The White & Blue Get to 32
HJK Helsinki brings home their 32nd Veikkausliiga trophy, proving once again that they are the best team in Finnish football history. This piece of silverware further widens the gap between them and FC Haka, the second team with the most league trophies in the history of the Veikkausliiga. This year the runner up was Kuopion Palloseura, more commonly known as KuPS, who were just a single point from being level with HJK. The last game was packed with emotion, not only because of the presentation of the medals and trophy, but also because both Saksela and Riku Riski are heading into retirement after the end of this season. The fans had the chance to celebrate their team’s achievement and bid farewell to the two players heading into retirement.
It has not been the easiest of paths towards the trophy, in fact HJK did not have the best defence nor the best offence in the league, but what made the difference was their performances against contending teams, in the most important games they always managed to deliver. The stats say that FC Honka was the best performing team with a 26 goal difference, compared to HJK’s 18. As everyone knows very well, stats don’t always paint the full picture, and like every protagonist to a great film, HJK was unsure if they were going to be crowned champions until the last moment. Ultimately, this season has been a testament to the grittiness and tenacity of this team, who had to fight through adversity to complete their third league title in a row.
It is always sad to see players leave the team to head into retirement, especially with players who have served the team for a considerable amount of time and have left their stamp on the club’s history. For this very reason, it is important to cherish what they have done for the club and to wish them the best for their future outside of played football. The first player that is going to retire is the full-back Janne Saksela, who has been playing for HJK since April 2nd, 2021. In his tenure in Helsinki he played 33 games and made 5 goal contributions, whilst being a reliable player game in and game out. The second player who is going to head into retirement is Riku Riski, a player with more than 130 appearances with the Klubi, and more than 50 goal contributions. Having joined on February 8th, 2018, he has been a cornerstone in their last three successful consecutive league titles. Both players will be dearly missed and HJK will have to find replacements, but the emotions that the fans have experienced thanks to these athletes, will never be replaced.
Every HJK Helsinki shirt features our MatchWornShirt logo on the sleeve, and it cannot be overstated the pride we have to be featured on the shirts of the players which have lifted this year’s Veikkausliiga trophy and of the biggest club in Finnish football history.
Head to the auction if you want to own a piece of HJK Helsinki history.