2017 Veikkausliiga

Last updated
Veikkausliiga
Season2017
Champions HJK
Relegated HIFK
JJK Jyväskylä
Champions League HJK
Europa League KuPS
Ilves
Lahti
Matches played198
Goals scored542 (2.74 per match)
Top goalscorer Aleksei Kangaskolkka
16 goals
Biggest home win HJK 6–0 SJK (31 May)
Biggest away win SJK 0–6 HJK (10 August)
Highest scoring FC Inter 6–2 RoPS (12 April)
Lahti 6–2 Mariehamn (29 July)
2016
2018

The 2017 Veikkausliiga was the 87th season of top-tier football in Finland. IFK Mariehamn were the defending champions.

Contents

Fixtures for the 2017 season were announced on 19 January 2017. [1] The season started on 5 April 2017 and ended on 28 October 2017. [2]

Teams

PK-35 Vantaa were relegated to Ykkönen after finishing at the bottom of the 2016 season. Their place was taken by Ykkönen champions JJK.

FC Inter as 11th-placed team regained their Veikkausliiga spot after beating the second-placed Ykkönen team TPS 2–0 on aggregate in a relegation/promotion playoff.

Stadia and locations

Finland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
SJK
Red pog.svg
JJK
Red pog.svg
VPS
Location of teams in 2016 Veikkausliiga
ClubLocationStadiumTurfCapacity
FC Inter Turku Turku Veritas Stadion Natural 10,000
FC Lahti Lahti Lahden Stadion Natural 15,000
HIFK Fotboll Helsinki Telia 5G -areena Artificial 10,770
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi Helsinki Telia 5G -areena Artificial 10,770
IFK Mariehamn Mariehamn Wiklöf Holding Arena Natural 4,000
FC Ilves Tampere Tammelan Stadion Natural 5,040
JJK Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Harjun stadion Natural 3,000
Kuopion Palloseura Kuopio Savon Sanomat Areena Artificial 5,000
Palloseura Kemi Kings Kemi Sauvosaaren Urheilupuisto Natural 4,500
RoPS Rovaniemi Rovaniemen keskuskenttä Artificial 4,000
Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho Seinäjoki OmaSP Stadion Artificial 6,000
Vaasan Palloseura Vaasa Elisa Stadion Artificial 6,000

Personnel and kits

ClubManagerCaptainKit manufacturerSponsors
FC Inter Flag of Italy.svg Fabrizio Piccareta Flag of Finland.svg Timo Furuholm Nike Alfons Håkans
FC Lahti Flag of Finland.svg Toni Korkeakunnas Flag of Finland.svg Mikko Hauhia Umbro BE Group
Lahti Energia
Halton
HIFK Flag of Finland.svg Antti Muurinen Flag of Finland.svg Mika Väyrynen Puma Aktia Bank
HJK Flag of Finland.svg Mika Lehkosuo Flag of Brazil.svg Rafinha Adidas Apu
IFK Mariehamn Flag of Finland.svg Peter Lundberg [3] Flag of Finland.svg Jani Lyyski Puma Hotell Arkipelag
Ilves Flag of Finland.svg Jarkko Wiss Flag of Finland.svg Antti Hynynen AdidasVarious
JJK Flag of Finland.svg Juha Pasoja Flag of Finland.svg Tommi Kari Nike Harvia
KuPS Flag of Finland.svg Jani Honkavaara Flag of Finland.svg Sebastian Sorsa Puma Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas
PS Kemi Flag of Finland.svg Jari Åhman Flag of Finland.svg Lassi Nurmos Stanno Various
RoPS Flag of Finland.svg Juha Malinen Flag of Finland.svg Antti Okkonen Puma Saraware
SJK Flag of Scotland.svg Brian Page
Flag of Finland.svg Toni Lehtinen
Flag of Estonia.svg Mihkel Aksalu Adidas LähiTapiola
EPKK
Prima Power
VPS Flag of Finland.svg Petri Vuorinen Flag of Finland.svg Veli Lampi Puma Various

    Managerial changes

    TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyIncoming managerDate of appointmentTable
    KuPS Flag of Finland.svg Marko Rajamäki End of contractn/a Flag of Finland.svg Jani Honkavaara 17 October 2016 [4] Pre-season
    SJK Flag of Finland.svg Simo Valakari Sacked17 February 2017 [5] Flag of Finland.svg Sixten Boström 20 February 2017Pre-season
    SJK Flag of Finland.svg Sixten Boström Sacked2 June 2017 [6] Flag of Spain.svg Manuel Roca 2 June 20178th
    FC Inter Turku Flag of Finland.svg Shefki Kuqi Sacked3 August 2017 [7] Flag of Italy.svg Fabrizio Piccareta 3 August 20179th
    SJK Flag of Spain.svg Manuel Roca Sacked9 September 2017 [8] Flag of Scotland.svg Brian Page
    Flag of Finland.svg Toni Lehtinen
    9 September 20175th

    League table

    PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
    1 HJK (C)3323737816+6276Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
    2 KuPS 3316895136+1556Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round [a]
    3 Ilves 33151173935+456
    4 Lahti 33121384631+1549
    5 IFK Mariehamn 331310104442+249
    6 SJK 33138124247547
    7 RoPS 33126154351842
    8 VPS 339121238511339
    9 Inter Turku 33108155457338
    10 PS Kemi Kings 33881738592132
    11 HIFK (R)336111637541729Qualification for the relegation play-offs
    12 JJK Jyväskylä (R)33681932633126Relegation to the Ykkönen
    Updated to match(es) played on 28 October 2017. Source: Veikkausliiga (in Finnish), Soccerway
    Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
    (Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
    (C) Champions; (R) Relegated
    Notes:
    1. Since HJK, winners of the 2016–17 Finnish Cup, qualified for the Champions League first qualifying round, the spot awarded to the cup winner (Europa League first qualifying round) is passed to the next best-placed team (in this case to the fourth-placed team).

