| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1938 (age 86–87) | ||
| Place of birth | Ylivieska, Finland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1971–? | HJK | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:21, 22 April 2021 (UTC) | |||
Kaija Salopuro (born 1938) is a Finnish former footballer who won five women's football championships withHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi between 1971 and 1975. She later worked for theFootball Association of Finland and received multiple awards for her contributions to Finnish women's football.
Salopuro is fromYlivieska, Finland.[1] In her early life, she participated inbaseball andathletics.[2]
Salopuro moved to Helsinki to work in the offices ofHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi sports club (HJK). At the time, the club was considering the creation of a women's football club.[2] In 1971, Salopuro became the first captain of theHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi women's team.[3] Initially, none of the players were paid for their participation.[4] From 1971 to 1975, she captained the team to fiveFinnish Football Championships.[3][1] HJK also won the 1971Finnish Women's Cup, defeating Vaasan Palloseura 6-0 in the final, which was reportedly attended by just two men who heckled the players.[5]
Salopuro worked in the offices of HJK until 1976, when she moved to work for theFootball Association of Finland.[6] In the 1980s, she worked with theFinland women's national football team.[6] Salopuro retired from the Finnish Football Association in 2003.[6]
In 2006, she was the first recipient of theKaijan Kannu [fi] award for contributions to women's football. The award was named after Salopuro.[6] In 2010, she was entered into theFinnish Football Hall of Fame.[3][6] In 2012, she won the FinnishPro Sports Medal [fi].[3][6] In 2013, she was inducted into HJK's Hall of Fame.[6]