Crew SC has acquired defender Jukka Raitala as a Discovery Signing. The Finnish 28-year-old is well-traveled with vast experience on the playing field. Take a quick look at his career by the numbers…
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Raitala brings 10 years of professional experience to Columbus, having played for multiple club teams across Europe and the Finland National Team. He began his career in Finland at the age of 18 with Klubi-04 Helsinki, HJK Helsinki’s reserve team, before eventually joining the senior squad.
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He has earned 36 caps for Finland’s senior National team, making his debut at 20 years old in 2009 against Japan and was later named the Finland U-21 Player of the Year. He also played in 25 matches for the Nordic Nation’s U-21 team, gaining valuable youth experience.
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Acquiring knowledge of various playing styles, Raitala has played a total of 263 professional matches across all competitions throughout his time in Europe. He has played in Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga, Holland’s Eredivisie, and gained topflight experience in Norway’s Eliteserien, the Superliga in Denmark and Finland’s Veiikkausliga.
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Ahead of the 2011-2012 season, Raitala was loaned to Spanish topflight side Osasuna. He made his debut as a leftback against Atletico Madrid on August 28, 2011, producing one of his favorite soccer memories of his career. Take a look at his bio to learn more.
