.jpg) Moisander withWerder Bremen in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Niklas Kristian Moisander[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-09-29)29 September 1985 (age 39)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Turku, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2002 | TPS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2003 | TPS | 17 | (0) |
| 2003–2006 | Ajax | 0 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Zwolle | 71 | (5) |
| 2008–2012 | AZ Alkmaar | 111 | (3) |
| 2012–2015 | Ajax | 77 | (5) |
| 2015–2016 | Sampdoria | 22 | (0) |
| 2016–2021 | Werder Bremen | 125 | (2) |
| 2021–2024 | Malmö FF | 29 | (0) |
| Total | 452 | (15) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000 | Finland U15 | 3 | (1) |
| 2001 | Finland U16 | 12 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Finland U17 | 16 | (0) |
| 2002 | Finland U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Finland U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Finland U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2008–2017 | Finland | 62 | (2) |
Medal record | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Niklas Kristian Moisander (born 29 September 1985) is a Finnish former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back. Moisander was born inTurku, where he played for the localTPS youth team before moving toAjax. He did not make any senior appearances at Ajax between 2003 and 2006 and moved toZwolle. After two seasons in theEerste Divisie, he signed withAZ Alkmaar of theEredivisie where he spent five seasons. He returned to Ajax in 2012 and played for the side until 2015. Following a one-season stay atSampdoria, he spent five years atBundesliga clubWerder Bremen. He remained at Swedish sideMalmö FF for four seasons before retiring at the end of the 2024 season. He is the twin brother ofgoalkeeperHenrik Moisander, and is a formercaptain of theFinland national team.
Moisander made his international debut for Finland in May 2008, at age 22, and had 62 caps, including appearing in 2010, 2014 and 2018FIFA World Cup qualifications before his retirement from international football in 2017.[3] He was voted theFinnish Footballer of the Year in both 2012 and 2013.
Moisander started his football career together with his twin brotherHenrik, both joining localTPS from their home town ofTurku in 2001. A year later, he made his debut in theVeikkausliiga, the premier division of Football in Finland, under then managerMika Laurikainen. He was selected in the starting lineup on 15 May 2003 in a regular season's fixture against cross town rivalsInter Turku. He played the full 90 minutes in the 2–0 away win in his first Turku derby match. He went on to make 17 appearances for TPS during the2002 and2003 seasons, becoming a regular with his home club at age 17.[4]
On 5 June 2003, it was announced that DutchEredivisie clubAjax had signed the twins Henrik and Niklas to a two-year contract, binding them to the club until the summer of 2005.[5] At Ajax, they would join the team where bothFinland InternationalsJari Litmanen andPetri Pasanen were playing at the time. At first instance, the twins were to join the under-19 team ofAjax A1, competing in the 2003–04 A-junioren Eredivisie league in their first year with the club.[6] The twins helped their side secure the club's eighth A-Juniors league title, under the tutelage and guidance of then coachDanny Blind. The following season saw Moisander and his brother compete in theBeloften Eredivisie for the team's reserve squadJong Ajax, where they would help to win the reserve league title in their first year on the team.[7] Signing a contract extension for an additional year by the end of the season, Ajax eventually won theKNVB Cup in conclusion. Unable to break into the first team, however, after their second term with the reserves, the twins were separated; while Henrik was dispatched toAssyriska in Sweden, Niklas remained in the Netherlands, where he signed withFC Zwolle instead.[8]
On 3 May 2006 it was announced that Moisander would transfer to theEerste Divisie side FC Zwolle, signing a two-year contract with the club fromOverijssel.[9] He made his debut on 11 August 2006 in a 2–0 win at home againstFortuna Sittard in the KNVB Cup match, at which point he immediately establishing his position in the starting XI of the team.[10] Midway through his first season, his contract was annulled and extended for an additional year, binding him to the club until the summer of 2009.[11] After his first two seasons, and with one year still remaining on his contract, Zwolle andAZ Alkmaar agreed to terms for a direct transfer of Moisander for a reported €600,000 transfer fee, returning to the top flight of Dutch football. During his stay in Zwolle, he made 75 appearances for the club, scoring five times, where he was an instrumental player for his side.[12]
On 11 July 2008, it was announced that AZ had come to terms with Zwolle for the direct transfer of Moisander, signing a three-year contract to bind him to the club until the summer of 2011.[13] He made his Eredivisie debut on 20 September 2008 for AZ in its 1–0 home win against Dutch giantsPSV.[14][15] He scored his first goal for AZ on 3 October 2008 in the 6–0 regular season victory overSparta Rotterdam.[16] He was able to establish himself as the first choice defender under managerLouis van Gaal, playing a total of 22 full league matches, having briefly been sidelined in the months of January and February due to a knee injury.[17]
