AC Kajaani

AC Kajaani was a football club from Kajaani, Finland. The club was formed in 2006 after the merger of FC Tarmo and Kajaanin Palloilijat (KaPa). Their home ground was Kajaanin Liikuntapuisto. The men's football first team last played in the Ykkönen (the second highest level of football in Finland). The club dissolved in December 2020 following their relegation from the Ykkönen.

AC Kajaani
Full nameAC Kajaani
Founded2006
Dissolved2020
GroundKajaanin liikuntapuisto,
Kajaani,
Finland
ChairmanArvo Toivainen
ManagerMika Lumijärvi
LeagueYkkönen

History

AC Kajaani was founded in 2006 by a merger of Kajaanin Palloilijat (KaPa -- "Kajaani Ballers") and FC Tarmo. The newly merged club took over FC Tarmo's place in the Kolmonen--the fourth tier of the Finnish soccer league system--in the Northern Finland group. Arvo Toivainen was the chairman of the club. Only KaPa's adult men's team joined the new club; KaPa continued to operate their own youth clubs, with an affiliation with the new club. However, KaPa would eventually cease its youth football operations, which would not restart until 2014.[1][2][3][4]

In the club's first four seasons, the club managed to finish in second place on all four occasions, missing out on promotion by small margins each time, including on goal difference in 2009 to city rival Kajaanin Haka.[5]

In 2011, AC Kajaani finally won its long awaited league title, earning promotion to the Kakkonen, in the Pohjoinen (Northern) group. Kajaani won the league title in its first year in the Kakkonen and defeated JäPS in the playoffs to earn a second straight promotion, to the Ykkönen, the second tier of the Finnish soccer league system.[1]

In 2013, AC Kajaani endured a poor year in the Ykkönen, winning only three matches all season long, while earning a relegation back down to the Kakkonen. Back in the Kakkonen, AC Kajaani finished third in three consecutive seasons. A highlight from the 2016 season was AC Kajaani's deep run in the Suomen Cup, where they made it to the sixth round and hosted HJK, Finland's top football club, and took them to extra time, ultimately losing 5-1 in front of a club record 1,172 spectators. In 2017, Kajaani won the league title for Group C and winning the promotion playoffs against KTP.[1][6]

In 2018, AC Kajaani experienced its most successful season, finishing in 8th place with 25 points while winning six matches and remaining in the Ykkönen for the following season, a feat Kajaani would repeat in 2019 with another 8th place finish and 24 points.[1]

In 2020, AC Kajaani renewed its partnership with KaPa Kajaani, who agreed to become the official youth team of AC Kajaani. In exchange for the new partnership, AC Kajaani agreed to change its colours from white and black to KaPa's traditional colours of blue and white.[3]

In 2020, Kajaani planned for a large push to make it to the Veikkausliiga and spent €274,819 on player wages, second in the league. However, AC Kajaani's luck would run out when they were relegated on the final day of the season by Gnistan, despite winning their final match against KTP by a score of 4-1. Erfan Zeneli scored the club's final goal.[1][7][8][9]

Following the 2020 season, chairman Arvo Toivainen announced that while the club was debt-free, he no longer had the ability to fund the club, having spent €1.7 million on the club thus far, including €250,000 in 2020 alone. He required a further investment of €350,000 from AC Kajaani's business partners in order to get the club back up to the Ykkönen, and upon receiving commitments for only €100,000, the decision was made to fold the club and cease operations. Following the fall of the club, criticism was made of the club's attempts to buy a quick path to success by importing foreign players, as opposed to investing in building up local talent; only Tatu Hoffrén was from Kajaani.[1][10][11][12]

Honours

Source[13]

