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Veikkausliiga |
Country > Finland
Foundation Year > Founded in 1990
EPFL Affilation > Founder Member 1997
No. of Affiliated Clubs > 14
Official Website > www.veikkausliiga.com
E-mail Address > sami.verno@veikkausliiga.com
Phone > +358 9 4137 7600Fax > +358 9 4137 7610
President > Hannu Rautainen
Managing Director > Jan Walden
Media/Press Office > Sami Verno
President
Hannu Rautainen
History
The Coolest Football on Earth – The Finnish Football League. The Finns can´t boast with well-known and successful history on the pitch. However, the top division of Finnish football – Veikkausliiga – is going strong and developing with steady footsteps. The Finnish Football League Association was formed and separated from the FA of Finland in 1990. Since that the Finnleague Trophy has been delivered to seven different clubs. HJK Helsinki and FC Haka from Valkeakoski are both boasting with five league titles. HJK also survived to the top floor of the European game and played in the Champions League in 1998. However, the newest powerhouse of the Finnleague is called Tampere United. They have ruled the nation throughout the seasons 2006 and also 2007 by winning both the League and the Cup titles. Tampere United also made their first big impact on European level during last summer by challenging Rosenborg Trondheim and Girondins de Bordeaux, and beating Levski Sofia in the UCL qualifier. The most famous Finnish footballers have all grown up in the age of Finnleague. Jari Litmanen, the best Finnish player of all time, started his career in Lahden Reipas (known as FC Lahti nowadays) and moved to Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona, Heartha Berlin, Malmo FF and FC Liverpool via HJK Helsinki and Myllykosken Pallo. The FA Cup and Champions League winner Sami Hyypiä (FC Liverpool) launched also his career from MyPa. While the biggest European leagues are in flames there is half a meter of snow on the pitches in Finland. For that reason the Veikkausliiga is played between late April and the end of October. The length of the away trips is also pure extreme in Finland. When IFK Mariehamn from Swedish speaking area of Åland Islands are facing AC Oulu in the far north, they have to travel for more than 700 kilometres. The most matches are played on Thursdays and Sundays, while TV-matches are on Mondays. Every match is filmed and every production is top quality. In a country that is almost three times bigger than England but has a population of only five million you really have to try to achieve anything. Never giving up, never loosing your coolness. That is what the Veikkausliiga is all about.
