Sakari Mattila

Football player infobox
playername= Sakari Mattila


fullname =
nickname = Sakke
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1989|7|7
cityofbirth = Helsinki
countryofbirth = Finland
height = 1.87 m
currentclub = HJK Helsinki
clubnumber = 22
position = Midfielder, Centre-back
youthyears =
youthclubs = Malminkartanon Peto PohU HJK
years = 2007 2008-
clubs = Klubi 04 HJK Helsinki
caps(goals) = 0? 0(?) 016 0(4)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Finland U19
nationalcaps(goals) = 0? 0(?)
pcupdate = September 22, 2008
ntupdate = September 22, 2008

Sakari Mattila (born July 7 1989 in Helsinki) is a Finnish footballer, who represents HJK Helsinki in Veikkausliiga, the premier division of football in Finland. Mattila, who is 187 cm tall, plays as a midfielder. He made his debut at the senior level in 2008. He is well-known about his shooting skills. Mattila is the captain of the Finnish under-19 national team.

Club career

Early career

Mattila started playing football in the age of five. His first club was Malminkartanon Peto in the Malminkartano suburb in the northern part of Helsinki municipality. Before joining HJK, he also played for Pohjois-Haagan Urheilijat.

Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi

Mattila joined HJK's Kannelmäki youth section as a ten year old and was soon promoted to HJK's youth squad. In 2007, he played for HJK's reserve club Klubi 04 in Kakkonen (third highest level). He made his first-team debut for HJK in Finland's top division Veikkausliiga at the age of 18 in April 2008, against IFK Mariehamn. He scored his first professional goal against FC Inter Turku in his third match. On the first half of the season, Mattila was used mainly as a sub, but is playing more and more and taking the role of set-piece taker in the team. In a couple of matches, Mattila played also as a centre-back.

Before the season 2008, HJK was on a training camp in Marbella and Mattila was spotted by scouts of Sevilla FC and Málaga CF. [ [http://www.iltasanomat.fi/urheilu/uutinen.asp?id=1517666 HJK-lupaus Sakari Mattila kiinnostaa espanjalaisseuroja - Urheilu - Ilta-Sanomat ] ] He was playing on schoolboy terms, but HJK managed to sign a three-year contract with him. [ [http://www.hjk.fi/uutiset/arkisto.php?hae=5493 HJK Helsinki - Uutisarkisto - Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi ] ] It was released that Málaga was also interested to sign a contract and had scouted him on several occasions. In August 2008, Serie A club Palermo called him up for a week long trial after scouting him in Helsinki. [ [http://www.hjk.fi/uutiset/?hae=6009&kat=1 Mattila Palermon testileirillä - Urheilu - Ilta-Sanomat ] ] Just a week after his visit to Palermo, Udinese Calcio called him up for a week long trial. [ [http://www.hjk.fi/uutiset/?hae=6060&kat=1 HJK Helsinki - Uutisarkisto - Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi ] ] Before leaving to Udine, Mattila stated that he is ready for a move to Italy. [ [http://www.urheilulehti.fi/jalkapallo/uutiset/article153344-1.html Urheilulehti - Uutisarkisto ] ]

External links

* [http://www.hjk.fi/joukkue/?J=1&hae=128 Profile] at [http://www.hjk.fi/ HJK.fi]
* [http://www.veikkausliiga.com/Player.aspx?ID=13001114 Stats] at [http://www.Veikkausliiga.com/ Veikkausliiga.com]

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