Nationality: Finnish
Date of Birth: 18 February 1952
Association president since: 2012

• A well-known figure in both domestic and international football, Pertti Alaja was also rated highly in his playing career in the 1970s and 1980s. He won 29 full caps for Finland and was a much-respected goalkeeper who, besides his native country, also played in Sweden, Denmark and Canada during his career.

• After finishing his playing career, Alaja soon assumed both coaching and administrative tasks within the game. He worked as general secretary of the FA of Finland between 1990 and 2000. In 2003, he was elected vice-chairman of the FA of Finland, and held the post until 2006.

• In 2008, Alaja was elected tournament director for the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Although renowned for most for his achievements in football, Alaja is also known as a poet, and his first collection of poems was published in 2007.