Maija Saari

Maija Karoliina Saari (born 26 March 1986) is a Finnish international footballer who plays as a defender. She previously represented AIK, Mallbackens IF and Umeå IK in Sweden, Kolbotn, Stabæk Fotball Kvinner, and Vålerenga in the Norwegian Toppserien and FC Honka and HPK in her home country. Since making her debut for the Finland women's national football team in 2007, Saari has won over 85 caps and captained the team.

Club career

A strong, left-sided defender, Saari won three consecutive domestic titles with FC Honka in 2006, 2007 and 2008. She joined the club aged 10 after moving to Helsinki from her birthplace of Vaasa and rose to captain the club. In December 2008 Saari signed a two-year contract with Swedish club Umeå IK. In 2011, she played for Kolbotn Fotball in the Norwegian Toppserien, before returning to Sweden with AIK.

Saari returned to AIK for the 2014 season, having spent 2013 with Mallbackens IF. In December 2015 she agreed a return to Norway, signing a two-year deal with Stabæk Fotball Kvinner.

International career

She made her debut for the senior Finland team on 7 March 2007; playing 90 minutes against Sweden in the Algarve Cup. Saari also played in all four of Finland's matches at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, including the quarter-final defeat to England.

In June 2013 Saari, by then the national team captain, was devastated to be ruled out of UEFA Women's Euro 2013 with a cruciate ligament injury.

International goals No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 23 August 2009 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland 1–0 1–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2009 2. 19 September 2009 Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia 3–0 4–0 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification 3. 28 October 2009 Estádio João Cardoso, Tondela, Portugal 1–0 1–0 4. 22 October 2011 ISS Stadion, Vantaa, Finland 2–0 6–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying 5. 6–0 6. 15 September 2012 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia 3–0 5–0 7. 11 March 2013 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus 1–1 2–3 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup 8. 21 August 2014 Lovech Stadium, Lovech, Bulgaria 3–0 8–0 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification 9. 4 March 2015 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus 1–3 1–3 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup 10. 2 March 2016 2–1 2–2 2016 Cyprus Women's Cup 11. 12 April 2016 Stadion Mitar Mićo Goliš, Petrovac, Montenegro 4–1 7–1 UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying