Capital: Helsinki
Population: 5.2 million
Currency: Euro
Official Language: Finnish and Swedish
Borders: Norway (North), Russia (East), Sweden (West)
GNP per Capita: $24,790 (16th in world)
Main Airport: Vantaa - Helsinki

Finland is a low-lying country of forests and over 185,000 lakes.  They country was annexed by Russia in 1809, ruling it until 1917.  It spends the winter in almost darkness, and conversely the summer's are long and sunny.  The Finns are one of the most productive on earth and is the home to Nokia.

FINLAND

Go to Footiemap.com to get a graphic overview of Football in Finland on their excellent map site.

The Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 14 clubs of the country (season 2006 was played exceptionally with 13 teams because of the AC Allianssi bankruptcy). 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. 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.

Like in some other cold-climate European countries (including Norway, Sweden and Russia), league matches in Finland are played in summer, with a schedule usually from April to October. In current format each team plays all other teams twice, both at home and away. At the end of the season, the lowest-placed team is relegated to Ykkönen, whose winner will be promoted to Veikkausliiga. In normal seasons, the team placed next to lowest will play a two-legged relegation/promotion match with the second-placed team in Ykkönen. In season 2006, because the Veikkausliiga was one team short, this promotion match was not played and two best clubs of Ykkönen, FC Viikingit and AC Oulu, were promoted directly. KuPS were relegated.

Most of the clubs in Veikkausliiga are professional, although some of the smaller clubs are semi-professional. Average attendance has been around 3000.

Champions
The following clubs have won either the Veikkausliiga (between 1990 and 2006) or the Mestaruussarja (between 1908 and 1989) championship :

21 wins: HJK
9 wins: FC Haka, HPS
8 wins: TPS
7 wins: HIFK
5 wins: KuPS, Kuusysi1
4 wins: KIF, Tampere United
3 wins: Lahden Reipas1, VIFK, ÅIFK
2 wins: FC Jazz4, KTP3, OPS, VPS
1 win: HT, KPV, PUS, Turun Pyrkivä, Viipurin Sudet, Unitas, TPV Tampere, MyPa

2007/08 Clubs
The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2007 season are (with their home towns in brackets):

AC Oulu - Recently promoted back to the top division.  They are based in the small town of Oulu and play in the 4,000 capacity Castren stadium.

FC Haka - 9 times champions, including the 2004 title, FC Haka are based in Valkeakoski and play in the homely 3,516 capacity Tehtaan Kentta stadium.

FC Honka - 4th in the league last season, the club from Espoo may be dark horses in 2008.  Their 6,000 capacity stadium is called the unpronounceable Tapiolan Urheilupuisto.

FC Inter - Still waiting for their first honour, the team from Turku play in a 10,000 capacitty arena known as the Veritas Stadion.

FC KooTeePee - One of the strangest named teams in Finnish football, but also one of the best supported.  They play at the 4,780 seater stadium in Kotka called the Arto Tolsa Areena.

FC Lahti - Winners of the League Cup in 2007, Lahti are based in the city of the same name and can call the smart 15,00 seater Lahden Stadium (pictured left) as their home.

FC Viikingit - Promoted to the top league for the first time in 2007, FC Vikingit are Helsinki's answer to Wimbledon having risen up through the leagues.  They play at the Vuosaaren Urheilukentta stadium which holds 4,200.  More details of Helsinki can be found by clicking here.

FF Jaro - Small club based in the provinsial town of Jakobstad.  Their stadium is the Centralplan which holds 5,000 supporters.

HJK - Finland's most successful club having win the league on 21 occasions.  They play at the smart new Finnair arena - click here to get more details.

IFK Mariehamn - Based in the picturesque Aland Islands, IFK have never won a major honour.  They play at the Wiklof Holding Arena which can accomdate 1,500 fans.

MyPa-47 - League winners in 2005 and regular names in Europe.  They play in the town of Anjalankoski in the 4,067 capacity Saviniemi stadium.

Tampere United - Current Finnish Champions, and have been so on three previous occasions.  They can call on the 17,000 Ratina Stadium in Tampere their home.  Pictured left.

TPS - 8 Times Finnish Champions, although not since 1975.  They come from the city of Turku and play their home games in the Veritas Stadion which they share with FC Inter.

VPS - Small club based in Vaasa and have a 4,500 capacity stadium known as the Hietalahti.

For more details on Finnish football go to About a Ball.