Finnish Ajax icon Jari Litmanen returns to football for age-55 season

Jari Litmanen built a remarkable career, earning legendary status at Ajax as a vital part in their 1995 UEFA Champions League triumph, while also featuring for Liverpool and FC Barcelona. His final professional stint came with HJK Helsinki in 2011, a year he clinched his sole Finnish league championship.

This 137-capped Finnish player stepped away from the game in 2011 aged 40, yet he is poised to step back onto the field with the third squad of Estonian outfit Tallinna Kalev. The team, under the ownership of ex-Liverpool defender Ragnar Klavan, made the announcement on Thursday.

Dubbed Kuningas, meaning The King, Litmanen has called the Estonian capital home since at least 2010. He divides his days between Tallinn with his family and Helsinki, serving as a commentator for Finnish TV.

Come October, he suited up for Tallinna Kalev III in Estonia's fourth division, teaming up on the pitch with his two teenage boys amid a player shortfall.

"Out of nowhere, the team was low on numbers, and with me already training out there, the manager queried: 'Could you join our session to give us an extra body?'" Litmanen recounted to The Athletic in an interview from late 2025.

Tallinna Kalev becomes the tenth unique team in Litmanen's playing history, adding to his previous stops at FC Lahti, HJK Helsinki, MyPa, Ajax, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, Hansa Rostock, Malmö FF, and Fulham.