Finland international surprised but happy to be in Montreal
Jukka Raitala will remember Tuesday, December 12, 2017, for a long time. After a successful first season in MLS with the Columbus Crew SC, including 30 games played and 21 starts, on route to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Finnish left back was selected in the expansion draft by LAFC, before a monumental trade made him a member of the Montreal Impact.
“I was very surprised that Los Angeles FC selected me during the draft,” admitted Raitala. “It was late when I found out, and even later I was traded to Montreal. In the morning I remembered it was the draft, but I didn’t think my address was going to change.”
Of course, Montreal isn’t exactly unknown territory for Raitala. On the starting 11 when the Crew SC visited Montreal last May, he often heard the name of someone who was captain of the Bleu-blanc-rouge and the Finnish hockey team, Saku Koivu. Also, the brisk weather probably reminds him of home. Paradoxically, the 29-year-old Helsinkian warmly remembers his time with Osasuna, a club in Spain’s La Liga.
“I think Spain is where I had my best experiences,” said Raitala. “At Osasuna, I played the entire season and I faced big clubs like Sevilla and Barcelona. I constantly went up against high-level players. It was some of the hardest and best moments of my career. It’s difficult to face players like that, most are very good individually, but they know when to use their skill. Even at one against one, they usually try to find a teammate and play small passes in small places. The quality is unbelievable, but with Osasuna, we had beat Barcelona 3-2 at home. It was fabulous and something I’ll remember for my whole life.”
Raitala and Messi at Estadio El Sadar, in February 2012.
Raitala stayed in Navarre for a season and had some major stints in top European leagues away from Finland: Bundesliga, Eredivisie, but also in Denmark and Norway. What should Montreal Impact supporters expect from Raitala?
“I am a hard working player, strong defensively and I can start the attack,” explained Raitala. “I want to win. Everywhere I’ve played, I faced different kinds of players, teams, and systems. That experience and the confidence I gained from it helps me for this kind of challenge.”
Speaking of challenge, who is the most dangerous winger Raitala ever had to face?
“I think the most difficult player I ever played against is Jesús Navas, when he was at Sevilla,” said Raitala. “He is a right winger, so I had to deal with him as a left back. He is quick and very clever.”
In Finland, sports enthusiasts are passionate about one sport in particular, a passion shared by millions of Canadians as well, hockey. In that context, what does football culture look like in Finland?
“Hockey is probably the biggest sport in Finland, but people follow football a lot,” added Raitala. “It’s not the biggest league, so players tend to leave and go abroad to join bigger clubs and develop themselves. The national team is growing. Our fans expect big things from us and hope that we qualify for the Euro or a World Cup. It has not happened yet, but I think it will.
