Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, commonly known as HJK Helsinki, or simply as HJK, is a Finnish football club based in Helsinki. The club competes in Veikkausliiga, the top division of the Finnish football league system. Founded in 1907, the club has spent most of its history in the top tier of Finnish football. The club's home ground is the 10,770-seat Bolt Arena, where they have played their home games since 2000.
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of association football in Finland, the highest tier of the Finnish football league structure, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. 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 since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional league. Between 1908 and 1930 the championship was decided as a knock-out cup competition.
Teemu Mikael Tainio is a Finnish football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Tallinna Kalev and an assistant coach of the Finland national football team.
Janne Johannes Saarinen is a retired Finnish footballer.
Toni Tapio Kuivasto is a retired Finnish footballer who last played for Veikkausliigaside Haka.
Paulus Roiha is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Juho Mäkelä is a Finnish former footballer who played as a striker. He is especially known for his pace.
Toni Kolehmainen is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Tomi Antero Maanoja is a Finnish football coach and a former professional goalkeeper. Maanoja has been capped twice for Finland.
Paulus Verneri Arajuuri is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Jukka Santala is a Finnish former footballer who played as a striker. He returned to Finland after few years playing abroad. He had a trial with the Finnish Veikkausliiga side HJK Helsinki., but he chose to take a contract from FC Haka. While contracted to Rangers in Scotland he spent a short period at Partick Thistle. He left Rangers in January 2006 to join Nordsjælland.
Antti Heikki Pohja is a former Finnish professional footballer. His position was forward and midfielder. Pohja won the Finnish championship playing for Tampere United in 2001 and he was the top scorer of Veikkausliiga in 2004 when he scored 16 goals. Besides playing in Finland, he has represented Swedish club Hammarby IF in Allsvenskan and Liechtensteiner club FC Vaduz in Swiss Challenge League.
Jukka Raitala is a Finnish professional footballer who plays for Veikkausliiga club IF Gnistan. He usually plays as a left back in both his club side and the Finland football team but can also operate as a right back or a central defender. Raitala was born in Kerava, Finland, where he played for the local youth team before moving to HJK's youth organization.
Tomasz Piotr Sajdak is a Polish retired professional footballer who played as a striker and midfielder. He also holds German citizenship. He played in eleven countries. In Poland, Germany, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Finland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Iran, Åland, Denmark and Luxembourg.
Demba Savage is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. A right winger, who can also operate on the left wing or as a striker, he is mostly known for his blazing speed and dribbling skills.
Rasmus Vilhelm Schüller is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Djurgårdens IF and the Finland national team.
Mika Lehkosuo, nicknamed "Bana", is a Finnish football manager and former player who works as a coach for Finland U21 national team.
Carljohan Daniel Viktor Eriksson is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eliteserien club Sarpsborg.
Miro Tenho is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Allsvenskan team Djurgården and the Finland national team.
Bojan Radulović-Samouković is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League One club Huddersfield Town. Born in Spain, he has represented Serbia at under-19 level.
