2021 Veikkausliiga

Last updated
Veikkausliiga
Season2021
Champions HJK
Relegated KTP
Matches played162
Goals scored408 (2.52 per match)
Top goalscorer Benjamin Källman
Ariel Ngueukam
(14 goals each)
Biggest home win KuPS 4–0 KTP
(15 August 2021)
Biggest away win HIFK 1–5 KuPS
(22 August 2021)
Highest scoring HJK 4–2 Honka
(24 April 2021)
Lahti 2–4 KuPS
(11 May 2021)
HIFK 1–5 KuPS
(22 August 2021)
Longest winning run9 matches
HJK
Longest unbeaten run12 matches
Lahti
Longest winless run13 matches
KTP
Longest losing run7 matches
Mariehamn
2020
2022

The 2021 Veikkausliiga was the 91st season of top-tier football in Finland. HJK were the defending champions and successfully defended their title.

Contents

Teams

RoPS (relegated after eight years in the top flight) were relegated to Ykkönen after finishing at the bottom of the 2020 season. Their place was taken by Ykkönen champions AC Oulu (promoted after a ten-year absence).

TPS (relegated after one year in the top flight) as 11th-placed team lost their Veikkausliiga spot after losing to second-placed Ykkönen team KTP (promoted after a five-year absence) in a relegation/promotion playoff.

Stadia and locations

ClubLocationStadiumTurfCapacity
AC Oulu Oulu Raatti Stadion Natural 4,392
FC Haka Valkeakoski Tehtaan kenttä Artificial 3,516
FC Honka Espoo Tapiolan Urheilupuisto Natural 6,000
FC Inter Turku Veritas Stadion Natural 9,372
FC Lahti Lahti Lahden Stadion Natural 7,465
HIFK Helsinki Bolt Arena Artificial 10,770
HJK Helsinki Bolt Arena Artificial 10,770
IFK Mariehamn Mariehamn Wiklöf Holding Arena Artificial 4,000
Ilves Tampere Tampere Stadium Natural 16,800
KTP Kotka Arto Tolsa Areena Artificial 4,780
KuPS Kuopio Savon Sanomat Areena Artificial 5,000
SJK Seinäjoki OmaSP Stadion Artificial 6,000

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

TeamManagerCaptainManufacturerShirt sponsor(s)
AC Oulu Flag of Finland.svg Jyrki Ahola Flag of Finland.svg Lassi Nurmos Craft Go On Oulu / Codemate / Oulun Energia
FC Haka Flag of Finland.svg Teemu Tainio Flag of the United States.svg Jacob Bushue Puma Volkswagen
FC Honka Flag of Finland.svg Vesa Vasara Flag of Finland.svg Duarte Tammilehto PumaVolkswagen
FC Inter Flag of Spain.svg José Riveiro Flag of Finland.svg Timo Furuholm Nike Alfons Håkans
FC Lahti Flag of Finland.svg Ilir Zeneli Flag of Finland.svg Kari Arkivuo Umbro Halton / Oomi / Green Lahti
HIFK Flag of Spain.svg Joaquín Gómez Flag of Finland.svg Sakari Mattila Puma Aktia Bank
HJK Flag of Finland.svg Toni Koskela Flag of Finland.svg Daniel O'Shaughnessy Adidas Apu
IFK Mariehamn Flag of Sweden.svg Lukas Syberyjski Flag of the Netherlands.svg Robin Buwalda Puma Åland / Arkipelag
Ilves Flag of Finland.svg Toni Kallio Flag of Finland.svg Tuure Siira AdidasPohjola Rakennus / Avant Tecno / Pihlajalinna / NYQS Oy
KTP Flag of Finland.svg Teemu Kankkunen Flag of Finland.svg David Ramadingaye PumaKotkamills Oy / Steveco Oy / Hartwall
KuPS Flag of Finland.svg Simo Valakari Flag of Ghana.svg Nana Boateng PumaPohjola Sairaala (home) / LähiTapiola (away)
SJK Flag of Finland.svg Jani Honkavaara Flag of Finland.svg Mehmet Hetemaj AdidasLähiTapiola / Oma Säästöpankki / Elisa

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 KuPS 2215433814+2449Qualification for the Championship round
2 HJK 2215433212+2049
3 Inter Turku 2212373622+1439
4 SJK 2211472924+537
5 HIFK 229672323033
6 Ilves 2210392123233
7 Lahti 228862725+232Qualification for the Relegation round
8 Honka 2275102829126
9 Haka 2273122126524
10 Mariehamn 22721320321223
11 Oulu 22531417351818
12 KTP 2215161845278
Source: Flashscore
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).