    Results

    Each team plays three times against every other team, either twice at home and once away or once at home and twice away, for a total of 33 matches played each.

    Relegation play-offs

    First Match

    FC Honka 0–0 HIFK

    Second Match

    HIFK 1–1 FC Honka
    Sihvola Soccerball shade.svg90+4' Äijälä Soccerball shade.svg28'
    Telia 5G -areena, Helsinki
    Attendance: 4,158

    FC Honka won 1-1 on away goals.

    Statistics

    Top scorers

    Source: veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish)

    As of match played 28 October 2017.
    RankPlayerClubGoals
    1 Flag of Finland.svg Aleksei Kangaskolkka IFK Mariehamn 16
    2 Flag of Cameroon.svg Tuco Ilves 15
    Flag of Slovenia.svg Filip Valenčič HJK
    4 Flag of Finland.svg Akseli Pelvas HJK 14
    5 Flag of North Macedonia.svg Marko Simonovski FC Lahti 13
    6 Flag of England.svg Billy Ions SJK 12
    7 Flag of Cameroon.svg Gaël Etock JJK 11
    Flag of Colombia.svg Alfredo Morelos HJK
    9 Flag of Finland.svg Pekka Sihvola HIFK 10
    10 Flag of Finland.svg Timo Furuholm FC Inter 9
    Flag of Brazil.svg Stênio FC Lahti
    Flag of Finland.svg Benjamin Källman FC Inter
    Flag of Nigeria.svg Gbolahan Salami KuPS
    Flag of Finland.svg Urho Nissilä KuPS

    Awards

    MonthCoach of the MonthPlayer of the Month
    April [9] Flag of Finland.svg Mika Lehkosuo (HJK) Flag of Colombia.svg Alfredo Morelos (HJK)
    May [10] Flag of Finland.svg Jani Honkavaara (KuPS) Flag of Colombia.svg Alfredo Morelos (HJK)
    June [11] Flag of Finland.svg Mika Lehkosuo (HJK) Flag of Slovenia.svg Filip Valenčič (PS Kemi)
    July [12] Flag of Finland.svg Toni Korkeakunnas (FC Lahti) Flag of Finland.svg Santeri Hostikka (FC Lahti)
    August [13] Flag of Finland.svg Jarkko Wiss (Ilves) Flag of Finland.svg Akseli Pelvas (HJK)

    Annual awards

    Award [14] WinnerClub
    Player of the Year Flag of Slovenia.svg Filip Valenčič HJK
    Goalkeeper of the Year Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Vasyutin Lahti
    Defender of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Juha Pirinen HJK
    Midfielder of the Year Flag of Ghana.svg Anthony Annan HJK
    Striker of the Year Flag of Slovenia.svg Filip Valenčič HJK
    Breakthrough of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Kaan Kairinen Inter Turku
    Coach of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Mika Lehkosuo HJK

    Team of the Year

    Team of the Year [15]
    Goalkeeper Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Vasjutin (Lahti)
    Defence Flag of Finland.svg

    Albin Granlund (Mariehamn)

    Flag of Finland.svg

    Hannu Patronen (HJK)

    Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg

    Hamed Coulibaly (KuPS)

    Flag of Finland.svg

    Juha Pirinen (HJK)

    Midfield Flag of Finland.svg

    Rasmus Karjalainen (PS Kemi)

    Flag of Ghana.svg Anthony Annan (HJK)

    Flag of Slovenia.svg Filip Valenčič (HJK) Flag of Finland.svg

    Santeri Hostikka (Lahti)

    Attack Flag of Finland.svg Aleksei Kangaskolkka (Mariehamn) Flag of Cameroon.svg Ariel Ngueukam (Ilves)

    References

    1. "Veikkausliigan otteluohjelma 2017 julkistettu". www.veikkausliiga.com. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    2. Otteluohjelma | Veikkausliiga
    3. "Kari Virtanen fortsätter i rådgivarroll för IFK". IFK Mariehamn (in Swedish). IFK Mariehamn. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
    4. "Jani Honkavaara on Kuopion Palloseuran uusi päävalmentaja". KuPS (in Finnish). KuPS. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
    5. "Simo Valakari on vapautettu SJK:n päävalmentajavastuusta". SJK (in Finnish). SJK. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
    6. "Sixten Boström ei jatka SJK:n päävalmentajana". SJK (in Finnish). SJK. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
    7. "Tiedote: Shefki Kuqi ei jatka Interin päävalmentajana". FC Inter Turku (in Finnish). FC Inter Turku. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
    8. "Brian Page ja Toni Lehtinen vetävät kauden loppuun". SJK (in Finnish). SJK. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
    9. Veikkausliigan kuukauden parhaat valittu (in Finnish)
    10. Morelos jälleen kuukauden pelaajaksi (in Finnish)
    11. (in Finnish)
    12. (in Finnish)
    13. (in Finnish)
    14. Is, Stt- (2017-11-03). "Filip Valencic on Veikkausliigan kauden paras pelaaja". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
    15. "Jalkapallolehdistön tähdistö valittiin – KuPS sai hopeaa, Ilves pronssia ja Lahtikin pääsee europeleihin – Päivän Lehti". www.paivanlehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.