Mikael Forssell
Encyclopedia
Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish
footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship
team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team
.
, Germany, and considered one of the most talented Finnish footballers of all time, Forssell made his Veikkausliiga
debut for HJK
at the age of just 16.
who at the time were managed by Gianluca Vialli
. He made his debut as a substitute against Arsenal
and then three days later, Forssell made his start for the club when he scored two goals against Oxford United
. His first league goal came three weeks later, when he scored against Nottingham Forest
. However, when Chelsea signed Chris Sutton
for £10 million, Forssell was loaned out twice to Crystal Palace
of the then First Division, scoring 16 league goals in just over 50 appearances.
Forssell found it hard to find a place in the Chelsea first team with Gianfranco Zola
, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
, Tore Andre Flo
and Eidur Gudjohnson, who were all ahead of him in the pecking order. After initially impressing new manager Claudio Ranieri
scoring in four consecutive games, he was sent out on loan again and had spells at Borussia Mönchengladbach
of the German Bundesliga
and twice to Birmingham City
of the Premier League. Forssell scored seven Bundesliga goals for Mönchengladbach in the spring of 2003 and then 17 Premier League goals for Birmingham in the 2003–04 season (more league goals than any other Chelsea player), during which he was the division's joint fourth highest goalscorer. He was named Premier League Player of the Month
for March 2004, a month in which he scored twice in a 4–1 win against Leeds United. He finished the season with 17 Premier League goals for Birmingham.
He returned to Birmingham on loan for the 2004–05 season, but suffered the second serious knee injury of his career. He returned to Chelsea to recuperate, and made occasional appearances for Chelsea that season, playing against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and in the last home match, against Charlton Athletic
, as Chelsea celebrated winning their first top-flight title for 50 years.
, but it was reported that he failed. He remained at Birmingham to have another go at resurrecting his career.
His 2007–08 pre-season performances were good, he scored five goals in five games. His manager, Steve Bruce, was enthusiastic about his return to form. He continued his good form into the start of the season, scoring the opening goal of the match against Chelsea and consolidating his good form with two assists in the next three matches. He scored his first hat-trick
at club level on 1 March 2008, in the 4–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur
, a so-called "perfect hat-trick" – one goal scored with the left foot, one with the right, and one with the head. In his final season at Birmingham, he finished the season as their top scorer with nine goals as the club were relegated from the Premier League.
on a free transfer when his Birmingham contract expired at the end of June. His contract with Hannover ran out at the end of the 2010–11 season.
On his pre-season debut for Hannover, he scored 10 goals including an eight-minute hat-trick in one friendly game against amateurs FC Boffzen. The game ended up as a 23–0 win.
and Leeds United
of the English Football League Championship
(second tier). On 8 September he returned from international duty with Finland to sign a contract with Leeds until the end of the 2011–12 season. Forssell was handed the number 18 shirt and took his place on the bench two days later against his former club Crystal Palace
. He came on as a second-half substitute to make his Leeds debut and assisted Ross McCormack
for their winning goal in a 3–2 victory. He came on as a substitute against fierce rivals Manchester United in a 3–0 League Cup defeat.
for most of the 2000s. He played his first match for Finland on 9 June 1999 against Moldova
, and scored his first goal on 28 February 2001 against Luxembourg
. He has often partnered Jari Litmanen
. Forssell also played for Finland in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
.
Forssell has scored two hat-tricks for Finland. On 7 September 2005, in Tampere
, he scored three goals against FYR Macedonia in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. On 17 November 2010, Forssell scored three of Finland's eight goals against San Marino in the Euro 2012 qualifying.
|1999||1||0
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|2000||7||0
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|2001||9||6
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|2002||2||1
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|2003||9||4
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|2004||3||1
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|2005||7||3
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|2006||6||1
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|2011||9||2
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!Total||81||26
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Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
.
Club career
Born in SteinfurtSteinfurt
Steinfurt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt.-Geography:Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name came into being in 1975 when the two – up to then independent – parts of the city – Borghorst and...
, Germany, and considered one of the most talented Finnish footballers of all time, Forssell made his Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
debut for HJK
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
at the age of just 16.
Chelsea
His goal-scoring form for Finland's youth teams made him a target for a host of Europe's top clubs, and in 1998, the 17-year-old striker was snapped up by ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
who at the time were managed by Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia....
. He made his debut as a substitute against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and then three days later, Forssell made his start for the club when he scored two goals against Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
. His first league goal came three weeks later, when he scored against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. However, when Chelsea signed Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton
Christopher Roy "Chris" Sutton is an English football manager and former player.In his career, Sutton played for Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Sutton scored over 150 career goals in over 400 league appearances spanning 16 years in the English...
for £10 million, Forssell was loaned out twice to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
of the then First Division, scoring 16 league goals in just over 50 appearances.
Forssell found it hard to find a place in the Chelsea first team with Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals...
, Tore Andre Flo
Tore André Flo
Tore André Flo is a Norwegian football striker, who plays for the Norwegian club Sogndal. He initially retired after being released by the Milton Keynes Dons in 2009, but announced his comeback in March 2011. His brothers Jostein Flo and Jarle Flo, and cousin Håvard Flo are also professional...
and Eidur Gudjohnson, who were all ahead of him in the pecking order. After initially impressing new manager Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
scoring in four consecutive games, he was sent out on loan again and had spells at Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
of the German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
and twice to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
of the Premier League. Forssell scored seven Bundesliga goals for Mönchengladbach in the spring of 2003 and then 17 Premier League goals for Birmingham in the 2003–04 season (more league goals than any other Chelsea player), during which he was the division's joint fourth highest goalscorer. He was named Premier League Player of the Month
Premier League Player of the Month
The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
for March 2004, a month in which he scored twice in a 4–1 win against Leeds United. He finished the season with 17 Premier League goals for Birmingham.
He returned to Birmingham on loan for the 2004–05 season, but suffered the second serious knee injury of his career. He returned to Chelsea to recuperate, and made occasional appearances for Chelsea that season, playing against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and in the last home match, against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, as Chelsea celebrated winning their first top-flight title for 50 years.
Birmingham City
In the summer of 2005, Forssell joined Birmingham on a three-year deal for a fee of £3 million, after Chelsea decided that he did not figure in their long term plans. He struggled in the 2005–06 season, not having found his best form after his injury, and could not save Birmingham from relegation. Forssell suffered another cruel injury blow to his other knee during training in October 2006. This left him on the sidelines until he returned to training in February 2007 after undergoing operations on both knees. He was set to take a medical at Hamburger SVHamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, but it was reported that he failed. He remained at Birmingham to have another go at resurrecting his career.
His 2007–08 pre-season performances were good, he scored five goals in five games. His manager, Steve Bruce, was enthusiastic about his return to form. He continued his good form into the start of the season, scoring the opening goal of the match against Chelsea and consolidating his good form with two assists in the next three matches. He scored his first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
at club level on 1 March 2008, in the 4–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, a so-called "perfect hat-trick" – one goal scored with the left foot, one with the right, and one with the head. In his final season at Birmingham, he finished the season as their top scorer with nine goals as the club were relegated from the Premier League.
Hannover 96
In May 2008, following the club's relegation from Premier League, Forssell signed a pre-contract agreement to join Hannover 96Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
on a free transfer when his Birmingham contract expired at the end of June. His contract with Hannover ran out at the end of the 2010–11 season.
On his pre-season debut for Hannover, he scored 10 goals including an eight-minute hat-trick in one friendly game against amateurs FC Boffzen. The game ended up as a 23–0 win.