Season to Season
Season to Season
Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
2007 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Northern Finland (Pohjois-Suomi) 2nd
2008 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Northern Finland (Pohjois-Suomi) 2nd
2009 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Northern Finland (Pohjois-Suomi) 2nd
2010 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Northern Finland (Pohjois-Suomi) 2nd
2011 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Northern Finland (Pohjois-Suomi) 1st Promotion Playoff - Promoted
2012 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Northern Group (Pohjoinen Iokho) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promotion Playoff - Promoted
2013 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th Relegated
2014 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Northern Group (Pohjoinen Iokho) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2015 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Northern Group (Pohjoinen Iokho) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2016 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group C Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2017 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group C Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promotion Playoff - Promoted
2018 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
2019 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
2020 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th Relegated

[13]


Final squad
As of 1 September 2020[14]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  FIN Severi Ikäheimo
2 DF  FIN Juuso Kemppainen
3 FW  SEN Babacar Diop (on loan from TPS)
4 DF  FIN Tatu Hoffrén
5 DF  FIN Mikko Pitkänen
6 MF  GHA Geoffrey Acheampong
7 MF  SOM Hussein Mohamed
8 MF  FIN Reza Heidari
9 FW  ROU David Popa
10 FW  FIN Tomi Kult
11 MF  FIN Mauro Severino
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 GK  CRO Deni Kaksa
14 DF  JPN Chiharu Kato
15 MF  FIN Joakim Ärilä
16 DF  CMR Jules Samnda
17 DF  FIN Sharp Räsänen
18 MF  FIN Gullit Zolameso
20 DF  FIN Johannes Kytilä
21 MF  GHA Emmanuel Appiah
23 FW  FRA Christopher Bibaku
24 MF  FIN Hannes Seikkala
80 MF  FIN Erfan Zeneli

Management and boardroom

Management
As of 30 November 2020[15]
Name Role
Mika Lumijärvi Director of Sport
Marko Milunović Head Coach
Katja Schroderus Team Manager
Mika Schroderus Kit Manager
Petteri Haikola Physiotherapist

Boardroom
As of 4 November 2020[4]
Name Role
Arvo Toivainen Chairman
Tommi Huttunen Vice Chairman
Nina Karinalainen Treasurer
Harri Partanen Secretary

References
  1. Pajala, Pekka (30 November 2020). "AC Kajaani luopuu Kakkosen sarjapaikasta – syyskokous käsittelee 15.12. seuran lakkauttamista". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  2. Määttä, Teemu. "Junioriputken yläpään haasteet mietityttävät Kajaanissa sekä Hakassa että KaPassa: Miten varmistamme, että jalkapalloa pelataan täällä vielä murrosiän jälkeenkin?". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. Pajala, Pekka (1 December 2019). "Yhteistyö KaPan kanssa vie AC Kajaanin Ykköseen sinivalkoisissa väreissä". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  4. "YHTEYSTIEDOT, HISTORIA, STRATEGIA, TIETOSUOJASELOSTE". AC Kajaani (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  5. "Kolmonen Historiaa" (PDF). splps.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  6. Määttä, Teemu. "Pikkuhuuhkajien päävalmentajalta Juha Maliselta suoraa puhetta AC Kajaanin kohtalosta: Jos rahoja olisi käytetty fiksummin paikalliseen jalkapalloiluun, tilanne voisi olla nyt jopa erinomainen". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  7. Heikkinen, Jussi (24 June 2020). "AC Kajaani tavoittelee Ykkösen kärkikamppailua". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  8. "Suuret odotukset sulivat suureksi pettymykseksi – AC Kajaani putosi jalkapallon Ykkösestä". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  9. "KTP 1-4 AC Kajaani". Suomen Palloliitto. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  10. Eskola, Juhani (7 December 2020). "Kolumni: Turha torua Toivaista". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  11. Määttä, Teemu. "Lopullinen päätös syntyi: AC Kajaanin toiminta päättyy – Ei ollut edellytyksiä jatkaa". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  12. Pajala, Pekka (18 December 2019). "Kolumni: Viekö polku tää, koskaan mihinkään?". Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  13. "Football Archive". finlandfootball.net. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  14. "Edustusjoukkue" (in Finnish). AC Kajaani. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  15. "JOUKKUEENJOHTO 2020". AC Kajaani (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.


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