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Tomi Saarelma

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Tomi Saarelma
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-11-30) 30 November 1988 (age 36)[1]
Place of birth Hollola, Finland
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 MYPA
Number 25
Youth career
0000–2005 FC Reipas / FC Kuusysi
2005–2007 Chelsea FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008 FC KooTeePee 22 (2)
2009 1. FC Kleve 1 (0)
2009–2011 FC Levadia 25 (4)
2011–2012 FC Baden 17 (3)
2012–2013 SR Delémont 23 (1)
2013 BSC Old Boys 10 (0)
2014 FC Lahti 2 (0)
2015 Galway United 5 (0)
2017–2018 FC Zürich 13 (0)
2018 TPS 0 (0)
2019– MYPA 0 (0)
International career
– Finland U19 7 (0)
– Finland U20 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:42, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

Tomi Saarelma (born 30 November 1988) is a Finnish footballer who plays for MYPA

His previous clubs include Chelsea FC,[3][4][5] FC KooTeePee, 1. FC Kleve, FC Levadia, FC Baden, BSC Old Boys, SR Delémont and FC Lahti.

Club career

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When Saarelma was 16, he was spotted by the scouts of English club Chelsea, playing for his youth club FC Lahti. After a successful trial with the club, Saarelma was offered a two-year contract in the beginning of 2005, and officially moved to the club in the summer of 2005.[6] In the beginning of his Chelsea career, he formed an important part of the club's youth team and helped the team to reach the final of the famous tournament, Milk Cup, where they lost to FC Barcelona. After two seasons, Saarelma left the club, where he was highly praised for his skills with the ball, but as a small player, could not really cope with the physical side of the game, which is an important part of the English football.[citation needed]

In 2008 Saarelma returned to Finland and signed a two-year contract with FC KooTeePee of the Veikkausliiga, the highest level of football in Finland.[2] Saarelma was one of the key figures in the team, specially at the second part of the season, making 22 appearances and scoring two goals. After just one season Saarelma left the club and signed with the German side 1. FC Kleve, but left just after six months.[2]

In the summer of 2009 Saarelma signed with Estonia's biggest club, FC Levadia, where he won the league title in his first season, making 19 league appearances and scoring 4 goals. Saarelma also was helping the team do well in Europe, where Levadia faced many top teams, for example Turkish side Galatasaray, who put them out of the Europa League 2009. He won the Estonian Cup and Super Cup with Levadia in 2010. Saarelma left the club before the 2011 season began and moved to Swiss 1. Liga club FC Baden. In the summer of 2012 Saarelma moved to SR Delemont In Swiss Challenge League.[citation needed]

On 2 September 2015, Saarelma signed for League of Ireland side Galway United FC until the end of the 2015 season.[7] After that, he signed with FC Zürich in Switzerland in September 2017. He played for the club until August 2018, and then signed with TPS.[8]

International career

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Saarelma has represented Finland at youth international level.[citation needed]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Tomi Saarelma". UEFA. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Tomi Saarelma". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  3. ^ Tomi Saarelma: "Ulkomailla on oltava vahva" jpy.fi
  4. ^ Muistatko Tomi Saarelman? Chelseaan teininä siirtynyt suomalainen kertoo värikkään tuhkimotarinansa: ”Didier Drogba sanoi, että nyt riittää!” italehti.fi
  5. ^ "John Terry ylisti meitä suomalaisia koviksi laulumiehiksi" is.fi
  6. ^ "Chelsea bring in 11 first year players". Chelsea. 5 July 2005. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  7. ^ "United sign Tomi Saarelma". 2 September 2015.
  8. ^ Tomi Saarelma - WorldFootball, worldfootball.net
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