Mika Ojala
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 Ojala with Inter Turku | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 June 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Paimio, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | 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) |
| Total | 379 | (91) | |
| 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) | ||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 June 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 December 2015 | |||
Mika Ojala (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmikɑ ˈojɑlɑ]; 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.
Ojala made his international debut for Finland in January 2010, at the age of 21.
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
| Club | Season | League | National cups | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Inter Turku | 2006 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 | 0 | |
| 2007 | Veikkausliiga | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 4 | ||
| 2008 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 8 | ||
| 2009 | Veikkausliiga | 22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 7 | |
| 2010 | Veikkausliiga | 23 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 7 | |
| 2011 | Veikkausliiga | 32 | 16 | 7 | 5 | – | 39 | 21 | ||
| 2012 | Veikkausliiga | 28 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 15 | |
| Total | 175 | 53 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 205 | 62 | ||
| Häcken | 2013 | Allsvenskan | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Inter Turku | 2014 | Veikkausliiga | 16 | 6 | 6 | 0 | – | 22 | 6 | |
| 2015 | Veikkausliiga | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | – | 21 | 7 | ||
| Total | 30 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 13 | ||
| VfR Aalen | 2015–16 | 3. Liga | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 22 | 5 | |
| 2016–17 | 3. Liga | 26 | 5 | 2 | 0 | – | 28 | 5 | ||
| Total | 47 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 10 | ||
| Inter Turku | 2017 | Veikkausliiga | 13 | 1 | – | – | 13 | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Veikkausliiga | 27 | 3 | 6 | 0 | – | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 6 | |
| Total | 64 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 337 | 85 | 49 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 396 | 92 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | |
