Jari Litmanen
| Date of birth | 20 February 1971 |
| Place of birth | Lahti |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Weight | 81 kg |
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Position | Forward |
Finland's finest football export, Jari was languishing in Barcelona's second team when Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier signed him up.
He made his debut as a substitute in the Worthington Cup Semi-Final first leg match against Crystal Palace and almost immediately made a decisive impact.
With the Reds trailing 2-0, he set up Vladimir Smicer for a goal to reduce the deficit and pave the way for a crushing 5-0 second leg victory in which he also starred.
His first goal for Liverpool was a penalty at Sunderland in February to square the match at 1-1 and he scored another spot kick in the FA Cup Fifth Round victory over Manchester City.
Sadly he missed the next four matches with a calf injury and, then after returning to the team in March, his season was ended prematurely by a broken wrist incurred while playing for Finland against England at Anfield.
Jari was outstanding on that occasion and only a wonderful save by David Seaman kept out his last minute header that might have salvaged a draw for his country.
Although, he missed the exciting climax to Liverpool's season he did enough to show that he could be a key figure.
Playing in the 'hole' behind the front two, he added a new dimension to the team's attacking play, providing some much needed variety and attacking options.
Jari joined Fulham in January 2008 with a contract to June 2008.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reipas Lahti | 01 Jan 1987 | 01 Jan 1990 | |
| HJK Helsinki | 01 Jan 1990 | 01 Jan 1991 | |
| MyPa-47 | 01 Jan 1991 | 01 Jul 1992 | |
| Ajax | 01 Jul 1992 | 01 Jul 1999 | |
| Barcelona | 01 Jul 1999 | 04 Jan 2001 | |
| Liverpool | 04 Jan 2001 | 30 Aug 2002 | |
| Ajax | 30 Aug 2002 | 01 Jan 2004 | |
| FC Lahti | 01 Jan 2004 | 01 Jul 2004 | |
| Hansa Rostock | 01 Jul 2004 | 01 Jul 2005 | |
| Malmo FF | 01 Jul 2005 | 31 Jan 2008 | |
| Fulham | 31 Jan 2008 | 30 Jun 2008 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | Barcelona | UEFA Champions League | 2 |
||||
| 2000-01 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2000-01 | Liverpool | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Liverpool | Premier League | 4 | 1 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2000-01 | Liverpool | UEFA Cup | 2 |
||||
| 2001-02 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2001-02 | Liverpool | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Liverpool | Premier League | 8 | 13 |
4 |
||
| 2001-02 | Liverpool | UEFA Champions League | 4 | 5 |
3 |
||
| 2002-03 | Ajax | UEFA Champions League | 3 | 3 |
2 |
||
| 2003-04 | Ajax | UEFA Champions League | 2 |
||||
| 2004-05 | Hansa Rostock | Bundesliga | 13 | 1 |
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 1999 | Barcelona v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 05 Apr 2000 | Chelsea v Barcelona | L | 3-1 | UEFA Champions League | Quarter-final 1st leg |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | Finland | Inter Tournament | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Finland | International Tournament Four Nations | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Finland | Liam Brady Testimonial | 1 | ||||
| 1989-90 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 1990-91 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1990-91 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 1990-91 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1991-92 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1992-93 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1993-94 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 1993-94 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1994-95 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 7 | 4 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 4 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1999-00 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Finland | International Friendly | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 5 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2004-05 | Finland | Cyprus Tournament | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Finland | International Friendly | 4 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Finland | Cyprus International Tournament | 1 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Finland | LG Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 1 |
3 |
1
|
|
| 2007-08 | Finland | Cyprus International Tournament | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2007-08 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 2009-10 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2009-10 | Finland | International Friendly | 5 | ||||
| 2010-11 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 2010-11 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 2 |
1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 1987 | Denmark v Finland | W | 0-3 | Inter Tourn | |
| 16 Jul 1988 | Finland v Denmark | W | 3-0 | INTER TOURN 4 NATIONS | |
| 30 Aug 1988 | Finland v West Germany | L | 0-3 | UEFA U21 | Group 4 |
| 28 Sep 1988 | Finland v Iceland | W | 2-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 4 |
| 22 Oct 1989 | Trinidad and Tobago v Finland | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Oct 1989 | Trinidad and Tobago v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Nov 1989 | Netherlands v Finland | L | 2-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 4 |
| 10 Mar 1990 | USA v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 16 May 1990 | Republic of Ireland v Finland | D | 1-1 | Liam Brady Testimonial | |
| 27 May 1990 | Sweden v Finland | L | 6-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Aug 1990 | Finland v Czechoslovakia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Sep 1990 | Finland v Portugal | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 11 Nov 1990 | Tunisia v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Nov 1990 | Malta v Finland | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 13 Mar 1991 | Poland v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 1991 | Netherlands v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 16 May 1991 | Finland v Malta | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 05 Jun 1991 | Finland v Netherlands | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 26 Jun 1991 | Finland v Malta | W | 3-1 | UEFA U21 | Group |
| 11 Sep 1991 | Portugal v Finland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 09 Oct 1991 | Finland v Greece | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 30 Oct 1991 | Greece v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 25 Mar 1992 | Scotland v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 15 Apr 1992 | Brazil v Finland | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 May 1992 | Finland v Bulgaria | L | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 03 Jun 1992 | Finland v England | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Aug 1992 | Finland v Poland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Sep 1992 | Finland v Sweden | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 07 Nov 1992 | Tunisia v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Nov 1992 | France v Finland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 13 Apr 1993 | Poland v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Apr 1993 | Bulgaria v Finland | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 13 May 1993 | Finland v Austria | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 16 Jun 1993 | Finland v Israel | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 25 Aug 1993 | Austria v Finland | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 08 Sep 1993 | Finland v France | L | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 13 Oct 1993 | Sweden v Finland | L | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 10 Nov 1993 | Israel v Finland | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 27 May 1994 | Italy v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1994 | Finland v Spain | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Sep 1994 | Finland v Scotland | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 12 Oct 1994 | Greece v Finland | L | 4-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 16 Nov 1994 | Finland v Faroe Islands | W | 5-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 14 Dec 1994 | Finland v San Marino | W | 4-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 29 Mar 1995 | San Marino v Finland | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 26 Apr 1995 | Faroe Islands v Finland | W | 0-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 11 Jun 1995 | Finland v Greece | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 06 Sep 1995 | Scotland v Finland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 29 May 1996 | France v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1996 | Finland v Turkey | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Feb 1997 | Turkey v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Apr 1997 | Azerbaijan v Finland | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Norway v Finland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 08 Jun 1997 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Finland v Norway | L | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 06 Sep 1997 | Switzerland v Finland | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Finland v Hungary | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 22 Apr 1998 | Scotland v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 27 May 1998 | Finland v Germany | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 19 Aug 1998 | Slovakia v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 1998 | Finland v Moldova | W | 3-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 10 Oct 1998 | Northern Ireland v Finland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 14 Oct 1998 | Turkey v Finland | W | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 31 Mar 1999 | Germany v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 05 Jun 1999 | Finland v Turkey | L | 2-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 09 Oct 1999 | Finland v Northern Ireland | W | 4-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 29 Mar 2000 | Wales v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Apr 2000 | Poland v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2000 | Latvia v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Finland v Norway | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Finland v Albania | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 07 Oct 2000 | Greece v Finland | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 11 Oct 2000 | Finland v England | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 15 Nov 2000 | Republic of Ireland v Finland | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Mar 2001 | England v Finland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Finland v Germany | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Finland v Belgium | W | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Sep 2001 | Albania v Finland | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 05 Sep 2001 | Finland v Greece | W | 5-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 06 Oct 2001 | Germany v Finland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Portugal v Finland | W | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | North Macedonia v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 22 May 2002 | Finland v Latvia | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 21 Aug 2002 | Finland v Republic of Ireland | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Sep 2002 | Finland v Wales | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 16 Oct 2002 | Serbia and Montenegro v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Finland v Iceland | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2003 | Finland v Serbia and Montenegro | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Finland v Italy | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 31 Mar 2004 | Malta v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Apr 2004 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2004 | Finland v Sweden | L | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Aug 2004 | Romania v Finland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 04 Sep 2004 | Finland v Andorra | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 08 Sep 2004 | Armenia v Finland | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 17 Nov 2004 | Italy v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Dec 2004 | Bahrain v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Dec 2004 | Finland v Oman | L | 0-0 (3-4) | International Friendly | |
| 08 Feb 2005 | Finland v Latvia | W | 2-1 | Cyprus Tournament | Semi-final |
| 26 Mar 2005 | Czech Republic v Finland | L | 4-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 02 Jun 2005 | Finland v Denmark | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 2005 | Finland v Netherlands | L | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 17 Aug 2005 | North Macedonia v Finland | W | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 21 Jan 2006 | Saudi Arabia v Finland | D | 1-1 | LG CUP | |
| 25 Jan 2006 | Finland v Korea Republic | L | 0-1 | LG CUP | |
| 01 Mar 2006 | Finland v Belarus | D | 2-2 | CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT | |
| 25 May 2006 | Sweden v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2006 | Poland v Finland | W | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 06 Sep 2006 | Finland v Portugal | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 07 Oct 2006 | Armenia v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 11 Oct 2006 | Kazakhstan v Finland | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 28 Mar 2007 | Azerbaijan v Finland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 02 Jun 2007 | Finland v Serbia | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 17 Nov 2007 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 21 Nov 2007 | Portugal v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 06 Feb 2008 | Greece v Finland | L | 2-1 | Cyprus International Tournament | |
| 26 Mar 2008 | Bulgaria v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 2008 | Finland v Turkey | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2008 | Finland v Belarus | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Aug 2008 | Finland v Israel | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Oct 2008 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 15 Oct 2008 | Russia v Finland | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 19 Nov 2008 | Switzerland v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Feb 2009 | Japan v Finland | L | 5-1 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Feb 2009 | Portugal v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Mar 2009 | Wales v Finland | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 01 Apr 2009 | Norway v Finland | L | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 2009 | Finland v Liechtenstein | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 10 Jun 2009 | Finland v Russia | L | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 12 Aug 2009 | Sweden v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 2009 | Azerbaijan v Finland | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 09 Sep 2009 | Liechtenstein v Finland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 10 Oct 2009 | Finland v Wales | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 14 Oct 2009 | Germany v Finland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 18 Jan 2010 | Finland v Korea Republic | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Mar 2010 | Malta v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 21 May 2010 | Estonia v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 2010 | Poland v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Aug 2010 | Finland v Belgium | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Sep 2010 | Moldova v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 12 Oct 2010 | Finland v Hungary | L | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 17 Nov 2010 | Finland v San Marino | W | 8-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.