Forssell makes Birmingham move
Friday, June 10, 2005
Article summary
Birmingham City FC have completed the €4.5m signing of Finnish international Mikael Forssell from Chelsea FC.
Article body
Prolific campaign
Forssell won the affection of Birmingham fans during the 2003/04 campaign when he scored 17 goals in 32 Premiership matches while on loan from Chelsea, but a serious knee injury last September cut short his second season with the club.
Lengthy lay-off
After a six-month lay-off, Forssell returned to the Chelsea team as a late substitute in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final triumph over FC Bayern München in April.
German break
Forssell joined Chelsea in 1998 after two seasons at HJK Helsinki, but never established himself in the side. He had a spell on loan at Crystal Palace FC, scoring 16 times in 52 games, before spending part of the 2002/03 campaign in Germany with VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach before his breakthrough year at Saint Andrews in 2003/04.
Finland return
Forssell has scored 12 goals in 31 appearances for his country and was among the substitutes for Finland's 4-0 defeat by the Netherlands in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
