Sami Hyypiä facts for kids
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Hyypiä with Bayer Leverkusen in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sami Tuomas Hyypiä | ||
| Date of birth | 7 October 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Porvoo, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1988 | Kumu | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989 | PaPe | 3 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | Kumu | 19 | (0) |
| 1992–1995 | MyPa | 96 | (8) |
| 1995–1999 | Willem II | 100 | (3) |
| 1999–2009 | Liverpool | 318 | (23) |
| 2009–2011 | Bayer Leverkusen | 53 | (3) |
| Total | 589 | (36) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–1992 | Finland U21 | 27 | (3) |
| 1992–2010 | Finland | 105 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Finland (assistant) | ||
| 2012–2014 | Bayer Leverkusen | ||
| 2014 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| 2015–2016 | Zürich | ||
| 2020 | Haka (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (born on October 7, 1973) is a famous Finnish football manager and former player. He was known for playing as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football.
Sami started his playing career in Finland with clubs like Kumu and MyPa. He helped MyPa win the Finnish Cup twice. Later, he moved to the Dutch club Willem II, where he became team captain.
In 1999, Sami joined Liverpool, the team he loved as a child. He quickly became a key player and helped Liverpool win many trophies. This included the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup in 2001. He also won the biggest club trophy in Europe, the UEFA Champions League, with Liverpool in 2005. After ten successful years, he left Liverpool in 2009. He then played for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany before retiring as a player in 2011.
Sami was also a very important player for the Finland national team. He played 105 games for his country, making him one of Finland's most capped players. After retiring from playing, he became a football manager, coaching teams like Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Zürich. In 2024, Sami Hyypiä was honored by being named in the Finnish Sports Hall of Fame.
Contents
Sami's Early Life and Football Start
Sami Hyypiä was born in Porvoo and grew up in Kuusankoski, Finland. This town is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north-east of Helsinki. His parents, Irma and Jouko Hyypiä, both played football. His father played for a Finnish team called Pallo Peikot, and his mother was an amateur goalkeeper.
Even though ice hockey is very popular in Finland, Sami chose football because of his parents. He once said that becoming a footballer felt like his only choice.
Sami's Club Career Highlights
Sami's journey in football began with local teams like Pallo-Peikot and KuMu. He played in almost every position except defender at first.
Playing for MyPa in Finland
In 1992, Sami joined the top Finnish league club MyPa. He quickly found success, helping his team win the Finnish Cup in 1992. A famous Finnish player, Jari Litmanen, was also on that team. Sami won the Finnish Cup again with MyPa in 1995.
In 1995, when he was 22, Sami had a trial with Newcastle United in England. He said this experience helped him a lot, even though he didn't join them then. It gave him a taste of English football.
Moving to Willem II in the Netherlands
Later in 1995, Sami moved to the Dutch club Willem II. He played there for four years and became a fan favorite. In his last season, he was even named their player of the year. Sami led the team to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, which is a huge achievement.
Becoming a Legend at Liverpool
In May 1999, Sami Hyypiä joined Liverpool for about £2.6 million. This was a dream come true for him, as he had supported Liverpool since he was a boy. Many people didn't know much about him at first. However, he quickly proved himself. He formed a strong defensive partnership with Stéphane Henchoz. Ron Yeats, a chief scout for Liverpool, later called Sami's signing "one of the best bits of business" the club ever did.
Captaining Liverpool to Treble Glory
During the 2000–01 season, Sami shared the captaincy with Robbie Fowler. The main captain, Jamie Redknapp, was injured. Sami and Robbie led Liverpool to win three major trophies in one season: the Football League Cup, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Cup. This was an amazing achievement! Sami also won the award for Finnish Footballer of the Year three times in a row from 2001 to 2003.
In 2002, Sami became the main captain for Liverpool. However, in 2003, Steven Gerrard took over as captain. Even so, Sami still wore the captain's armband sometimes when Gerrard wasn't playing.
Champions League Victory and Fan Favorite
On April 5, 2003, Sami received the only red card of his club career in a game against Manchester United. He said it was "agony" to watch the rest of the game from the dressing room.
In 2004, a new manager, Rafael Benítez, moved Jamie Carragher to play alongside Sami in central defense. This partnership became very strong. They helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005. This was Sami's biggest football honor. He signed a new contract to stay at Liverpool until 2008.
Sami continued to be a key player. In the 2005–06 season, he scored an early goal in an FA Cup match where Liverpool won 7–0. He also played in the winning 2006 FA Cup Final. By January 2007, he was among the top 25 players with the most appearances for Liverpool.
Despite rumors that he might leave, Sami stayed loyal to Liverpool. In April 2008, he signed another contract until 2009. This showed how important he was to the team, even as a role model for younger defenders. By March 2008, Sami was in the top 20 for all-time Liverpool player appearances.
