Mika Ojala

Mika Ojala (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmikɑ ˈʔojɑlɑ]; born 21 June 1988) is a Finnish football coach and a former professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.[1] He began his senior club career playing for VG-62, before signing with Inter Turku at age 18 in 2006.

Mika Ojala
Ojala with Inter Turku
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-06-21) 21 June 1988
Place of birth Paimio, Finland
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1998–2000 PaiHa
2001–2005 Inter Turku
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2005 VG-62 39 (8)
2006–2012 Inter Turku 175 (53)
2013 BK Häcken 21 (0)
2014–2015 Inter Turku 33 (10)
2015–2017 VfR Aalen 47 (10)
2017–2019 Inter Turku 64 (10)
International career‡
2007–2010 Finland U21 17 (2)
2010–2014 Finland 9 (0)
Managerial career
2022–2023 SJK II (assistant)
2023 SJK II (interim)
2023 SJK II (assistant)
Medal record
Finland national football team
Baltic Cup2012
Inter Turku
Finnish League Cup2007
Veikkausliiga2008
Finnish League Cup2008
Finnish Cup2009
Veikkausliiga2011
Veikkausliiga2012
Finnish Cup2014
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 June 2020
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 December 2015

Ojala made his international debut for Finland in January 2010, at the age of 21.

Club career

VG-62

Ojala started his football career in Paimion Haka and later moved to Inter Turku's junior system. He made his debut on senior level at the age of 16 in Inter Turku's reserve team VG-62.

Inter Turku

Ojala gained his first appearance in Veikkausliiga during season 2006.

On 17 November 2008, he joined the Dutch club Heerenveen for a one-week-trial together with Wilhelm Ingves from IFK Mariehamn.[2] He visited FC Zürich in 2006.

Häcken

On 9 November 2012, after his contract with Inter had expired, it was announced that Ojala had signed a three-year contract with Swedish topflight club BK Häcken, joining with compatriot Kari Arkivuo.[3]

Return to Inter Turku

He returned to Inter Turku in February 2014 when he signed a contract for season 2014.

VfR Aalen

In the beginning of July 2015 Ojala transferred to German 3. Liga side VfR Aalen.

International career

Ojala was selected in the Finland national squad by Stuart Baxter in August 2008. He was also called up in the U21 squad that reached the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Ojala made his national team debut on 18 January 2010 as he came from the bench to replace Roni Porokara in friendly match against South Korea at Málaga, Spain where Finland had winter training camp.[4] Ojala gained his second appearance for the national team on 10 August 2011 at Skonto Stadium in a friendly match against Latvia when he and Timo Furuholm replaced Teemu Pukki and Mika Ääritalo as forwards.[5]

Career statistics

Club
As of 28 January 2017[6][7]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cups Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Inter Turku 2006 Veikkausliiga 20000–200
2007 Veikkausliiga 24400–244
2008 Veikkausliiga 26800–268
2009 Veikkausliiga 2270020247
2010 Veikkausliiga 2369110337
2011 Veikkausliiga 321675–3921
2012 Veikkausliiga 281293203915
Total 175532595020562
Häcken 2013 Allsvenskan 2102020250
Inter Turku 2014 Veikkausliiga 16660–226
2015 Veikkausliiga 14473–217
Total 3010133004313
VfR Aalen 2015–16 3. Liga 21510–225
2016–17 3. Liga 26520–285
Total 471030005010
Inter Turku 2017 Veikkausliiga 131––131
2018 Veikkausliiga 27360–333
2019 Veikkausliiga 2462010276
Total 641080107310
Career total 337854998039692

International
As of matches played on 24 January 2014[6][8]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Finland 201010
201110
201240
201320
201410
Total90

Honours

Inter Turku

Individual

References
  1. "Mika Ojala" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  2. Trial at Heerenveen
  3. Mika Ojala siirtyy Ruotsiin Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
  4. "Suomen Palloliitto - Artikkeliarkisto" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  5. "Näin Huuhkaijen Latvia-ottelu eteni" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  6. "Mika Ojala". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. "Finland - M. Ojala - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway.
  8. Palloliitto
  9. Kuukauden valmentaja ja pelaaja kohtaavat perjantaina Archived 11 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
  10. Ojalalle toinen titteli peräkkäin Archived 20 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
  11. Veikkausliigan parhaat kaudella 2008 nimetty (in Finnish)
  12. veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish)
  13. Pelipaikkojen parhaat 2012 nimetty (in Finnish)
  14. veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish)
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