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Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Country Finland
Confederation UEFA
Founded 1990
Number of teams 12
Relegation to Ykkönen
Level on pyramid 1
Domestic cup(s) Finnish Cup
UEFA cup(s) UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa Conference League
Current champions HJK Helsinki (2022)
Most successful club HJK Helsinki (32)
TV IS Extra
Ruutu+
Nelonen
Jim
Website Official website
Football current event 2023 season
Finnish Football
League Structure

Veikkausliiga (Tier 1)
Ykkönen (Tier 2)
Kakkonen (Tier 3)
Kolmonen (Tier 4)
Nelonen (Tier 5)
Vitonen (Tier 6)
Kutonen (Tier 7)
Seiska (Tier 8)

Veikkausliiga (Tipsligan) is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. As of 2013, Veikkausliiga is ranked as the 33rd best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name. Veikkausliiga was founded in 1990; before that the top division was called Mestaruussarja (championship series) since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional league. Between 1908 and 1930 the championship was decided in a cup competition.

Ykkönen (division one) has been the second highest level of Finnish football since 1973.

As with certain other cold-climate European countries (including parts of Norway and Sweden), league matches in Finland are played in summer, with a schedule usually from April to October. The format and number of teams has changed frequently, and in the 2013 season there were 12 teams, with each team playing the others three times, for 33 rounds during the season. An uneven number of matches meant that the best six teams from the 2012 season had 17 home matches and the other six teams had 16 home matches. At the end of the season, the lowest-placed team is relegated to Ykkönen, whose winner is promoted to Veikkausliiga.

In 2010 the average annual salary with fringe benefits for a league player was 24,400 euro. Veikkausliiga is a founding member of the European Professional Football Leagues association.

Clubs[]

The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2022 season are presented in the table below. Number of seasons includes seasons played in Veikkausliiga and preceding Mestaruussarja and seasons of predecessor teams after season 2021. In the case of mergers, the seasons of the predecessor with the most seasons are counted.

Club
City Stadium Capacity 2021 position Number of
seasons*
AC Oulu Oulu Raatti Stadium 4,392 11th 3
FC Haka Valkeakoski Tehtaan kenttä 3,516 8th 64
FC Honka Espoo Tapiolan Urheilupuisto 4,100 9th 13
FC Inter Turku Veritas Stadion 9,372 4th 25
FC Lahti Lahti Lahden kisapuisto 4,000 7th 49
HIFK Helsinki Telia 5G -areena 10,770 6th 35
HJK Helsinki Telia 5G -areena 10,770 1st, Champions 83
IFK Mariehamn Mariehamn Wiklöf Holding Arena 1,650 10th 17
Ilves Tampere Tampere Stadium 16,800 5th 40
KuPS Kuopio Savon Sanomat Areena 5,000 2nd 65
SJK Seinäjoki OmaSP Stadion 6,000 3rd 11
VPS Vaasa Elisa Stadion 6,009 1st in Ykkönen 57

Former clubs[]

Club Home town Seasons
AC Allianssi Vantaa 2002–2005
AC Oulu Oulu 2007, 2010
Atlantis FC Helsinki 2001
FC Haka Valkeakoski 1990–1996, 1998–2012
FC Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna 2002–2004
FC Ilves Tampere 1990–1996
FC Jazz 1 Pori 1991–2004
FC Jokerit Helsinki 1999–2001, 2003
FC KooTeePee Kotka 2003–2008
FC Kuusysi Lahti 1990–1995
FC Oulu Oulu 1992, 1994
FC TPS Turku 1990–2000, 2003-2014
FC Viikingit Helsinki 2007
FinnPa Helsinki 1993–1998
JJK Jyväskylä 2009–2013
KPV Kokkola 1990
Kotkan TP Kotka 1999–2000
Kumu Kuusankoski 1990
MP Mikkeli 1990–1996
OTP Oulu 1990–1991
PK-35 Helsinki 1998
Ponnistus Helsinki 1995
Reipas Lahti 1990–1991
TPV Tampere 1993–1995, 1999
Tampere United Tampere 2000–2010
TP-Seinäjoki Seinäjoki 1997
TP-47 Tornio 2004–2005

