Markus Halsti

Markus Halsti (born 19 March 1984) is a Finnish former professional football defender and midfielder.

Markus Halsti

Halsti playing for Malmö FF in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Markus Olof Halsti
Date of birth	(1984-03-19) 19 March 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Helsinki, Finland
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender, midfielder
Team information
Current team	SexyPöxyt (assistant coach)
Youth career
0000–2007	Viikingit
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2007	HJK	77	(3)
2008	GAIS	0	(0)
2008–2014	Malmö	115	(6)
2015–2016	D.C. United	14	(0)
2016–2018	Midtjylland	24	(0)
2018–2020	Esbjerg	51	(1)
2020–2021	HJK	12	(1)
2021	→ Klubi 04	2	(0)
2022–2023	SexyPöxyt	11	(0)
International career‡
	Finland U21	15	(0)
2008–	Finland	33	(0)
Managerial career
2023–	SexyPöxyt (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 November 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 July 2019

Club career

In Finland

Starting his career in FC Viikingit before moving to HJK in the Finnish top league in 2003, he debuted in 2003. His 2005 season ended badly with a serious injury in the middle of the season. Same injury came later in the beginning of 2007 when he again missed half of the season due to this fracture in his right leg. This was also his last year in HJK as he signed to a Swedish club GAIS after a tip off from former Finland national team coach Roy Hodgson as a bosman.^[1] However, before he ever had a chance to make a debut for GAIS he moved to the Allsvenskan rivals Malmö FF.^[2][3] Before signing with GAIS, he was on trial with Italian Atalanta and Leeds United. The Norwegian clubs Start and Molde IF, as well as a few unknown Danish clubs were also interested to sign him, but found him too expensive.^[1]

Malmö FF

Following a disappointing couple of years with Malmö FF with a knee injury, Halsti reinvigorated his club career by heading in the 3–2 goal against Kalmar FF away from home in April 2010, which ultimately won Malmö the match. In the same game he also got injured, and due to this injury he missed most of the 2010 season. In 2010 Malmö FF won the league just ahead of their rivals Helsingborgs IF. Halsti played as a central defender and right defender positions during the 2011 season. He scored his second goal for the club in the away derby match against Helsingborgs IF, which eventually ended in a 2–2 draw.

In 2011 Malmö FF was close of qualification to the Champions League, first winning Rangers FC away 1–0 where Halsti played as a right back, and then getting 1–1 draw at home in a game where Halsti was injured once again. In the end GNK Dinamo Zagreb went to the Group Stage of the tournament by only one goal marginal, as they first won home 4–1 but then lost 2–0 in Malmö. Halsti played in both games, making a goal pass to 1–1 goal in Zagreb. Malmö still qualified to the Europa League in the same group as AZ Alkmaar, FC Metalist Kharkiv and FK Austria Wien. In the group Malmö didn't have much chance as they got only 1 point in 6 games. AZ Alkmaar and FC Metalist Kharkiv qualified to the quarter- finals of the tournament but were both beaten there. Halsti played totally three games in the competition. For the 2012 season, Halsti found himself in tough competition for a starting spot, and only received limited time on the pitch for the first part of the season. After the summer break, manager Rikard Norling decided that he wanted to play Halsti as a central midfielder, a position where the team needed reinforcement. In total Halsti played 13 matches for Malmö FF during the 2012 season, the majority as a midfielder. After the end of the season Halsti was offered a new contract lasting until the end of the 2014 season. Halsti extended his contract on 3 December 2012.^[4]

During the 2013 season, Halsti became an integral part of the Malmö side that secured the championship in late October 2013.^[5] Halsti continued to play as a central midfielder during the season and played 28 matches and scored two goals in his most successful season yet at the club. Halsti scored the only goal of the game in the last minutes of the first half in the home fixture against title contender AIK on 11 August 2013. He later scored the club's last goal of the season in the 3–1 win against Syrianska FC at home on 3 November 2013. For the 2014 season Halsti sporadically captained Malmö FF and was officially selected to the Allsvenskan Team of the Year.^[6] Halsti made 26 league appearances during his last season at the club as well as participating in all 12 matches of the club's 2014–15 UEFA Champions League campaign.