Leeds United
After leaving Hannover when his contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season, Forssell had trials with clubs including West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
of the English Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
(second tier). On 8 September he returned from international duty with Finland to sign a contract with Leeds until the end of the 2011–12 season. Forssell was handed the number 18 shirt and took his place on the bench two days later against his former club Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. He came on as a second-half substitute to make his Leeds debut and assisted Ross McCormack
Ross McCormack
Ross McCormack is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for English football club Leeds United and the Scotland national team. His main position is as a Striker but he can also play as a Winger....
for their winning goal in a 3–2 victory. He came on as a substitute against fierce rivals Manchester United in a 3–0 League Cup defeat.
International career
Forssell has been a regular for the Finnish national teamFinland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
for most of the 2000s. He played his first match for Finland on 9 June 1999 against Moldova
Moldova national football team
The Moldova national football team represents Moldova in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Moldova, the governing body for football in Moldova. Moldova's home ground is Zimbru Stadium in Chişinău and their head coach is Gavril Balint...
, and scored his first goal on 28 February 2001 against Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
. He has often partnered Jari Litmanen
Jari Litmanen
Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008...
. Forssell also played for Finland in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Argentina between June 17 and July 8, 2001. The 2001 championship was the 13th contested. The tournament took part in six cities, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Mar del Plata...
.
Forssell has scored two hat-tricks for Finland. On 7 September 2005, in Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, he scored three goals against FYR Macedonia in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. On 17 November 2010, Forssell scored three of Finland's eight goals against San Marino in the Euro 2012 qualifying.
International goals
Finland's score given first. As of 2 September 2011.| Mikael Forssell international goals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 28 February 2001 | Luxembourg (city) Luxembourg (city) The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg... , Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
1–0 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 2 June 2001 | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 3. | 2 June 2001 | Helsinki, Finland | 2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 4. | 15 August 2001 | Helsinki, Finland | 4–1 | Friendly | |
| 5. | 5 September 2001 | Helsinki, Finland | 5–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6. | 5 September 2001 | Helsinki, Finland | 5–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 7. | 27 March 2002 | Porto Porto Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes... , Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
4–1 | Friendly | |
| 8. | 30 April 2003 | Vantaa Vantaa Vantaa is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there... , Finland |
3–0 | Friendly | |
| 9. | 7 June 2003 | Helsinki, Finland | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying | |
| 10. | 10 September 2003 | Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
1–1 | Euro 2004 qualifying | |
| 11. | 11 October 2003 | Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... , Finland |
3–2 | Friendly | |
| 12. | 8 September 2004 | Jerevan, Armenia Armenia Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia... |
2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 13. | 7 September 2005 | Tampere, Finland | 5–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 14. | 7 September 2005 | Tampere, Finland | 5–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 15. | 7 September 2005 | Tampere, Finland | 5–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 16. | 1 March 2006 | Larnaka, Belarus Belarus Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... |
2–2 | Friendly | |
| 17. | 17 November 2007 | Helsinki, Finland | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 18. | 11 October 2008 | Helsinki, Finland | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 19. | 6 June 2009 | Helsinki, Finland | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 20. | 7 September 2010 | Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 21. | 12 October 2010 | Helsinki, Finland | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying | |
| 22. | 17 November 2010 | Helsinki, Finland | 8–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying | |
| 23. | 17 November 2010 | Helsinki, Finland | 8–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying | |
| 24. | 17 November 2010 | Helsinki, Finland | 8–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying | |
| 25. | 3 June 2011 | Serravalle Serravalle Serravalle is a common placename in Italian speaking regions: the name means "place where the valley narrows".-Italy:Municipalities :* Serravalle a Po, in Mantova Province* Serravalle di Chienti, in Macerata Province... , San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
1–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying | |
| 26. | 2 September 2011 | Helsinki, Finland | 4–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying | |
International
|-|1999||1||0
|-
|2000||7||0
|-
|2001||9||6
|-
|2002||2||1
|-
|2003||9||4
|-
|2004||3||1
|-
|2005||7||3
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
|2007||7||1
|-
|2008||8||1
|-
|2009||6||1
|-
|2010||7||5
|-
|2011||9||2
|-
!Total||81||26
|}