Pyry Soiri

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Pyry Soiri
AUT U-21 vs. FIN U-21 2015-11-13 (205).jpg
Soiri with Finland U21 in 2015
Personal information
Full name Pyry Henri Hidipo Soiri
Date of birth (1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Ekenäs, Finland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, defender
Team information
Current team
Athens Kallithea
Number 23
Youth career
2000–2009 PPJ
2010–2011 MYPA
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2011–2014 MYPA 50 (1)
2012JäPS (loan) 2 (0)
2012KTP (loan) 12 (2)
2015–2017 VPS 62 (14)
2017–2018 Shakhtyor Soligorsk 26 (3)
2018–2019 Admira Wacker 12 (2)
2019–2021 Esbjerg fB 50 (4)
2022–2023 HJK 37 (3)
2022Klubi 04 1 (1)
2024 Universitatea Craiova 5 (0)
2024– Athens Kallithea 15 (0)
International career
2013 Finland U19 2 (0)
2013–2014 Finland U20 5 (1)
2014–2016 Finland U21 13 (0)
2017– Finland 45 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 January 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 June 2024

Pyry Soiri (born 22 September 1994) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Super League Greece club Athens Kallithea and the Finland national team.

Contents

Early life

Soiri was born in Ekenäs, Finland, to a Finnish mother, Iina Soiri, and a Namibian father, he spent most of his childhood in Africa. [1] He holds both Finnish and Namibian citizenships. [2] His football journey began at age 17 with MYPA, his hometown club. [3]

Club career

Soiri with Admira Wacker in 2018 FC Admira Wacker Modling vs. LASK Linz 2018-08-12 (016).jpg
Soiri with Admira Wacker in 2018

MYPA

Soiri spent his last years on youth level in MYPA and debuted in Veikkausliiga in April 2012 in a match against Jaro. [4] During season 2012 he was also loaned out to Kakkonen teams JäPS and KTP. During season 2013 he secured his place in the team and gained 22 caps and 1 goal. [5]

VPS

In 2015 Soiri transferred to fellow Veikkausliiga club Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) signing a two-year deal. [5] During his two seasons with VPS, he made 62 appearances in Veikkausliiga scoring 14 goals. He also represented the club in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers.

Shakhtyor Soligorsk

In February 2017 Soiri signed a deal with Belarusian Premier League side Shakhtyor Soligorsk for an undisclosed fee. [6]

Admira Wacker

In August 2018 Soiri transferred to Austrian Bundesliga club Admira Wacker. [7] Soiri made 12 appearances and scored two goals for the club, before he left after just one season.

Esbjerg

Esbjerg fB in Danish Superliga announced on 18 June 2019, that they had signed Soiri on a contract until June 2022. [8] However, after 54 appearances and five goals, the spell was cut short, when he got his contract terminated by mutual agreement on 25 August 2021. [9]

HJK

On 4 October 2021, he signed a two-year contract with HJK Helsinki, beginning in the 2022 season. [10] [11] He represented HJK in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League and the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League group phases.

Universitatea Craiova

On 28 December 2023, Romanian Liga I club Universitatea Craiova announced the signing of Soiri on a two-and-a-half-year deal, on a free transfer. [12] He left the club next summer, having made seven appearances in total.

Athens Kallithea

On 4 July 2024, Soiri joined a newly promoted Super League Greece club Athens Kallithea for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be in six figures. [13]

International career

On 6 October 2017, Soiri made his debut for Finland's senior national team in a qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup against Croatia. Brought on as a substitute late in the match, he scored the equalising goal for the 1–1 draw in the 90th minute. [14] Soiri was called up for the UEFA Euro 2020 pre-tournament friendly match against Sweden on 29 May 2021. [15] In UEFA Euro 2020 Group B he gained one cap for Finland on 16 June 2021 in a match against Russia when he replaced Jukka Raitala as a substitute on 75th minute of the match. [16] Soiri made his international debut for Finland in November 2017 and has since had over 30 caps. He appeared in 9 out of 10 of Finland's UEFA Euro 2020 qualification matches and thus helped Finland reach their first ever major tournament, the UEFA Euro 2020.