Note:

  • 1 Formerly known as PPT

Champions[]

The following clubs have won either the Veikkausliiga (between 1990 and 2014) or the Mestaruussarja (between 1908 and 1989) championship:

  • 27 wins: HJK
  • 9 wins: FC Haka, HPS
  • 8 wins: TPS
  • 7 wins: HIFK
  • 5 wins: KuPS, Kuusysi1, Tampere United2
  • 4 wins: KIF
  • 3 wins: Reipas Lahti1, VIFK, ÅIFK
  • 2 wins: FC Jazz4, KTP3, OPS, VPS
  • 1 win: HT, KPV, PUS, Turun Pyrkivä, Viipurin Sudet, Unitas, TPV, MyPa, FC Inter Turku

Notes:
1 Kuusysi and Lahden Reipas merged their professional teams in 1997 to form FC Lahti. Both teams, however, continue in junior football.
2 Ilves-Kissat Tampere merged with TaPa Tampere in 1975 to form Ilves Tampere, who took Ilves-Kissat's place in the league. Ilves Tampere were renamed Tampere United before the 1999 season as a result of a failed merger. Although Ilves also continues as its own club, all predecessors' titles are included here in the figure for Tampere United.
3 FC KooTeePee was established to continue top-level football in Kotka when the former Kotka team known as KTP went bankrupt. However as KTP also continues to play in lower divisions its titles are not usually considered to be inherited by FC KooTeePee. In December 2013 FC KooTeePee and KTP merged to bee FC KTP
4FC Jazz was formerly known as PPT (Porin Pallotoverit)

Top clubs[]

Year Champion 2nd 3rd
1990 HJK FC Kuusysi MP
1991 FC Kuusysi MP FC Haka
1992 HJK FC Kuusysi FC Jazz
1993 FC Jazz MyPa HJK
1994 TPV MyPa HJK
1995 FC Haka MyPa HJK
1996 FC Jazz MyPa TPS
1997 HJK VPS FinnPa
1998 FC Haka VPS PK-35
1999 FC Haka HJK MyPa
2000 FC Haka FC Jokerit MyPa
2001 Tampere United HJK MyPa
2002 HJK MyPa FC Haka
2003 HJK FC Haka Tampere United
2004 FC Haka AC Allianssi Tampere United
2005 MyPa HJK Tampere United
2006 Tampere United HJK FC Haka
2007 Tampere United FC Haka TPS
2008 FC Inter Turku FC Honka FC Lahti
2009 HJK FC Honka TPS
2010 HJK KuPS TPS
2011 HJK FC Inter Turku JJK
2012 HJK FC Inter Turku TPS
2013 HJK FC Honka VPS
2014 HJK SJK FC Lahti

Top scorers[]

Season Player Club Goals
1990 Flag of Poland Marek Czakon Ilves 16
1991 Flag of Finland Kimmo Tarkkio FC Haka 23
1992 Flag of Brazil Luiz Antônio FC Jazz 21
1993 Flag of Finland Antti Sumiala FC Jazz 20
1994 Flag of Brazil Dionísio TPV 17
1995 Flag of Russia Flag of Finland Valeri Popovitch FC Haka 21
1996 Flag of Brazil Luiz Antônio FC Jazz 17
1997 Flag of Brazil Rafael HJK 11
1998 Flag of Finland Matti Hiukka RoPS 11
1999 Flag of Russia Flag of Finland Valeri Popovitch FC Haka 23
2000 Flag of Finland Shefki Kuqi FC Jokerit 19
2001 Flag of Finland Paulus Roiha HJK 22
2002 Flag of Finland Mika Kottila HJK 18
2003 Flag of Finland Saku Puhakainen MyPa 14
2004 Flag of Finland Antti Pohja TamU 16
2005 Flag of Finland Juho Mäkelä HJK 16
2006 Flag of Finland Hermanni Vuorinen FC Honka 16
2007 Flag of Brazil Rafael FC Lahti 14
2008 Flag of Finland Aleksandr Kokko FC Honka 13
Flag of Finland Henri Myntti TamU
2009 Flag of Finland Hermanni Vuorinen FC Honka 16
2010 Flag of Finland Juho Mäkelä HJK 16
2011 Flag of Finland Timo Furuholm FC Inter Turku 22
2012 Flag of Georgia Irakli Sirbiladze FC Inter Turku 17
2013 Flag of Finland Tim Väyrynen FC Honka 17
2014 Flag of Finland Jonas Emet FF Jaro 14
Flag of Argentina Luis Solignac IFK Mariehamn

