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The Finnish Football League Association |
Country > Finland
Foundation Year > Founded in 1990
EPFL Affilation > Member League (founding member in 2005 - EUPPFL member since 2004)
| Premier Division > | Veikkausliiga | 12 clubs |
| League Cup > | Liigacup |
Tel > +358 9 4137 7600
Fax > +358 9 4137 7610
E-mail Address > risto.oksanen@veikkausliiga.com
Official Website > www.veikkausliiga.com
Chairman > Lasse Lehtinen
Chief Executive Officer > Timo Marjamaa
Chairman
Lasse Lehtinen
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 has the most trophies – seven titles. HJK also survived to the top floor of the European game and played in the Champions League in 1998 as the 1st finnish team in that level and unfortunately the only one so far. 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. These have been also many other famous finnish players started their careers in Veikkausliiga like Jussi Jääskeläinen (Bolton), Mikael Forssell (e.g. Chelsea, Birmingham and Hannover) and Teemu Tainio (e.g. Ajax Amsterdam, Tottenham Hotspurs and Auxerre). 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 ROPS in the far north, they have to travel for more than 900 kilometres. The most matches are played on Thursdays and Sundays, all the games are broadcasted both in TV and in the internet in 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.
