Juhani Ojala

Juhani Ojala (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈjuhɑni ˈojɑlɑ]; born 19 June 1989) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Danish Superliga club Vejle Boldklub and the Finland national team. Ojala was born in Vantaa, Finland where he played for the local youth team before moving to HJK´s organisation.

Juhani Ojala
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-06-19) 19 June 1989
Place of birth Vantaa, Finland[1]
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Vejle
Number 4
Youth career
VJS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Klubi 04 14 (1)
2009–2011 HJK 41 (1)
2011–2013 Young Boys 23 (0)
2013–2016 Terek Grozny 24 (0)
2015 → HJK (loan) 4 (0)
2016 SJK 9 (0)
2017–2019 Häcken 32 (4)
2019– Vejle 23 (3)
National team‡
Finland U-19 1 (0)
Finland U-20 3 (0)
Finland U-21 9 (0)
2011– Finland 22 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:38, 14 September 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 September 2017

Club career

HJK Helsinki

During the 2009 season, Ojala represented mostly Klubi-04, HJK's reserve squad. In the beginning of the 2010 season, however, he was selected to HJK's first eleven, due to various injuries in the squad. His performances were outstanding, and he quickly established himself as one of the key players in HJK's victorious 2010 campaign, playing in all games. Ojala became one of the best and most talented players in the Veikkausliiga, and his performances provoked widespread international interest.[2] At the end of the 2010 Veikkausliiga season, he was officially selected as the defender of the year.[3]

Young Boys

On 9 April 2011 Ojala signed a contract extension with HJK, the new contract running until 2014.[4] But in July, HJK announced that Ojala would transfer to Swiss team BSC Young Boys on 13 August.[5]

He gained notoriety in England during Young Boys' 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage match against Liverpool at the Stade de Suisse. In an eventful match, which ended 5–3 to the Reds, Ojala opened the score with an own goal, putting the ball past Marco Wölfli, his own goalkeeper. He later made amends by scoring a header to bring Young Boys level at 2–2 just after half time.

Terek Grozny

After a year and a half in Switzerland on 12 February 2013 it was announced that Ojala would transfer to Russian Premier League team Terek Grozny.[6]

Loan to HJK Helsinki

On 29 July 2015, Ojala rejoined HJK on loan for the remainder of the 2015 Veikkausliiga season.[7] He had a trial with Coventry City F.C. at the end of the season, but was not signed.

SJK

On 1 September 2016, Ojala signed with SJK.[8]

Vejle

On 26 August 2019, Danish 1st Division club Vejle Boldklub confirmed, that they had signed Ojala.[9] He reached promotion to the Danish Superliga during his first season at the club,[10] and personally finished with 22 appearances in which he scored two goals.[11]

On 14 September 2020, his debut in the Superliga, he scored in a 4–2 loss to rivals AGF.[12]

International career

In November 2010, after representing Finland on youth levels, Ojala was called up to the national team squad to face San Marino. He made his national team debut on 15 November 2011 in a friendly match against Denmark in Esbjerg when Mixu Paatelainen used him as a substitute.[13] He gained his first FIFA World Cup qualification appearance 12 October 2012 in Helsinki Olympic Stadium in a match against Georgia.[14] During autumn of 2012 he established himself as a regular in the national team.

Honours

Club
HJK Helsinki

Country

Finland national football team

Individual
  • 2010: Veikkausliiga defender of the year[15]

Career statistics

Club
As of 23 October 2016[11]
Club statistics
SeasonClubLeagueLeagueCupContinental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2009 Klubi-04 Ykkönen 111—111
2009 HJK Veikkausliiga 40—40
2010 24011161412
2011 1714020231
2011–12 Young Boys Swiss Super League 11010—120
2012–13 12000101221
2012–13 Terek Grozny Russian Premier League 3000—30
2013–14 20010—210
2014–15 1010—20
2015 HJK (loan) Veikkausliiga 40—40
2016 SJK Veikkausliiga 901020120
Total Finland 592161101954
Switzerland 23010101341
Russia 24020—260
Career total 11621912021555

International
As of 2 September 2017[16]
Finland national team
YearAppsGoals
201110
201240
201340
201440
201510
201620
201751
Total211

International goals
Scores and results list Finland's goal tally first.[16]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.9 January 2017Tahnoun bin Mohamed Stadium, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Morocco1–01–0Friendly

References
  1. HJK Profile
  2. Isotalo Mikko, Judesoturi, Iltalehti Urheilu 27.7.2010, p. 6
  3. HJK:n Ojala ja Mäkelä pelipaikkojensa parhaat HS.fi, 21.10.2010
  4. HJK:n oma kasvattitoppari jatkosopimukseen Archived 18 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
  5. Toppari Juhani Ojala siirtyy Sveitsiin (in Finnish)
  6. "Juhani Ojala siirtyy Venäjän liigaan Terek Groznyin riveihin" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  7. "JUHANI OJALA LOPPUKAUDEKSI KLUBIIN!". hjk.fi/ (in Finnish). HJK. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  8. "Maajoukkueen puolustaja Juhani Ojala SJK-paitaan". sjk2007.fi (in Finnish). SJK. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  9. Vejle Boldklub køber Juhani Ojala, vejle-boldklub.dk, 26 August 2019
  10. Burkal Nielsen, Ronni (14 July 2020). "Vejle rykker op i Superligaen". sport.tv2.dk (in Danish). TV 2. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  11. "J. OJALA". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  12. "Målfarlige AGF knækker Vejle i sæsonpremiere" (in Danish). TV 2. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020. Towards the end of the match, however, Vejle managed to score twice and create renewed tension. First, Ghanaian debutant Raphael Dwamena scored on a low strike from the edge of the box, and then Finnish Juhani Ojala came on the scoreboard with a header after a corner kick in the 84th minute.
  13. "Musta hetki koitui Suomen kohtaloksi" (in Finnish). YLE Urheilu. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  14. "Eremenko junior ulos, Suomi puristi vajaalla tasapeliin" (in Finnish). YLE Urheilu. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  15. "Pelipaikkojen parhaat 2010 nimetty" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  16. "Ojala, Juhani". National Football Teams. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
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