Walter Viitala

Walter Viitala
Personal information
Date of birth	9 January 1992 (age 29)
Place of birth	Helsinki, Finland
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	SJK
Number	24
Youth career
	PPJ Eira
Senior career*
Years	Team
2010–2015	FC Honka
2011	→ HIFK (loan)
2012	→ Pallohonka
2015–2016	IFK Mariehamn
2017–2018	Viborg FF
2018	Malmö FF
2019–2020	Sandefjord
2020–2021	SJK
National team‡
2008	Finland U-16
2009	Finland U-17
2011	Finland U-19
2012	Finland U-20
2013	Finland U-21
2017–	Finland
Honours
Honka
IFK Mariehamn
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 November 2021; ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 January 2019

Walter Viitala (born 9 January 1992) is a Finnish footballer who most lately played as goalkeeper for SJK.^[1]^[2]

Club career[]

On 15 December 2016, Viitala signed a 2.5-year contract with Viborg FF on a free transfer from IFK Mariehamn. He made his debut in a 1–0 victory against AaB on 8 April 2017.

On 11 August 2018 Viitala signed for Swedish champions Malmö FF. He signed a short-term contract for the rest of the year to replace injured back-up goalkeeper Fredrik Andersson.^[3]^[4] He made his first appearance for Malmö FF on 23 September 2018, when he replaced an injured Johan Dahlin at halftime in a 4–0 victory over Kalmar FF.^[5] He made his first start a week later in a 0–0 draw against GIF Sundsvall.

International career[]

In November 2016, Viitala received his first call-up to the senior Finland squad for the match against Ukraine.^[6] He made a debut on 9 January 2017 in a 1–0 win against Morocco in Al Ain.^[7]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of 1 October 2018.^[8]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
HIFK (loan)	2011	Ykkönen	17	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		17	0
HIFK (loan)	Total		17	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	0
Pallohonka	2012	Kakkonen	2	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
Pallohonka	Total		2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
FC Honka	2011	Veikkausliiga	0	0	0	0	2	0	—		—		2	0
	2012		10	0	0	0	2	0	—		—		12	0
	2013		27	0	1	0	2	0	2	0	—		30	0
	2014		15	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	—		18	0
	Total		52	0	1	0	9	0	3	0	0	0	65	0
IFK Mariehamn	2015	Veikkausliiga	8	0	3	0	2	0	—		—		13	0
	2016	Veikkausliiga	33	0	1	0	3	0	2	0	—		39	0
	Total		41	0	4	0	5	0	2	0	0	0	52	0
Viborg FF	2016–17	Superliga	5	0	0	0	—		—		6^[a]	0	11	0
	2017–18	1st Division	13	0	0	0	—		—		—		13	0
	2018–19	1st Division	2	0	0	0	—		—		—		2	0
	Total		20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	26	0
Malmö FF	2018	Allsvenskan	2	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		2	0
Malmö FF	Total		2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Career total			134	0	5	0	14	0	5	0	6	0	164	0

^ Appearances in the Danish Superliga relegation play-offs

Honours[]

IFK Mariehamn

Veikkausliiga (1): 2016^[9]

References[]

^ "Walter Viitala siirtyy SJK:n riveihin Norjasta". sjk.fi. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
^ "Toivotamme menestystä uraansa muualla jatkaville pelaajille". 4 November 2021.
^ "Välkommen till Malmö FF, Walter Viitala!". mff.se (in Swedish). Malmö FF. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
^ Wiman, Max (11 August 2018). "Landslagsmålvakt till MFF – Fredrik Andersson ska opereras". sydsvenskan.se (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
^ Åkesson, Richard (23 September 2018). "Viitaladebut tack vare lagläkaren: "Ett perfekt läge"". sydsvenskan.se (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
^ "Viitala korvaa Mäenpään Huuhkajissa" [Viitala replaces Mäenpää in "Huuhkajat"]. palloliitto.fi. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
^ "Huuhkajat voitti vihdoin – Juhani Ojalan puskumaali yllätti Marokon". yle.fi (in Finnish). Yle. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
^ "W.Viitala". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
^ "IFK vann årets ligaguld" [IFK won this year's league gold]. ifkfotboll.ax (in Swedish). IFK Mariehamn. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.

External links[]

Walter Viitala – UEFA competition record (archive)
Walter Viitala at Soccerway

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[Rel_PO-9] Appearances in the Danish Superliga relegation play-offs

[1] "Walter Viitala siirtyy SJK:n riveihin Norjasta". sjk.fi. Retrieved 16 February 2020.

[2] "Toivotamme menestystä uraansa muualla jatkaville pelaajille". 4 November 2021.

[3] "Välkommen till Malmö FF, Walter Viitala!". mff.se (in Swedish). Malmö FF. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.

[4] Wiman, Max (11 August 2018). "Landslagsmålvakt till MFF – Fredrik Andersson ska opereras". sydsvenskan.se (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 1 October 2018.

[5] Åkesson, Richard (23 September 2018). "Viitaladebut tack vare lagläkaren: "Ett perfekt läge"". sydsvenskan.se (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 1 October 2018.

[6] "Viitala korvaa Mäenpään Huuhkajissa" [Viitala replaces Mäenpää in "Huuhkajat"]. palloliitto.fi. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.

[7] "Huuhkajat voitti vihdoin – Juhani Ojalan puskumaali yllätti Marokon". yle.fi (in Finnish). Yle. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.

[8] "W.Viitala". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 1 October 2018.

[10] "IFK vann årets ligaguld" [IFK won this year's league gold]. ifkfotboll.ax (in Swedish). IFK Mariehamn. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.

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