D.C. United

On 12 January 2015, it was announced that Halsti had signed with MLS club D.C. United on a free transfer.^[7] Halsti missed the first several months of the 2015 MLS season due to a knee injury, before making his debut in an away loss to the Philadelphia Union on 17 May 2015.^[8] Over the course of the season, Halsti made sporadic starts in central midfield for United, eventually garnering an extended run in the starting eleven during the final months of the season. Halsti also started all three of United's matches in the 2015 MLS Playoffs and made three appearances in the club's successful advancement from the group stage of the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League. Halsti and D.C. United mutually parted ways on 25 May 2016.^[9]

Midtjylland

In June 2016, Halsti joined Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland.^[10]

International career

Halsti made his debut for the Finland national team on 6 February 2008 in a friendly match against Greece. During 2013, he became a regular squad player, and was played in several defensive positions.

Career statistics

Club

As of 9 July 2019^[11][12]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
HJK	2003	Veikkausliiga	3	0	—		—		3	0
	2004	Veikkausliiga	17	1	—		—		17	1
	2005	Veikkausliiga	17	2	—		—		17	2
	2006	Veikkausliiga	21	0	—		—		21	0
	2007	Veikkausliiga	19	0	—		—		19	0
	Total		77	3	—		—		77	3
Malmö FF	2008	Allsvenskan	15	0	1	0	—		16	0
	2009	Allsvenskan	10	0	0	0	—		10	0
	2010	Allsvenskan	7	1	1	0	—		8	1
	2011	Allsvenskan	16	1	3	0	8	0	27	1
	2012	Allsvenskan	13	1	0	0	—		13	1
	2013	Allsvenskan	28	2	3	0	6	1	37	3
	2014	Allsvenskan	26	1	4	0	12	0	42	1
	Total		115	6	12	0	26	1	153	7
D.C. United	2015	MLS	17	0	2	0	3	0	22	0
	2016	MLS	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
	Total		17	0	2	0	4	0	23	0
Midtjylland	2016–17	Danish Superliga	15	0	3	0	8	0	26	0
	2017–18	Danish Superliga	9	0	3	0	2	0	14	0
	Total		24	0	6	0	10	0	40	0
Esbjerg	2018–19	Danish Superliga	33	0	0	0	—		33	0
	2019–20	Danish Superliga	18	1	0	0	1	0	19	1
	Total		51	1	0	0	1	0	52	1
HJK	2020	Veikkausliiga	6	1	1	0	—		7	1
	2021	Veikkausliiga	6	0	5	0	1	0	12	0
	Total		12	1	6	0	1	0	19	1
Klubi 04	2021	Ykkönen	2	0	—		—		2	0
SexyPöxyt	2022	Kolmonen	2	0	1	0	—		3	0
	2023	Kakkonen	9	0	1	0	—		10	0
	Total		11	0	2	0	0	0	13	0
Career total			309	11	28	0	41	1	377	12

International

As of 9 July 2019^[13]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Finland	2008	2	0
	2009	1	0
	2010	1	0
	2011	2	0
	2012	5	0
	2013	6	0
	2014	3	0
	2015	5	0
	2016	6	0
	2017	1	0
	2018	1	0
Total		33	0

Honours

Club

HJK

• Veikkausliiga: 2003, 2020, 2021
• Finnish Cup: 2003, 2006, 2020

Malmö FF

• Allsvenskan: 2010, 2013, 2014
• Svenska Supercupen: 2013, 2014

DC United

• ATX Pro Challenge: 2015

Midtjylland

• Danish Superliga: 2017–18

Footnotes

1. "Finsk sisu i backlinjen" (in Swedish). Gais.se. 14 December 2007. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
2. "MFF värvar finsk landslagsback" (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan.se. 30 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
3. "Blixtkupp mot Gais - Halsti såld till Malmö FF" (in Swedish). GP.se. 30 March 2008. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
4. "Halsti stannar!" (in Swedish). mff.se. 3 December 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
5. "Matchhjälten Molins hyllar Rikard Norling". dn.se (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
6. "Här är allsvenskans bästa 2014 - Rosenberg och MFF tog storslam". fotbollskanalen.se (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
7. "D.C. United acquires Markus Halsti". dcunited.com. D.C. United. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
8. Maurer, Pablo (21 May 2015). "Debut of Markus Halsti one of few bright spots for D.C. United in loss to Philadelphia Union". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
9. Murray, Caitlin (25 May 2016). "DC United, midfielder Markus Halsti mutually part ways". Retrieved 26 December 2019.
10. "FINSK LANDSHOLDSSPILLER TIL FCM". FC Midtjylland (in Danish). 20 June 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
11. "Markus Halsti". soccerway.com (in Swedish). Soccerway. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
12. "Markus Halsti". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
13. "Markus Halsti". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 9 July 2019.

External links

• Markus Halsti at Soccerway
• Markus Halsti at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish) (archived)
• Malmö FF profile (in Swedish)