmanen signed again at Ajax Amsterdam before he returned to his Finnish homeland in 2004. In February 2005 he moved from FC Lahti, which was formed through the merger of his home club with FC Lahti Reipas Kuusysi, for then relegation in the Bundesliga Hansa Rostock. After Hansa was relegated from the first division, Litmanen rejected a bid by the North German League for the second and moved to Malmö FF in the highest Swedish league.

2007 fell Litmanen after achilles tendon surgery several months. After his contract expired in Malmö on 31 December 2007, he moved in January 2008 to the English first division club FC Fulham. There he met the former Finnish national team coach Roy Hodgson.

On 31 March 2008 Litmanen made ​​his debut for Fulham in a game reserve team of the club against the reserve of Tottenham Hotspur. Five minutes before half-time, he scored his first goal from the penalty spot. In the 63rd minute he was replaced and Fulham lost the game at the end of 3-1.

In May 2008, the contract was terminated with Litmanen. He played a single game for the first team.

Litmanen then played from August 8, 2008 again at FC Lahti and scored in his first game two goals and set up two more goals before. The contract ran until the end of 2010. Litmanen In April 2011, continued his active career continued at HJK Helsinki, where he signed a contract until the end of the calendar year. With 40 years, he has a 2011 Helsinki for the first time Finnish champion.

National

His first of 137 international caps (32 goals) Jari Litmanen played on 22 October 1989. Finnish national football team won in this game with a 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. He's most-capped player and leading scorer of his country, but could not participate in any European or World Championships with the national team. After the 1-1 draw in Liechtenstein on September 9, 2009, when he scored his 31st international goal, also qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa was no longer possible.

With the October 22, 2010, the 21st anniversary of his debut international match, he overtook Lothar Matthäus, the 20-year national team - in Germany - was ( 1980-2000 ). His last international game he played on 17 November 2010 at 8-0 against San Marino, where he scored a penalty 6-0. He then resigned from the national team. He is both first and only football players in the world, the 'A' matches have played in four different decades.

Awards

  • Finnish Footballer of the Year (9x): 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000
  • Finland's Sportsman of the Year: 1995
  • Footballer of the Year in the Netherlands: 1993
  • European Footballer of the Year: 1995 ( Third Place )
  • Best Finnish player of the last 50 years: 2004
Fulham F.C. Eerste Divisie FC Kuusysi Finnish Sports Personality of the Year UEFA Jubilee Awards Dennis Bergkamp Ronald de Boer Marko Myyry 1995–96 UEFA Champions League 1956–57 Eredivisie Coen Dillen 1957–58 Eredivisie 1958–59 Eredivisie 1959–60 Eredivisie Henk Groot 1960–61 Eredivisie 1961–62 Eredivisie 1962–63 Eredivisie Pierre Kerkhoffs 1963–64 Eredivisie Frans Geurtsen 1964–65 Eredivisie 1965–66 Eredivisie 1966–67 Eredivisie 1967–68 Eredivisie Ove Kindvall 1968–69 Eredivisie Dick van Dijk 1969–70 Eredivisie 1970–71 Eredivisie 1971–72 Eredivisie 1972–73 Eredivisie Cas Janssens 1973–74 Eredivisie 1974–75 Eredivisie Ruud Geels 1975–76 Eredivisie 1976–77 Eredivisie 1977–78 Eredivisie 1978–79 Eredivisie Kees Kist 1979–80 Eredivisie 1980–81 Eredivisie 1981–82 Eredivisie 1982–83 Eredivisie Peter Houtman 1983–84 Eredivisie 1984–85 Eredivisie 1985–86 Eredivisie 1986–87 Eredivisie 1987–88 Eredivisie 1988–89 Eredivisie 1989–90 Eredivisie 1990–91 Eredivisie 1991–92 Eredivisie 1992–93 Eredivisie 1993–94 Eredivisie 1994–95 Eredivisie Ronaldo 1995–96 Eredivisie Luc Nilis 1996–97 Eredivisie 1997–98 Eredivisie 1998–99 Eredivisie 1999–2000 Eredivisie 2000–01 Eredivisie 2001–02 Eredivisie Pierre van Hooijdonk 2002–03 Eredivisie 2003–04 Eredivisie 2004–05 Eredivisie Dirk Kuyt 2005–06 Eredivisie 2006–07 Eredivisie Afonso Alves 2007–08 Eredivisie 2008–09 Eredivisie 2009–10 Eredivisie 2010–11 Eredivisie 2011–12 Eredivisie Bas Dost 2012–13 Eredivisie
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