Ykkönen
Ykkönen (Finnish for 'Number One'; Swedish: Ettan) is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system (after the Veikkausliiga), although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland. The teams also play a pre-season league cup, the Ykköscup.
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| Founded | 1973 |
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| Country | Finland |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Veikkausliiga (1-2 depending on promotion playoff) |
| Relegation to | Kakkonen 3 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Suomen Cup |
| Current champions | VPS (1st title) (2021) |
| Most championships | KUPS , MP (4) |
| TV partners | VeikkausTV, Huuhkaja.tv |
| Website | Miesten Ykkönen |
| Current: 2022 Ykkönen | |
History
The first league format competition in the second level of Finnish football was called Suomensarja, which was founded in 1936.[1] Before the inauguration of the Suomensarja, from 1930 to 1935, there had been special qualification matches for the right to play in the Mestaruussarja.
In the autumn of 1969, the Finnish football underwent a league system reform, and the Suomensarja was renamed II divisioona, or 2nd Division, with regional sections.[2]
In 1973, this level of football in Finland became nationwide, and the new name was 1. divisioona (First Division). The name Ykkönen has been used since 1995.[1]
Competition
| Finnish football league tiers |
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Like the Veikkausliiga, the first division is played mainly during the summer. It comprises 12 clubs, all of whom play 27 matches. After 22 games the division is divided to teams who finished 1-6 and 7-12. These teams play against each other once. The winner of the Ykkönen qualifies directly for promotion to Veikkausliiga, and the team finishing second in the league will play a two-legged promotion playoff against the team finishing 11th in the Veikkausliiga. The bottom 3 clubs are directly relegated to Kakkonen.
Clubs
The clubs in the Ykkönen for the 2023 season are:
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ekenäs IF | Raseborg | Ekenäs Centrumplan | 800 |  Gabriel Xatart |
| FF Jaro | Jakobstad | Jakobstads Centralplan | 5,000 |  Stephen Ward |
| HIFK | Helsinki | Bolt Arena | 10,770 |  Sami Okkonen |
| IF Gnistan | Helsinki | Mustapekka Areena | 1,100 | Joonas Rantanen |
| JJK | Jyväskylä | Harjun Stadion | 5,000 | Toni Lehtinen |
| JäPS | Järvenpää | Järvenpään keskuskenttä | 2,000 | Jyrki Ahola |
| KPV | Kokkola | Kokkolan keskuskenttä | 3,000 | Christian Sund |
| KäPa | Helsinki | Brahenkenttä | 1,200 | Jordi Aluja |
| MP | Mikkeli | Mikkelin Urheilupuisto | 7,000 | Juha Pasoja |
| SalPa | Salo | Salon Urheilupuisto | 750 | Tero Suonperä |
| SJK Akatemia | Seinäjoki | OmaSP Stadion | 5,817 |  Stevie Grieve |
| TPS | Turku | Veritas Stadion | 8,076 | Mika Laurikainen |
Champions and top scorers 1973–2023
References
- Pietarinen, Heikki. "Finland - List of League Second Level Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- Lautela, Yrjö & Wallén, Göran (2007). Rakas jalkapallo. Hämeenlinna: Teos. p. 61. ISBN 978-951-851-068-3.
External links
- League information; at the Football Association of Finland
- List of League Second Level tables since 1930
- League321.com - Finnish football league tables, records & statistics database. (in English)
- Football scores for Finnish Football Leagues
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