Results

Home \ Away HAK HFK HJK HON ILV INT KPS KTP LAH MAR OUL SJK
Haka 2–01–21–10–11–00–10–31–11–20–14–0
HIFK 2–00–11–01–11–41–52–20–10–33–11–0
HJK 2–00–24–22–10–11–12–02–01–03–10–0
Honka 2–10–30–04–11–20–13–11–10–21–00–1
Ilves 1–01–00–30–02–13–22–01–02–01–00–1
Inter Turku 2–10–11–32–22–01–02–11–13–04–02–0
KuPS 1–20–00–02–11–01–04–02–22–02–03–0
KTP 0–00–20–11–31–11–31–21–21–31–30–1
Lahti 0–20–00–11–03–12–12–43–01–10–02–1
Mariehamn 0–30–00–11–31–00–20–14–20–33–10–1
Oulu 0–11–22–10–20–22–00–21–11–11–00–2
SJK 4–01–10–23–21–02–20–11–14–13–03–2
Source: Flashscore
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Championship round

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification HJK KPS SJK INT ILV HFK
1 HJK (C)2718544119+2259Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round 2–32–11–0
2 KuPS 2717734620+2658Qualification for the Europa Conference League first qualifying round 1–12–10–0
3 SJK 2714674534+11482–24–2
4 Inter Turku 27143104532+13452–32–52–0
5 Ilves 271131329345362–30–2
6 HIFK 27981025316352–20–3
Source: 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

Relegation round

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification LAH HAK HON MAR OUL KTP
7 Lahti 27101073530+5402–30–02–1
8 Haka 27105123029+1351–12–00–0
9 Honka 2796123837+1330–21–16–1
10 Mariehamn 279315284012300–35–1
11 Oulu (O)27651621442323Qualification for the relegation play-offs 1–22–1
12 KTP (R)27252025583311Relegation to Ykkönen 2–42–0
Source: 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).
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated

Relegation play-offs

First leg

RoPS 2–1 Oulu
Report
Rovaniemen keskuskenttä , Rovaniemi
Attendance: 1,640
Referee: Oliver Reitala

Second leg

Oulu 2–0 RoPS
Report
Raatti Stadium , Oulu
Attendance: 2,738
Referee: Joni Hyytiä

Statistics

Top goalscorers

As of 1 November 2021 [1]
RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Flag of Finland.svg Benjamin Källman Inter Turku 14
Flag of Cameroon.svg Ariel Ngueukam SJK
3 Flag of Finland.svg Tim Väyrynen KuPS 9
4 Flag of England.svg Jake Jervis SJK 8
Flag of Finland.svg Urho Nissilä KuPS
Flag of South Africa.svg Darren Smith FC Honka
7 Flag of Nigeria.svg Geoffrey Chinedu Lahti 7
Flag of Finland.svg Timo Furuholm Inter Turku
Flag of Ukraine.svg Denys Oliynyk SJK
Flag of Finland.svg / Flag of Kosovo.svg Altin Zeqiri Lahti

Awards

Annual awards

Award [2] WinnerClub
Player of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Urho Nissilä KuPS
Goalkeeper of the Year Flag of Austria.svg Johannes Kreidl KuPS
Defender of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Daniel O'Shaughnessy HJK
Midfielder of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Urho Nissilä KuPS
Striker of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Benjamin Källman Inter Turku
Breakthrough of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Pyry Hannola SJK
Coach of the Year Flag of Finland.svg Simo Valakari KuPS

Team of the Year

Team of the Year [3]
Goalkeeper Flag of Austria.svg Johannes Kreidl (KuPS)
Defence Flag of the United States.svg

Macario Hing-Glover (HIFK)

Flag of Finland.svg

Diogo Tomas (KuPS)

Flag of Finland.svg

Daniel O'Shaughnessy (HJK)

Flag of Colombia.svg

Luis Carlos Murillo (HJK)

Midfield Flag of Finland.svg

Riku Riski (HJK)

Flag of Brazil.svg Jair (HJK)

Flag of Finland.svg

Urho Nissilä (KuPS)

Flag of Finland.svg

Peteri Forsell (Inter Turku)

Attack Flag of Scotland.svg Benjamin Källman (Inter Turku) Flag of Finland.svg Tim Väyrynen (KuPS)

References

  1. Veikkausliiga.com
  2. Liimatta, Ville (2021-12-03). "Tässä suomalaisen jalkapallon vuoden 2021 parhaat - katso kaikki Captain's Ball -gaalassa palkitut". SuomiFutis (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  3. "Perinteinen Koplajoukkue nimetty Veikkausliigakauden 2021 osalta". www.veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.