Individual all-time records[]

  Still active players are highlighted

Most matches played[]

Player Time Matches
Flag of Finland Toni Huttunen 1992–2009 441
Flag of Russia Valeri Popovitch 1993–2009 395
Flag of Finland Saku Puhakainen 1995–2009 382
Flag of Finland Tommi Kautonen 1990–2006 376
Flag of Finland Juuso Kangaskorpi 1993–2008 373
Flag of Russia Aleksei Borisovich Yeryomenko 1991–2005 360
Flag of Finland Aarno Turpeinen 1990–2004 358
Flag of Finland Vesa Rantanen 1991–2004 354
Flag of Finland Tero Taipale 1997–present 352
Flag of Finland Rami Nieminen 1991–2004 347
Flag of Brazil Piracaia 1992–2007 324
Flag of Finland Tuomas Aho 1999–present 319
Flag of Finland Mikko Innanen 1999–present 318
Flag of Brazil Rafael 1997–present 317
Flag of Finland Mikko Hyyrynen 2001–present 311
Flag of Finland Anssi Viren 1995–2013 306
Flag of Finland Rami Hakanpää 1994–2013 305
Flag of Finland Ilja Venäläinen 2001–2013 304
Flag of Finland Kari Rissanen 1990–2003 303
Flag of Finland Lasse Karjalainen 1991–2005 302
Flag of Finland Juha Riippa 1990–2003 302
Flag of Finland Antti Pohja 1994–2010 302

Last updated: 26 October 2014.
Sources:
Veikkausliigan verkkonäyttely: Tilastot
veikkausliiga.com/Player.aspx.

Most goals scored[]

Player Time Goals Matches Average
Flag of Russia Valeri Popovitch 1993–2009 166 395 0.42
Flag of Brazil Rafael 1997–present 133 317 0.42
Flag of Finland Saku Puhakainen 1995–2009 114 382 0.30
Flag of Brazil Luiz Antônio 1992–2003 94 196 0.48
Flag of Finland Antti Pohja 1994–2009 87 302 0.29
Flag of Finland Jari Vanhala 1991–1999 85 236 0.36
Flag of Finland Ismo Lius 1991–1999 84 176 0.48
Flag of Finland Kimmo Tarkkio 1990–1999 79 178 0.44
Flag of Finland Juha Karvinen 1990–2000 77 255 0.30
Flag of Finland Ilja Venäläinen 2001–2013 76 304 0.25
Flag of Finland Juho Mäkelä 2003–present 74 168 0.44
Flag of Finland Mikko Hyyrynen 2001–present 73 311 0.23
Flag of Finland Marko Rajamäki 1990–2000 73 199 0.37

Last updated: 26 October 2014.
Sources:
Veikkausliigan verkkonäyttely: Tilastot
veikkausliiga.com/Player.aspx
Veikkausliiga - Hall Of Fame.

UEFA Ranking[]

UEFA Country Ranking As of 27 November 2014 (Previous year rank in italics)

See also[]

  • Football Association of Finland

External links[]

Veikkausliiga 2023

AC Oulu · FC Haka · FC Honka · FC Inter · FC Lahti · HJK · IFK Mariehamn · Ilves · KTP · KuPS · SJK · VPS

Veikkausliiga seasons
Mestaruussarja
Veikkausliiga

1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 ·

Top level football leagues of Europe (UEFA)

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