{{short description|Finnish footballer (born 1988)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Tomi Saarelma | image = Tomi_Saarelma.jpg | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|11|30|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Tomi Saarelma|url=http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=250010516/profile/index.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205021534/http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=250010516/profile/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2013|publisher=UEFA|accessdate=27 September 2011}}</ref> | birth_place = Hollola, Finland | height = {{height|m=1.75}}<ref name="Soccerway">{{cite web|title=Tomi Saarelma|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/tomi-saarelma/31418/|work=Soccerway|publisher=Global Sports Media|accessdate=27 September 2011}}</ref> | position = Winger | currentclub = MYPA | clubnumber = 25 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2005 | youthclubs1 = FC Reipas / FC Kuusysi | youthyears2 = 2005–2007 | youthclubs2 = Chelsea FC
| years1 = 2008 | clubs1 = FC KooTeePee | caps1 = 22 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2009 | clubs2 = 1. FC Kleve | caps2 = 1 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2009–2011 | clubs3 = FC Levadia | caps3 = 25 | goals3 = 4 | years4 = 2011–2012 | clubs4 = FC Baden | caps4 = 17 | goals4 = 3 | years5 = 2012–2013 | clubs5 = SR Delémont | caps5 = 23 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2013 | clubs6 = BSC Old Boys | caps6 = 10 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2014 | clubs7 = FC Lahti | caps7 = 2 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2015 | clubs8 = Galway United | caps8 = 5 | goals8 = 0 | years9 = 2017–2018 | clubs9 = FC Zürich | caps9 = 13 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2018 | clubs10= TPS | caps10= 0 | goals10= 0 | years11 = 2019– | clubs11= MYPA | caps11= 10 | goals11= 1 | years12 = 2021–2023 | clubs12= SV Muttenz | caps12= 27 | goals12= 1 | years13 = 2023– | clubs13= Möhlin-Riburg| caps13= 6 | goals13= 0
| nationalyears1 = – | nationalteam1 = Finland U19 | nationalcaps1 = 7 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = – | nationalteam2 = Finland U20 | nationalcaps2 = 10 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | pcupdate = 11:55, 30 December 2024 (UTC) }}
'''Tomi Saarelma''' (born 30 November 1988) is a Finnish footballer who plays for Möhlin Riburg in the 6th highest level in Switzerland.
His previous clubs include Chelsea FC,<ref>[https://jpy.fi/fi/uutiset/tomi-saarelma-quot-ulkomailla-on-oltava-vahva-quot- Tomi Saarelma: "Ulkomailla on oltava vahva"] jpy.fi</ref><ref>[https://www.iltalehti.fi/jalkapallo/a/201710312200500738 Muistatko Tomi Saarelman? Chelseaan teininä siirtynyt suomalainen kertoo värikkään tuhkimotarinansa: ”Didier Drogba sanoi, että nyt riittää!”] italehti.fi</ref><ref>[https://www.is.fi/veikkausliiga/art-2000000755291.html "John Terry ylisti meitä suomalaisia koviksi laulumiehiksi"] is.fi</ref> FC KooTeePee, 1. FC Kleve, FC Levadia, FC Baden, BSC Old Boys, SR Delémont, SV Muttenz and FC Lahti.
==Club career== When Saarelma was 16, he was spotted by the scouts of English club Chelsea, playing for his youth club FC Lahti. After a successful trial with the club, Saarelma was offered a two-year contract in the beginning of 2005, and officially moved to the club in the summer of 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chelsea bring in 11 first year players|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~861913,00.html|publisher=Chelsea|accessdate=27 September 2011|date=5 July 2005|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308221809/http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10268~861913%2C00.html|archivedate=8 March 2012}}</ref> In the beginning of his Chelsea career, he formed an important part of the club's youth team and helped the team to reach the final of the famous tournament, Milk Cup, where they lost to FC Barcelona. After two seasons, Saarelma left the club, where he was highly praised for his skills with the ball, but as a small player, could not really cope with the physical side of the game, which is an important part of the English football.{{fact|date=June 2020}}
In 2008 Saarelma returned to Finland and signed a two-year contract with FC KooTeePee of the Veikkausliiga, the highest level of football in Finland.<ref name="Soccerway"/> Saarelma was one of the key figures in the team, specially at the second part of the season, making 22 appearances and scoring two goals. After just one season Saarelma left the club and signed with the German side 1. FC Kleve, but left just after six months.<ref name="Soccerway"/>
In the summer of 2009 Saarelma signed with Estonia's biggest club, FC Levadia, where he won the league title in his first season, making 19 league appearances and scoring 4 goals. Saarelma also was helping the team do well in Europe, where Levadia faced many top teams, for example Turkish side Galatasaray, who put them out of the Europa League 2009. He won the Estonian Cup and Super Cup with Levadia in 2010. Saarelma left the club before the 2011 season began and moved to Swiss 1. Liga club FC Baden. In the summer of 2012 Saarelma moved to SR Delemont In Swiss Challenge League.{{fact|date=June 2020}}
On 2 September 2015, Saarelma signed for League of Ireland side Galway United FC until the end of the 2015 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://galwayunitedfc.ie/united-sign-tomi-saarelma/|title=United sign Tomi Saarelma|date=2 September 2015}}</ref> After that, he signed with FC Zürich in Switzerland in September 2017. He played for the club until August 2018, and then signed with TPS.After his spell in Finland, he returned to the lower leagues of Switzerland. In 2024, he took on the role of managing a Swiss youth team alongside his professional playing career. <ref>[https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe9797/tomi-saarelma/ Tomi Saarelma - WorldFootball], worldfootball.net</ref>
==International career== Saarelma has represented Finland at youth international level.{{fact|date=June 2020}}
==Honours== '''FCI Levadia''' * Meistriliiga: 2009
'''Galway United''' * League of Ireland Cup; runner up: 2015
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120804091013/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/Player.aspx?ID=13001158 Veikkausliiga profile] *[http://www.fckooteepee.fi/?page=team&playerId=288&teamRef=8 KooTeePee profile] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111008015158/http://fclevadia.ee/article/146 Levadia profile] *{{Soccerway|tomi-saarelma/31418}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saarelma, Tomi}} Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Finnish men's footballers Category:21st-century Finnish sportsmen Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:FC Lahti players Category:Chelsea F.C. players Category:FC KooTeePee players Category:Meistriliiga players Category:FCI Levadia Tallinn players Category:FC Baden players Category:Galway United F.C. players Category:Turun Palloseura footballers Category:Veikkausliiga players Category:FC Zürich players Category:Swiss Super League players Category:League of Ireland players Category:People from Hollola Category:Sportspeople from Päijät-Häme Category:Finnish expatriate men's footballers Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Estonia Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Estonia Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in the Republic of Ireland Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Ireland Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland