Hetemaj and Koppinen get Finland recalls
Friday, October 1, 2010
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Finland coach Stuart Baxter has included Perparim Hetemaj and Miika Koppinen in his squad for the visit of Hungary, the latter having last appeared for his country in February 2006.
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Brescia Calcio's Perparim Hetemaj could win his first competitive cap for Finland after being called up for the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier against Hungary, while Miika Koppinen returns after a four-and-a-half year absence.
Hetemaj, who has never started a senior international, won the last of his two caps in August last year. The 23-year-old midfielder has impressed in Brescia Calcio's encouraging start to Serie A, prompting coach Stuart Baxter to describe the former AEK Athens FC player as a potential "secret weapon".
The 32-year-old Koppinen, meanwhile, last appeared for his country in a friendly against Kazakhstan in February 2006. Finland will seek their first points in Group E when Hungary visit Helsinki on 12 October.
Finland squad
Goalkeepers: Otto Fredrikson (PFC Spartak Naltchik), Peter Enckelman (Saint Johnstone FC), Jukka Lehtovaara (FC TPS Turku).
Defenders: Veli Lampi (Willem II), Markus Heikkinen (SK Rapid Wien), Niklas Moisander (AZ Alkmaar), Petri Pasanen (SV Werder Bremen), Sami Hyypiä (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Miika Koppinen (Tromsø IL), Jukka Raitala (SC Paderborn 07).
Midfielders: Tim Sparv (FC Groningen), Mika Väyrynen (SC Heerenveen), Roni Porokara (Örebro SK), Roman Eremenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Kasper Hämäläinen (Djurgårdens IF), Daniel Sjölund (Djurgårdens IF), Perparim Hetemaj (Brescia Calcio).
Forwards: Jari Litmanen (FC Lahti), Jonatan Johansson (FC TPS Turku), Mikael Forssell (Hannover 96), Alexei Eremenko Jr (Kilmarnock FC), Shefki Kuqi (Derby County FC).
