Petri Pasanen

Petri Pasanen (born 24 September 1980) is a Finnish former professional football defender. He was most comfortable in central defense, but also played right back and left back as well. Pasanen began his senior career in his native Finland before moving to Ajax. He spent most of his career at Bundesliga club Werder Bremen which he represented in the UEFA Champions League in multiple seasons, and in the 2009 UEFA Cup Final.

Petri Pasanen
Pasanen with Red Bull Salzburg in July 2011
Personal information
Date of birth (1980-09-24) 24 September 1980
Place of birth Lahti, Finland
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996 FC Kuusysi 2 (0)
1996–2000 Lahti 72 (2)
1997 → FC Hämeenlinna (loan) 4 (0)
1998 → FC Hämeenlinna (loan) 1 (0)
2000–2004 Ajax 59 (7)
2004 → Portsmouth (loan) 12 (0)
2004–2011 Werder Bremen 144 (3)
2011–2012 Red Bull Salzburg 18 (0)
2012–2014 AGF 44 (2)
2014–2015 Lahti 30 (1)
Total 386 (15)
National team
2000 Finland U21 6 (0)
2000–2013 Finland 76 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

FC Lahti

Born Lahti, Finland, Pasanen became a regular for local club Lahti during the club's promotion season in 1998. During the next two seasons he made 42 appearances for the club in Finland's Veikkausliiga.

Ajax

Many of Europe's top clubs had become interested in the promising Pasanen, and in the summer of 2000 he joined Dutch club Ajax. He became a regular in the Ajax defense in his first season, but his progress was halted when he broke his foot in August 2001, and had to miss most of the 2001–02 season. Next season he was a regular again as Ajax reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

He fell out of favour at Ajax in 2003–04, and spent the second half of the season on loan at English club Portsmouth in the Premier League. Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was interested in purchasing Pasanen at the end of the season, but claimed Ajax's asking price was too high.

Werder Bremen

Pasanen was then signed by reigning German champions Werder Bremen in the summer of 2004. He became a key player for the club, helping them to a top three finish in the Bundesliga and the second round of the Champions League in each of his first two seasons at the club. Whilst at Bremen he played in the 2009 UEFA Cup Final.

Red Bull Salzburg

On 30 June 2011, after the end of his contract, he left Werder Bremen,[1] and signed for Red Bull Salzburg. On 12 May 2012, Salzburg announced that they would not renew Pasanen's contract and he would be free to look for a new club during the summer.[2]

AGF Aarhus

On 28 July 2012, Pasanen signed a two-year contract with Danish topflight side AGF. He scored his first goal for AGF on 10 December 2012, in a 3−3 home draw against Silkeborg.

Return to Lahti

In May 2014, FC Lahti announced that Pasanen would return to Lahti and that he had signed a contract until the end of the 2016 season.[3] On 29 September 2015, Pasanen announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the season.[4]

International career

Pasanen was also a regular for the Finland national team. He made his international debut on 15 November 2000 against the Republic of Ireland. Pasanen has mostly played at right back for Finland, and has also served as the national team's captain, when Sami Hyypiä and Jari Litmanen have not played. He scored his only goal on 22 May 2002 in a home friendly at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium against Latvia, which Finland won 2–1.[5]

Pasanen has also played in Finland national futsal team, where he has six caps and two goals.

Career statistics

Club
Sources:[6][7]
Club Season League Domestic Cups Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Kuusysi 1996 Ykkönen 20000020
FC Hämeenlinna 1997 Ykkönen 40000040
1998 Ykkönen 10000010
Total 50000050
Lahti 1997 Ykkönen 1500000150
1998 Ykkönen 1510000151
1999 Veikkausliiga 2700000270
2000 Veikkausliiga 1510000151
Total 7220000722
Ajax 2000–01 Eredivisie 2940000294
2001–02 Eredivisie 10000010
2002–03 Eredivisie 2230000223
2003–04 Eredivisie 70000070
Total 5970000597
Portsmouth 2003–04 Premier League 1200000120
Werder Bremen 2004–05 Bundesliga 2310000231
2005–06 Bundesliga 1700050230
2006–07 Bundesliga 1700020190
2007–08 Bundesliga 2820080362
2008–09 Bundesliga 1600050210
2009–10 Bundesliga 19041100331
2010–11 Bundesliga 2401070320
Total 1443513701864
Red Bull Salzburg 2011–12 Austrian Bundesliga 18030110320
Aarhus 2012–13 Superliga 2311000241
2013–14 Superliga 2110000211
Total 4421000452
Lahti 2014 Veikkausliiga 1111000121
2015 Veikkausliiga 1905020260
Total 3016020381
Career total 3861515150045116

International
Source:[8]
Finland national team
YearAppsGoals
200010
200150
200251
200360
200480
200530
200670
2007100
200830
200990
201050
201150
201230
201360
Total761

International goals
Score and Result lists Finland's goals first
#DateLocationOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.22 May 2002Helsingin olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland Latvia2–12–1Friendly

Honours

Club

Ajax[6]

Werder Bremen[6]

Red Bull Salzburg[6]

Individual
  • 2008: Finnish Sports Journalists footballer of the year[9]

References
  1. "Pasanen verlässt Werder Bremen" (in German). sueddeutsche.de. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  2. "Maajoukkuepakki sai seurastaan lähtöpassit" [Finnish international not given a contract renewal] (in Finnish). 12 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  3. "Petri Pasanen palaa FC Lahden paitaan" (in Finnish). FC Lahti. 24 May 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  4. "Petri Pasanen lopettaa uransa kauden jälkeen" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  5. "Finns hold their nerve". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2002. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  6. "P. Pasanen". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  7. Petri Pasanen at National-Football-Teams.com
  8. "Pasanen Petri" (in Finnish). palloliitto.fi. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  9. "Petri Pasanen palaa FC Lahteen" (in Finnish). Palloliitto. 27 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
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