Pertti Alaja

Pertti Alaja
Pertti Alaja in 2012.
President of Football Association of Finland
In office
2012–2017
Preceded bySauli Niinistö
Succeeded byMarkku Lehtola
Personal details
OccupationFootballer
Football administrator
Association football career
Full name Pertti Johannes Alaja
Date of birth (1952-02-18)18 February 1952
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Date of death 18 August 2017(2017-08-18) (aged 65)
Place of death Espoo, Finland
Position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971-1972 Haka 31 (0)
1973-1975 HJK 57 (0)
1976-1977 OTP 44 (0)
1978–1979 Ikast 23 (0)
1980–1981 Edmonton Drillers 47 (0)
1982–1983 Malmö FF 44 (0)
International career
Finland 29 (0)
Managerial career
1984–1986 HIFK
1987–1989 PPJ
1988–1989 Finland (gk coach)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pertti Johannes Alaja (18 February 1952 – 18 August 2017) was a Finnish football executive and a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Alaja served as the Secretary General of the Football Association of Finland during 1991–2000 and the vice-president during 2004–2006. He was also the tournament director of the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Alaja was elected the 15th president of the Finnish FA on 14 October 2012, replacing Sauli Niinistö who was elected President of Finland, and served in the position until his death in 2017.

Alaja died on 18 August 2017. He was previously diagnosed with cancer.

In November 2017, Alaja was posthumously awarded the Captain's Ball, the most prestigious personal award by the Football Association of Finland. He was also named in the Finnish Football Hall of Fame.

Alaja had also previously played handball at the highest domestic level.

His late brother Erkki Alaja [fi] was also a professional footballer and handball player, and later worked in various positions in sports management.

Honours

HJK

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Finnish Players Abroad
  2. ↑ Pertti Alaja valittiin Palloliiton puheenjohtajaksi
  3. ↑ Lehtisaari, Matti (18 August 2017). "Jalkapallovaikuttaja Pertti Alaja on kuollut". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Yleisradio Oy. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Alsjö, Martin (2011). 100 år med Allsvensk fotboll (in Swedish). Idrottsförlaget. pp. 307–309. ISBN 978-91-977326-7-3.
  5. ↑ Pertti Alaja at National-Football-Teams.com
  6. ↑ Alajasta Palloliiton 15. puheenjohtaja Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Jalkapallovaikuttaja Pertti Alaja on kuollut, Yle, 18 August 2017
  8. ↑ Pertti Alajalle Palloliiton ja liigan Captain's Ball -palkinto, Keskisuomalainen, 3 November 2017
  9. ↑ Kommentti: Äkillisesti kuollut Erkki Alaja oli urheilumarkkinoinnin tuhattaituri, Ilta-Sanomat, Juha Kanerva, 21 July 2023
  10. ↑ Captain's Ball, palloliitto.fi