Raitala played 64 A national matches.
Jukka Raitala has been a credit player for many years in Huuhkaj. Jussi Eskola
Jukka Raitala34, ends his national team career.
Huuhkajie’s long-time reliable defender had time to play 64 A national matches.
There were indications of the end of the national team games already last week, when the head coach Markku Kanerva said that Raitala will not be available for September’s Nations League matches.
On Monday, Raitala confirmed the matter at Huuhkajie’s press conference. He returned to the Finnish courts for this season and transferred to HJK.
– I have thought about it and the solution was that I want to act according to my values and spend time at home. I am with you on this situation. I will continue to be a Huhkajie fan.
Raitala also got to play in the 2021 European Championships.
– The highlight was the Liechtenstein victory in the qualifiers, or actually the whole week before that, Raitala said and referred to the match that secured the place in the European Championships.
Raitala made his debut in the A national team in 2009. He was also part of the Pikkuhuuhkajie EC team in 2009 and played full minutes in that tournament in Sweden.
The last match in Huuhkajie’s shirt was the World Cup qualifying game in Bosnia and Herzegovina last November. Raitala flew out with a straight red card, but Finland won the match.
– I got one red in my career and that was the end of my national team career. I felt like I had let the team down, Raitala recalled.
Raitala bids farewell to Pohjoikaarte and the home crowd at the Olympic Stadium before the start of the Huuhkajie’s Romania match on Friday, September 23.