- Source: Otso Liimatta
Otso Urho Eemil Liimatta (born 10 July 2004) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club Famalicão and the Finland under-21 national team.
Club career
= AC Oulu
=Born in Oulu and raised in Karjasilta, Liimatta played in the youth sector of Tervarit before signing his first professional contract with AC Oulu in September 2020.
He made his Veikkausliiga debut on 28 May 2021, aged 16, in a 3–1 away loss to HJK: in the process, he assisted his side's only goal. During 2011, Liimatta played for the club's reserve team Oulun Luistinseura (OLS) in third-tier Kakkonen, and additionally made nine appearances in Veikkausliiga with the first team.
Liimatta scored his first goal in the league on 29 April 2022, the opener in a 3–0 home win against Haka. In the summer of 2022, various Finnish media outlets reported that Liimatta had attracted interest by several high-profile European clubs. At the end of the 2022 season, Liimatta was named the Best Young Player of the Year at the Captain's Ball awards held by the Finnish FA.
= F.C. Famalicão
=On 29 July 2023, Liimatta officially joined Primeira Liga side Famalicão for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year deal with the Portuguese club. According to the media, the fee was in six figures and is believed to be close to €600,000.
He made his debut for the Fama on 11 August 2023, starting in the opening league game of the season against Braga, which ended in a 2–1 win for his team.
International career
= Youth
=Liimatta has represented Finland at various youth levels.
On 7 March 2023, at the age of 18, he got his first call-up to the Finland under-21 national team for two friendly matches against North Macedonia and Bulgaria. He scored his first U21 goal in the latter match, on 28 March 2023, taking part in a 0–2 win over Bulgaria.
Liimatta scored a hat-trick against Albania U21 on 13 October 2023 in a 2025 UEFA U21 Euro qualifying match, which ended in 4–1 victory for Finland. Liimatta finished the qualification campaign scoring seven goals, making him the joint-second-best goalscorer of the whole qualification, and helped Finland to qualify for the final tournament, for the second time in the nation's history.
Career statistics
As of 9 November 2024
Honours
AC Oulu
Finnish League Cup runner-up: 2023
Individual
Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2022
Finnish FA: Best Young Player of the Year 2022
Finnish FA: U21 Player of the Year 2023
Finnish FA, Northern Finland: Player of the Year 2022, 2023
References
External links
F.C. Famalicão official profile
Finnish Football Federation profile
Otso Liimatta at BDFutbol
Otso Liimatta at BeSoccer
Otso Liimatta at Soccerway
Otso Liimatta at WorldFootball.net
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- AC Oulu
- Otso Liimatta
- AC Oulu
- F.C. Famalicão
- 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification
- 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group E
- Oulu
- Finland national under-21 football team
- List of Portuguese football transfers summer 2023
- 2023–24 F.C. Famalicão season
- List of foreign Primeira Liga players