Career statistics

Club

As of 4 January 2025 [17] [18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] League cup [b] EuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
MYPA 2012 Veikkausliiga 2030400090
2013 Veikkausliiga2311030271
2014 Veikkausliiga25010404 [c] 0340
Total5015011040701
JäPS (loan) 2012 Kakkonen 200020
KTP (loan)2012Kakkonen12200122
VPS 2015 Veikkausliiga32410202 [c] 0374
2016 Veikkausliiga301021403611
Total62143160207315
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 2017 Belarusian Premier League 223721 [c] 0305
2018 Belarusian Premier League40132 [c] 073
Total263850030378
Admira Wacker 2018–19 Austrian Bundesliga 122122
Esbjerg 2019–20 Danish Superliga 241102 [c] 0271
2020–21 Danish 1st Division 26300263
Total504100020534
HJK 2022 Veikkausliiga151100013 [d] 0291
2023 Veikkausliiga222005113 [e] 0403
Total3731051260694
Klubi 04 2022Kakkonen1111
Universitatea Craiova 2023–24 Liga I 50101 [f] 070
Athens Kallithea 2024–25 Super League Greece 15020170
Career total271292162213701035236

International

As of match played on 4 June 2024. [17]
National teamYearCompetitiveFriendlyTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Finland 2017211132
20185151102
2019910091
2020501060
2021204060
2022101020
2023522072
2024002020
Total305152457

International goals

As of match played on 20 November 2023. Scores and results list Finland's goal tally first. [17]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.6 October 2017 Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, CroatiaFlag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 1–11–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.9 November 2017 Telia 5G -areena, Helsinki, Finland Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 1–03–0 Friendly
3.26 March 2018Gloria Golf Resort Pitch A, Belek, TurkeyFlag of Malta.svg  Malta 5–05–0Friendly
4.15 October 2018 Tampere Stadium, Tampere, FinlandFlag of Greece.svg  Greece 1–02–0 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C
5.26 March 2019 Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, ArmeniaFlag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 2–02–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
6.20 November 2023 Stadio Olimpico de Serravalle, Serravalle, San MarinoFlag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 1–02–1 UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
7.2–0

Honours

Shakhtyor Soligorsk

HJK [19]

Individual

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References

  1. Youngster realising dream in Scandinavia
  2. Karhu, Ann-Christine (5 June 2020). "Afrikassa nuoruutensa viettänyt Huuhkajien laituri Pyry Soiri muutti Suomeen 16-vuotiaana – Kouvolassa kikkailija oppi taktiikkaa, mutta koki myös rasismia". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  3. ali, Uh (February 19, 2024). "Pyry Soiri Age, Net Worth, Religion, Parents, Career, Wife, Family Bio & More". Unfold Everyone.
  4. "MYPA vs. Jaro 2 - 0". soccerway.com. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  5. 1 2 "VPS haali Soirin MYPA:sta" [VPS caught Soiri from MYPA] (in Finnish). kymppipaikka.fi. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  6. "Nyt se on varmaa: Veikkausliigan tähti siirtyy Valko-Venäjälle" [Now it is certain: the star of the Veikkausliiga will move to Belarus] (in Finnish). Iltasanomat. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  7. "Pyry Soiri jatkaa uraansa Itävallan pääsarjassa – "Sopii meille niin pelillisesti kuin luonteensakin puolesta"" [Pyry Soiri continues his career in the Austrian premier league - “Suitable for us both in skill and by character”] (in Finnish). Yle. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  8. Esbjerg fB køber Pyry Soiri, efb.dk, 18 June 2019
  9. Pyry Soiri forlader EfB, efb.dk, 25 August 2021
  10. "Pyry Soiri Klubiin" (in Finnish). HJK. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  11. "MTV: Huuhkajien Pyry Soiri siirtyy HJK:hon" [MTV: Eagle Owl´s Pyry Soiri will move to HJK] (in Finnish). Aamulehti. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  12. Pyry Soiri, primul transfer al iernii, ucv1948.ro, 28 December 2023
  13. Pyry Soiri: Iso yllätyssiirto!, Iltalehti, 4 July 2024
  14. "Croatia lose driving seat after 1-1 draw with Finland". Reuters. 6 October 2017. Archived from the original on October 7, 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  15. "Näillä pelaajilla Huuhkajat lähtevät kohti EM-kisoja – kaksi nimeä kiinnostivat yli muiden" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. "Loppukiri jäi Venäjää vastaan piippuun, mutta Huuhkajilla riittää uskoa jatkopaikkaan – "Meillä on kaikki saumat"" [Final spurt against Russia did not happen, but the Eagle Owls have enough faith to continue - “We have all the possibilities”] (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
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  19. Finnland - P. Soiri, Soccerway
  20. Pyry Soiri kuukauden pelaajaksi (in Finnish)