Fans and experts recognized Sami's impact. He was voted among the top foreign players in the Premier League. Ian Rush, a Liverpool legend, said Sami was "up there with the best signings the club has ever made."
In September 2008, Sami was not included in Liverpool's Champions League squad. This was due to new rules requiring clubs to have more local players.
On May 4, 2009, it was announced that Sami would join Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Liverpool had offered him a coaching role, but he wanted to keep playing.
Sami played his last game for Liverpool at Anfield on May 24, 2009, against Tottenham Hotspur. He came on as a substitute, and Steven Gerrard gave him the captain's armband. After the game, an emotional Sami received a standing ovation from the fans and his teammates lifted him up. He played 464 games for Liverpool, scoring 35 goals and winning ten trophies.
Playing for Bayer Leverkusen
Sami joined Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2009. He made his first appearance on August 8. On January 24, 2010, he scored his first goal for the club. In his first season, Bayer Leverkusen finished fourth in the German league. Sami was even chosen as the best defender in the Bundesliga for 2009.
Sami announced on May 2, 2011, that he would retire from playing professional football. He had played over 560 top-level matches in Finland, the Netherlands, England, and Germany.
Sami's International Career
Sami Hyypiä played 27 times for the Finland national under-21 team. He made his debut for the senior team on November 7, 1992, when he was 19. He became a very important player for Finland, playing in many European Championship and World Cup qualifying games.
On August 12, 2009, he played his 100th international game for Finland, becoming one of only a few Finnish players to reach this milestone. He also became the captain of the Finland national team in 2008. His last game for Finland was on October 12, 2010.
With a total of 105 games, Sami Hyypiä is the fourth most capped Finnish player of all time. Only Jari Litmanen, Teemu Pukki, and Jonatan Johannson have played more games for Finland.
Sami's Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Sami Hyypiä started his coaching career.
Coaching at Bayer Leverkusen
Sami joined the coaching staff for both the Finland national team and Bayer Leverkusen. In April 2012, Sami and youth coach Sascha Lewandowski became temporary coaches for Leverkusen. On May 15, 2012, Sami was confirmed as the team manager. They worked together, with Lewandowski handling training and Sami focusing on player talks and pre-game meetings. This system worked well. In the 2012–13 season, Leverkusen finished third in the Bundesliga.
Sami became the sole head coach in June 2013. Bayer Leverkusen finished fourth in the 2013–14 season. However, on April 5, 2014, Sami was sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after a loss.
Coaching at Brighton & Hove Albion
On June 6, 2014, Sami Hyypiä became the manager of English club Brighton & Hove Albion. His time there was short. The team struggled, and on December 22, 2014, Sami resigned. He had only managed six wins in 26 games.
Coaching at FC Zürich
On August 21, 2015, Sami was announced as the manager of the Swiss club Zürich. However, on May 12, 2016, he was sacked after the team's poor performance. Zürich was in last place in the league at the time.
Assistant Coach at Haka
After taking a break, Sami joined the Finnish team Haka as an assistant manager in 2020. He stayed there for only three months.
Sami's Personal Life
In 2002, Sami Hyypiä released his autobiography, a book about his life.
Sami was married to Susanna from 2007 to 2022. He has two sons from his first marriage. He is generally a private person. Since 2021, Sami has been dating Finnish racing driver Emma Kimiläinen.
Sami has also created a fund to help young, talented athletes in Finland. To raise money for this fund, he ran his first Helsinki City Marathon in 2011.
Sami Hyypiä was inducted into the Finnish Football Hall of Fame in 2015. On January 11, 2024, he was also named in the Finnish Sports Hall of Fame, a great honor for his contributions to Finnish sports.
Images for kids
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Hyypiä with Bayer Leverkusen in 2012
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Hyypiä playing for Liverpool in 2005
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Hyypiä's teammates say farewell
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Hyypiä as Bayer Leverkusen head coach.
Honours and Awards
Sami Hyypiä has won many awards and trophies throughout his career:
MyPa
- Finnish Cup: 1992, 1995
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2001, 2006
- Football League Cup: 2001, 2003
- FA Charity/Community Shield: 2001, 2006
- UEFA Champions League: 2005
- UEFA Cup: 2001
- UEFA Super Cup: 2001, 2005
Individual Awards
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001
- Liverpool Player of the Season: 2002
- Finnish Sportsperson of the Year: 2001
- Premier League Player of the Month: November 1999
- PFA Team of the Year: 2000, 2002
- Finnish Sports Hall of Fame
- Finnish Footballer of the Year: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Finnish Football Hall of Fame inductee: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Sami Hyypiä para niños
