Tim Sparv

Tim Sparv (born 20 February 1987) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.[1] Sparv was born in Oravais, and started his football career in Norrvalla FF youth team before moving to Southampton's junior organisation. He began his senior club career playing for Halmstad, before signing with Groningen in 2010.[2]

Tim Sparv
Sparv in 2013
Personal information
Date of birth (1987-02-20) 20 February 1987
Place of birth Oravais, Finland
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1993–2003 Norrvalla FF
2003–2006 Southampton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Southampton 0 (0)
2007–2009 Halmstad 51 (1)
2008 → VPS (loan) 8 (0)
2010–2013 FC Groningen 98 (4)
2013–2014 Greuther Fürth 28 (1)
2014–2020 FC Midtjylland 143 (3)
2020–2021 AEL 19 (1)
2021 HJK 5 (0)
Total 352 (10)
International career
2002 Finland U15 6 (1)
2003 Finland U16 10 (1)
2003–2004 Finland U17 12 (0)
2004–2005 Finland U18 14 (0)
2004–2006 Finland U19 5 (0)
2006–2009 Finland U21 19 (6)
2009–2021 Finland 84 (1)
Managerial career
2022– Sparta Prague B (assistant)
Medal record
Finland national football team
Second placeBaltic Cup2012
Third placeBaltic Cup2014
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sparv made his international debut for Finland in February 2009, at the age of 21 and went on to make 84 caps, including appearing in 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifications. His family is a member of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland.[3]

Club career

Southampton

Born in Oravais,[4] Ostrobothnia, Sparv spent three years in the youth academy of Southampton.[5] He was a member of Southampton's youth team that reached the final of the FA Youth Cup in 2005,[6] where he played alongside Theo Walcott,[7] losing on aggregate to Ipswich Town.[8] He was named in the first team squad for 2006–07 season[9] and made numerous reserve team appearances but, as Southampton had a plethora of midfielders from which to choose, he was unable to break through into the first team itself.

Halmstad

On 7 January 2007, he moved to Halmstads BK to play in Allsvenskan, on the advice of both his father and former Halmstads BK player Michael Svensson.[10] He made his Allsvenskan debut on 9 April 2007 in a match against Helsingborg when he replaced Andreas Johansson as a substitute for the second period.[11] On 1 May 2008, he was loaned out to Vaasan Palloseura after suffering illness as well as a lack of playing time with Halmstads.[12]

Groningen

In August 2009, he was close to a move to Groningen, but Halmstad refused to let him go at that point.[13] On 14 August, FC Groningen announced that Sparv would join them as of 1 January 2010.[14] He made his Eredivisie debut on 7 March 2010 in a 1–0 victory over VVV-Venlo, coming on for Fredrik Stenman in the 78th minute.[15] He scored his first goal for Groningen in the opening match of the 2010–11 season, a 1–1 draw against AZ. His goal came in the 76th minute.[16]

Greuther Fürth

In May 2013 Sparv signed a three-year contract with Greuther Fürth.[17] He made his 2. Bundesliga debut on 21 July 2013 in a match against Arminia Bielefeld.[18] He scored his first and only league goal for the club on 30 September 2013 in a 4–0 victory over Dynamo Dresden. The goal was the last of the game and came in the 86th minute.[19]

FC Midtjylland

On 3 July 2014, Tim Sparv signed a four-year contract with Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland.[20] On 20 August 2015, he scored against former club Southampton in the 2015–16 Europa League play-off first leg, which ended in a 1–1 draw. He also started the second leg in Denmark which Midtjylland won, to secure the Danish club a place in the group stage and send Southampton out of the competition.[21]

AEL FC

On 26 August 2020, Sparv signed a two-year contract with Greek Super League club AEL. On 14 May 2021, there was an official announcement about the termination of the player's contract by mutual agreement.[22]

HJK

On 22 July 2021, Sparv joined HJK.[23] He made his debut on 12 August when he came in as a substitute for Filip Valenčič on 82nd minute in a UEFA Europa League match against Neftçi Baku.[24]

International career

Finland youth teams

Sparv was the second youngest player in the squad for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship played at home but did not make an appearance in the tournament. He made his Finland U21 debut on 7 October 2006 and played a big part in the successful 2009 European Championship qualifying campaign, playing in nine out of ten games and scoring three goals. He was made team captain during the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and scored a penalty in a 2–1 defeat by England on 15 June 2009.[25]

Finland first team

On 4 February 2009, Sparv made his debut for the senior team in a friendly match against Japan, which ended in a 5–1 defeat.[26] He played his first FIFA World Cup qualification game on 10 October 2009 when Stuart Baxter chose him to the starting line up against Wales in Helsinki Olympic Stadium.[27] He was named captain of the national team for the first time for a match against Greece on 4 September 2015.[28]

Sparv was called up for the UEFA Euro 2020 pre-tournament friendly match against Sweden on 29 May 2021.[29] In UEFA Euro 2020 Group B he captained Finland in matches against Denmark and Belgium but missed match against Russia.[30]

Personal life

Sparv is a Swedish-speaking Finn.[31]

Sparv is in a relationship with Jitka Nováčková, a Czech model and winner of the Czech Miss 2011 beauty pageant.[32] Their daughter Leah was born in January 2021.

