Walter Viitala

Walter Viitala
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-01-09) 9 January 1992
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Goalkeeper
Youth career
PPJ Eira
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2015 Honka 52 (0)
2011 → HIFK (loan) 17 (0)
2012 → Pallohonka 2 (0)
2015–2016 IFK Mariehamn 41 (0)
2017–2018 Viborg FF 20 (0)
2018 Malmö FF 2 (0)
2019 Sandefjord 13 (0)
2020–2021 SJK 8 (0)
2022–2023 Inter Turku 20 (0)
International career‡
2008 Finland U-16 6 (0)
2009 Finland U-17 10 (0)
2011 Finland U-19 17 (0)
2012 Finland U-20 7 (0)
2013 Finland U-21 10 (0)
2017–2019 Finland 3 (0)
Medal record
Honka
WinnerFinnish Cup2012
IFK Mariehamn
WinnerVeikkausliiga2016
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 29 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals as of 17 January 2019

Walter Viitala (born 9 January 1992) is a Finnish former professional footballer who last played as goalkeeper for Inter Turku.[1][2]

Club career

After winning the Finnish championship title with IFK Mariehamn, on 15 December 2016, Viitala signed a 2.5-year contract with Viborg FF on a free transfer. 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.

On 2 December 2021, he joined Inter Turku on a two-year contract.[6] He retired after the 2023 season.

International career

Viitala is a former youth international for Finland, and represented his country from under-16 to under-21 level.

In November 2016, Viitala received his first call-up to the senior Finland squad for the match against Ukraine.[7] He made a debut on 9 January 2017 in a 1–0 win against Morocco in Al Ain.[8]

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, on 24 October 2023, it was announced that Viitala starts as a goalkeeping coach in his former youth club PPJ.[9]

Career statistics

Club

As of 31 December 2023.[10][11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Honka 2011 Veikkausliiga 000020——20
2012 Veikkausliiga 1000020——120
2013 Veikkausliiga 270102020—300
2014 Veikkausliiga 150003010—180
Total 52010903000650
HIFK (loan) 2011 Ykkönen 1700000——170
Pallohonka 2012 Kakkonen 200000——20
IFK Mariehamn 2015 Veikkausliiga 803020——130
2016 Veikkausliiga 330103020—390
Total 41040502000520
Viborg FF 2016–17 Danish Superliga 5000——6[c]0110
2017–18 Danish 1st Division 13000———130
2018–19 Danish 1st Division 2000———20
Total 20000000060260
Malmö FF 2018 Allsvenskan 2000—00—20
Sandefjord 2019 1. divisjon 13000———130
Sandefjord 2 2019 4. divisjon 10————10
SJK 2020 Veikkausliiga 8000———80
2021 Veikkausliiga 0030———30
Total 8030000000110
SJK Akatemia 2021 Kakkonen 10————10
Inter Turku 2022 Veikkausliiga 200001000—210
2023 Veikkausliiga 000000——00
Total 20000100000210
Career total 17708015050602110

International

As of match played 11 January 2019
Finland
YearAppsGoals
201720
201800
201910
Total30

Honours

IFK Mariehamn

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Walter Viitala siirtyy SJK:n riveihin Norjasta". sjk.fi. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. 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. Archived from the original on 12 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. ↑ "WALTER VIITALA KAKSIVUOTISELLA SOPIMUKSELLA FC INTERIIN" (in Finnish). Inter Turku. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Viitala korvaa Mäenpään Huuhkajissa" [Viitala replaces Mäenpää in "Huuhkajat"]. palloliitto.fi. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "Huuhkajat voitti vihdoin – Juhani Ojalan puskumaali yllätti Marokon". yle.fi (in Finnish). Yle. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  9. ↑ PPJ PANOSTAA MAALIVAHTI TOIMINTAAN, ppj.fi, 24 October 2023
  10. ↑ Walter Viitala at Soccerway
  11. ↑ Walter Viitala stats, Finnish FA
  12. ↑ "IFK vann årets ligaguld" [IFK won this year's league gold]. ifkfotboll.ax (in Swedish). IFK Mariehamn. 24 October 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  13. ↑ Walter Viitala huhtikuun kuuka
  14. ↑ "Kauden parhaita palkittiin Captain's Ballissa". www.veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  15. ↑ "Koplajoukkue 2016 palkittiin päätöskierroksella". www.veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
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