Spurs Women announce departure of keeper Korpela

I’m a little bit sad this morning — Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela is leaving the club. Spurs made the announcement and gave the Finland international a fond farewell as she moves on to a new challenge.

Korpela was in an unusual situation at Spurs, as she was basically in a job-share with Spurs’ other #1 keeper Becky Spencer. Korpela was a steady pair of hands and you could argue she had a slight advantage over Spencer due to her height and experience. Rather than having a clear top choice and a backup option, for the past two seasons Spurs have basically had a #1 and a #1a, with both Spencer and Korpela rotating in and out based on opposition or injury.

That can have its advantages, but I can also see how not playing every match might be frustrating for someone like Korpela to have to share duties. We don’t know the details on why she’s leaving beyond that her two year contract has expired, but it could suggest that whoever the new manager is coming in (and we don’t know that either) will want a solid #1 choice heading into the next season. That might be Becky Spencer, or it might be someone new.

Korpela is now the seventh player to leave Spurs in the offseason, which isn’t surprising considering the extensive yearly roster churn in the WSL. But the club has a lot of work to do this summer.