Moisander quickly came back to help his side win the Eredivisie title, the second for the club in its history and Moisander's personal first. That season, the title race had come down to the final round, and although AZ had lost their last game of the season againstVitesse, it was still able to consequently clinch the league due to eminent losses suffered by title contenders Ajax andTwente.[18] The following season, Moisander made his continental debut, playing in the2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage campaign.[19] Playing in five out of the six matches against the likes ofArsenal,Olympiacos andStandard Liège, AZ finished in the bottom of the group under newly appointed managerRonald Koeman. This was after having won the Dutch Super Cup (theJohan Cruyff Shield) againstHeerenveen at the start of the season.[20] Midway through the season, the team changed management again whenDick Advocaat was hired as a replacement for Koeman, and the club finishing the season in fifth place and thus qualifying for the2010–11 UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round.[21][22]
Ahead of the 2010–11 season, AZ had found another replacement inGertjan Verbeek as the new manager.[23] Moisander played a major role in helping his side to qualify for the2010–11 Europa League group stage, having appeared in all four games in the qualifying rounds. He also played in four of the six group stage encounters againstDynamo Kyiv,BATE Borisov andSheriff Tiraspol. The team, however, finished the league in fourth place, thus qualifying for the qualifying rounds once more.[24]
Following the departure ofStijn Schaars toSporting CP ahead of the 2011–12 season, Moisander was appointed as AZ's newteam captain.[25] Securing the group stage of the2011–12 Europa League once more, through a successful qualifying campaign againstBaumit Jablonec andAalesunds FK, his team would then successfully advance out of the group stage, where it faced off with the likes ofAustria Wien,Malmö FF andMetalist Kharkiv, finishing in second place in the group. The club then advanced to the quarter-finals by defeatingAnderlecht andUdinese in previous rounds, eventually bowing out toValencia 5–2 on aggregate. Moisander played in 14 matches during the club's continental campaign, when it reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the fourth time in the club's history. Moisander started the2012–13 Eredivisie season with AZ, making two league appearances, before transferring back to neighboring Ajax.[26]
On 21 August 2012, both clubs agreed to terms of a €4 million transfer fee to acquire Moisander, as he returned to Ajax on a three-year contract as a replacement for theTottenham Hotspur-boundJan Vertonghen.[27][28] Moisander made his Eredivisie debut for Ajax on 25 August 2012 in a match againstNAC Breda, where he also scored a goal.[29] He established himself as the first-choice centre back under managerFrank de Boer, making a total of 29 league appearances in his first season back with the club while adding four goals. On 3 October 2012, he scored a header in aUEFA Champions League match, a 4–1 home defeat againstReal Madrid.[30] He then scored the winner in the Champions League game againstManchester City on 24 October, again with a header.[31] Moisander played in all six matches during the clubs'2012–13 Champions League campaign, where the club finished in third place behindBorussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, thus qualifying for the2012–13 Europa League round of 16, where the team would suffer an early exit by a loss toSteaua București, losing 4–2 on penalties in the final match following a 2–2 deadlock.[32] Moisander was votedFinnish Footballer of the Year by both theFootball Association of Finland and the Finnish Sports' Journalists Association, as Ajax went on to win its 32nd league title in his first year back with the club.[33]
Following an injury toSiem de Jong the following season, and after the departure ofvice-captain, fellow centre backToby Alderweireld toAtlético Madrid, Moisander wore the captain's armband for the first time for Ajax in an away match againstGroningen on 1 September 2013. He played his 50th official match for Ajax on 22 September in theTopper match against rivals PSV, which ended in a 4–0 loss for Ajax. On 4 November, he made an appearance in the Eerste Divisie playing for the newly promoted reserve team Jong Ajax in its 3–2 away loss toHelmond Sport. Moisander participated in the match for 60 minutes in order to regain his form after having suffered an injury which kept him sidelined for a month.[34]
Moisander was sent off against his former club AZ in a controversial decision. Ajax went on to lose the match 1–0.[35][36]
On 25 March 2015, it was announced that Moisander would move to ItalianSerie A clubSampdoria at the end of the 2014–15 season.[37] As his contract at Ajax was expiring, he moved on afree transfer, signing a three-year contract.[38] He made his Serie A debut on 30 August 2015 in a match againstNapoli when he replacedÉder as a substitute on 88th minute.[39]
On 9 July 2016, GermanBundesliga sideWerder Bremen announced it had completed the signing of Moisander.[40] The transfer fee paid to Sampdoria was a reported €1.7 million.[41][42] He made hisBundesliga debut in a 4–1 loss againstBorussia Mönchengladbach on 16 September 2016, replacingFallou Diagne at half-time with Werder Bremen trailing 0–4.[43]
On 8 July 2017, he suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right thigh playing in a friendly match against his former club Ajax Amsterdam,[44] the match was later abandoned because Ajax playerAbdelhak Nouri suffered a heart attack.[45]
In July 2018, Moisander's contract was extended.[46][47]
In July 2019, he was announced as the club's captain afterMax Kruse's departure.[48] After playing the first three league matches of the season, he suffered a thigh injury.[49] In November, while still unable to play due to the injury, he agreed a contract extension with Werder Bremen, reportedly until 2021.[49]