In September 2021, Sparv publicly criticized the conditions for migrant workers that had been constructing the stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in an article in The Players' Tribune.[33]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[34][35]
Club Season League National Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Halmstad 2007 Allsvenskan 12000—120
2008 13000—130
2009 26110—271
Total 5111000521
VPS (loan) 2008 Veikkausliiga 8000—80
Groningen 2009–10 Eredivisie 11000—110
2010–11 34230—372
2011–12 30010—310
2012–13 23210—242
Total 98450001034
Greuther Fürth 2013–14 2. Bundesliga 28140—321
Midtjylland 2014–15 Danish Superliga 290201[lower-alpha 1]0310
2015–16 3100014[lower-alpha 2]1451
2016–17 50001[lower-alpha 1]060
2017–18 311208[lower-alpha 1]0411
2018–19 212404[lower-alpha 3]0292
2019–20 160002[lower-alpha 1]070
Total 1333803011714
Larissa 2020–21 Super League Greece 19100—19 1
HJK 2021 Veikkausliiga 50004[lower-alpha 4]090
Career total 3421018034139411
  1. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  2. Four appearances in the UEFA Champions League, ten appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  3. Two appearances in the UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  4. Three appearances in the UEFA Europa League, one appearance in UEFA Conference League

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year[36]
National team Year Competitive Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Finland 2009203050
2010304070
2011204060
2012207191
2013403070
2014405090
2015601070
2016004040
2017300030
2018404080
2019702090
2020500050
2021401050
Total 460381841
Scores and results list Finland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sparv goal.
List of international goals scored by Tim Sparv
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
115 August 2012Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland1–23–3Friendly

Honours

FC Midtjylland

Finland

Individual

References
  1. "NYT se on varmaa: Huuhkajien kapteeni Tim Sparv siirtyy HJK:hon".
  2. "Hollantiin siirtyvä Sparv jännää jo Groningenin otteita" [Moving to Holland, Sparv is already excited about Groningen] (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 7 November 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  3. Jensen, Kenneth (3 December 2017). "3. december: Tim Sparv, "Teddy Bear" og Miss Tjekkiet". Tipsbladet (in Danish). Tipsbladet ApS. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  4. "Tim Sparv aloittaa Pohjalaisen kolumnistina" (in Finnish). POHJALAINEN.fi. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  5. "England out to start the party right". The Independent. 15 June 2009. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  6. "Town starlets win Youth Cup". Ipswich Star. 23 April 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  7. "Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal: Theo Walcott must learn from Gareth Bale's ascent". The Telegraph. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  8. "GALLERY: Ipswich Town lift 2005 Youth Cup with win over Southampton". greenun24.co.uk. 11 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  9. "Southampton squad 2006/07". footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  10. "Finländsk U21-landslagsman klar för HBK" (in Swedish). Svenskafans.com. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  11. "Halmstad vände hemma mot Helsingborg" [Halmstad turned the match at home against Helsingborg] (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 9 April 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  12. "HBK lånar ut Sparv till Vaasa" (in Swedish). Hallandsposten.se. 3 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  13. "Groningen fail in Sparv bid". skysports.com. 1 August 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  14. "Sparv per 2010 naar FC Groningen" (in Dutch). fcgroningen.nl. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  15. "Groningen vs. VVV – 7 March 2010 – Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  16. "AZ vs. Groningen – 14 August 2010 – Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  17. "Maajoukkuefutaaja Tim Sparv siirtyy Saksaan" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  18. "Greuther Fürth vs. Arminia Bielefeld – 21 July 2013 – Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  19. "Greuther Fürth vs. Dynamo Dresden – 30 September 2013 – Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  20. "Finsk landsholdsspiller på plads i FC Midtjylland" (in Danish). fcm.dk. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  21. "Midtjylland vs. Southampton – 27 August 2015 – Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  22. "Ανακοίνωση Λυσης Συμβολαιων" (in Greek). www.aelfc.gr. 14 May 2021.
  23. "Tim Sparv Klubiin!" (in Finnish). hjk.fi. 22 July 2021.
  24. "HJK varmisti arvokkaan paikan lohkovaiheessa – Riskin veljekset tekivät Neftcistä selvää jälkeä" [HJK secured a valuable place in the group stage - Riski brothers crushed Neftchi] (in Finnish). Yle. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  25. Fletcher, Paul (15 June 2009). "England U21s 2–1 Finland U21s". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  26. "Sparv debuterade" (in Swedish). HBK.se. 4 February 2009. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  27. "Suomi löi Walesin ja varmisti kolmospaikan" (in Finnish). YLE Urheilu. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  28. "Tim Sparv: Tuntui uskomattoman hyvältä olla kapteeni tänään" [Tim Sparv: It felt incredibly good to be a captain today] (in Finnish). Yle. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  29. "Näillä pelaajilla Huuhkajat lähtevät kohti EM-kisoja – kaksi nimeä kiinnostivat yli muiden" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  30. "Tim Sparv selvitteli EM-kisojen suurta kysymystä – "Se ei ollut se syy"" [Tim Sparv clarified the big question at the European Championships - "That wasn't the reason"] (in Finnish). MTV3. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  31. "Tim Sparv valitsi Halmstadin Southamptonin jälkeen". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). 15 July 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2019. ... hänen äidinkielensä on ruotsi.
  32. Koski, Sami (15 November 2019). "Huuhkajien kapteeni seurustelee Miss Tšekin kanssa – Jitka, 27, on tyrmäävä kaunotar". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 November 2019. ... Sparv on seurustellut jo reilun parin vuoden ajan vuoden 2011 Miss Tšekin Jitka Novackovan kanssa ... elokuussa 2017, tšekkilehdistö uutisoi, kuinka nainen oli vihdoin julkistanut seurustelun kohteensa.
  33. "We Need to Talk About Qatar | By Tim Sparv". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  34. "Tim Sparv". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  35. Tim Sparv at Soccerway. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  36. "Tim Sparv" (in Finnish). palloliitto.fi. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  37. "Guldfest i Herning: FC Midtjylland er dansk mester". dr.dk. Danmarks Radio. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  38. "Kauden 2007 parhaat" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  39. "Korpela ja Sparv Vuoden pelaajat" (in Finnish). Palloliitto. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015.
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