In May 2021, Werder Bremen announced that Moisander's contract would not be extended.[50]
On 1 July 2021, Moisander joinedAllsvenskan sideMalmö FF.[51] He helped them win the2021 Allsvenskan as well as the2021–22 Svenska Cupen titles during his first year at the club.[52]
On 28 September 2023, Moisander extended his contract with Malmö, signing a new deal until the end of 2024.[53][54]
On 6 December 2024, after the2024 Allsvenskan, Moisander announced his retirement from professional football.[55]
Moisander made his debut for Finland at youth level, playing for the under-15 squad at age 14 on 29 August 2000 in a friendly match againstSweden-15 inHallstavik, Sweden. He was capped for the Finnish under-16 squad for the first time at the same age, being two years younger than most of his teammates, and was then capped for the under-17 squad for the first time at 16, being again a year younger than the rest of the team. In total, Moisander amassed three caps for the under-15 side, while scoring once, 12 caps for the under-16 squad, and eight caps forFinland U-17.[56] At age 19 he scored a goal for theFinland U-21 inLimassol, Cyprus, in a match againstSlovakia on 10 February 2005.[57]
Moisander made his official debut for thesenior team on 29 May 2008 when he was called up by head coachStuart Baxter for a friendly match againstTurkey at the age of 22, which was contested inDuisburg, Germany.[58] In fall 2008 and spring 2009, Moisander was named for the Finland squad for the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, but remained as an unused substitute. He scored the winning goal on 10 October 2009 in a World Cup qualifier win overWales at theHelsinki Olympic Stadium.[59] He permanently solidified his position in the team after Baxter brought him in for the final 2010 World Cup qualifying group stage match againstRussia. The match ended in a 3–0 loss for the Finns at home, which inevitably cost them the second place in the group, which was then secured by the Russians, leading to their advancement in the tournament, with Finland therefore failing to qualify for the2010 World Cup.[60][61]
In 2011, underMixu Paatelainen, Moisander gained the captain's armband fromPetri Pasanen, becoming the new skipper for Finland. While playing a major role in the teamsUEFA Euro 2012 ambitions, Finland finished fourth in its group behind theNetherlands,Sweden andHungary, failing to qualify for the final tournament in Poland and Ukraine.[62]
The2014 World Cup qualification process ended in a third-place group stage finish for Finland behind bothSpain andFrance, which both secured placement in the final tournament.[63] One of the most memorable matches of the qualification was a 1–1 draw against the reigning world and European champions Spain in March 2013 inGijón; Moisander played full 90 minutes in the match.[64] Moisander scored his second goal for the national team on 14 August 2013 on his old home turfVeritas Stadion in Turku in a match againstSlovenia when he took Finland on a 1–0 lead in a 2–0 victory.[65]
In November 2017, Moisander announced his retirement from international duty.[3]
Niklas is the twin brother ofHenrik, a former professional football player as well who played as agoalkeeper.[66]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental[a] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| TPS | 2002 | Ykkönen | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | Veikkausliiga | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Ajax | 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PEC Zwolle | 2006–07 | Eerste Divisie | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | Eerste Divisie | 37 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 5[b] | 0 | 46 | 4 | ||
| Total | 71 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 83 | 5 | ||
| AZ Alkmaar | 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | Eredivisie | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | Eredivisie | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | Eredivisie | 30 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 3 | |
| 2012–13 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 111 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 152 | 5 | ||
| Ajax | 2012–13 | Eredivisie | 29 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 6 |
| 2013–14 | Eredivisie | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Eredivisie | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| Total | 77 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 105 | 7 | ||
| Sampdoria | 2015–16 | Serie A | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Werder Bremen | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 22 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| Total | 125 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 3 | ||
| Malmö FF | 2021 | Allsvenskan | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Allsvenskan | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 21 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | Allsvenskan | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2024 | Allsvenskan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 452 | 15 | 47 | 2 | 62 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 572 | 21 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 October 2009 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium,Helsinki, Finland |  Wales | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 14 August 2013 | Veritas Stadion,Turku, Finland |  Slovenia | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
AZ
Ajax
Malmö FF
Individual
