Kuopion Palloseura

Kuopion Palloseura (or KuPS) is a Finnish football club, based in the ninth most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga.

KuPS
Full nameKuopion Palloseura
Nickname(s)Keltamusta (The Yellow-blacks)
Kanarialinnut (The Canaries)
Founded1923 (1923)
GroundSavon Sanomat Areena
Kuopio
Capacity5,000 (2,700 seated)
ChairmanAri Lahti
ManagerSimo Valakari
LeagueVeikkausliiga
20203rd
WebsiteClub website

KuPS has won the Finnish championship six times, the Finnish Cup 2 times and the Finnish League Cup once. KuPS also holds the Finnish club record of the most consecutive seasons in the top flight, from 1949 to 1992. The team is placed fourth in the all-time Finnish Premier League honour table.[1]

The team plays its home matches at Savon Sanomat Areena. Until June 2005, KuPS used to play at an aged track and field stadium in Väinölänniemi, which is said to be one of the most beautiful sporting places in Finland. Väinölänniemi is a cape surrounded by a local lake, Kallavesi.

History

1923–1949 Early History

First team in 1923

One of the first sports clubs in Kuopio to adopt football was Kuopion Reipas who made the sport an official part of their program in 1915. Reipas was a general athletic society which competed in a wide variety of sports like track and field, gymnastics, skiing as well as team sports like bandy. After the Finnish Civil War of 1918 the differing interests of the disciplines began to cause friction within the club which resulted in the club gradually breaking apart during the 1920s. Among the clubs that emerged from Reipas was KuPS, officially founded on March 16, 1923 at Kuopion Seurahuone. Ali Rautakorpi was elected as the club's first chairman. Other sports participated in by the club during its early years were pesäpallo, tennis and bandy.

The 1920s KuPS spent mostly by playing friendly games against other local clubs. First major breakthrough came in 1930 when KuPS won the Savo district championship thereby earning promotion to B-sarja, the second tier of Finnish football at the time, where they remained until 1947 when they were promoted to Mestaruussarja for the first time. KuPS's first stint in the Finnish top division lasted only a single season, but they were promoted again in 1949 and this time remained in the top division for 44 seasons.

Season 2005

Savon Sanomat Areena (Also called Kuopion keskuskenttä), 2010.
KuPS vs HJK at Magnum Areena, Kuopio. Finnish League Cup, March 11, 2008.

KuPS returned to the top flight for the 2005 season after a year in the First Division (Ykkönen). They finished the 2005 season in 10th place, easily avoiding the relegation play-off (13th place) and direct relegation (14th place).

Season 2006

On 1 April 2006 KuPS beat reigning Veikkausliiga champions, MyPa 1–0 in the semi-final of the Finnish League Cup and secured a place in the Finnish League Cup Final. On 12 April 2006 in Finnair Stadium, Helsinki KuPS beat FC KooTeePee 2–1 in the League Cup Final and ended their 17-year run without titles. However, the club ended the 2006 season in last place, and was once again demoted to Ykkönen for the 2007 season. This resulted in manager Juha Malinen being replaced by his former player/assistant manager Kai Nyyssönen.

Reserve team, KuPS Akatemia (tr: KuPS Academy) played in the Second Division Group A (Kakkonen lohko A), but the team was terminated in December 2006 to cut costs and as a replacement, an agreement with Kings Kuopio, which plays also in the Second Division was signed.

In December 2006, it was revealed that the team was heavily in debt and about to go bankrupt. KuPS fans held their breath, until a Helsinki-based CEO of an Investment bank ICECAPITAL, also a former Chairman of the Board of the Veikkausliiga, Ari Lahti increased his stake at the club to ca. 95% and saved the club.

Season 2007

Petteri Pennanen trying to get into penalty area of PK-35 on May 27, 2007.

After escaping imminent destruction, season 2007 began with reasonably low expectations. A target to achieve promotion back to top flight in two years was set.

Manager Kai Nyyssönen lured his former team-mate Harri Ylönen back to strengthen the team and to serve as an assistant manager. The duo lured in Roope Reinikainen, Ilja Venäläinen and Miikka Turunen, who also returned to their former home club. Jussi Hakasalo from JJK Jyväskylä and Tero Mäkäläinen from MyPa were new names.

Because of relegation KuPS lost its prized assets, Sierraleonese players, Patrick Bantamoi to FC Inter Turku and Medo to HJK. KuPS and Ghanaian midfielder Seth Ablade parted their ways earlier, with Ablade terminating his contract.

Season 2007 started well with mostly local players. The team suffered a run of draws in the mid-season, but by winning their last six games with their main opponent RoPS of Rovaniemi at the same time losing its lead, KuPS won the league Ykkönen and went straight back. RoPS also achieved a promotion, by winning a promotion play-off against 13th-place finisher of Veikkausliiga, FC Viikingit.

2010-present

KuPS qualified for the UEFA Europa League after finishing second in the Veikkausliiga. They were drawn against Romanian side Gaz Metan Medias in the second qualifying round. Ilja Venäläinen gave KuPS a 1-0 lead going into the second leg in Romania, but the Finnish side fell 2-0 in Mediaș, ending their first European run in 21 years.

In the 2012-13 season, KuPS once again qualified for the Europa League. They beat Welsh side Llanelli in the first qualifying round, before pulling off a shock win against Maccabi Netanya. They fell in the next round to Turkish side Bursaspor, in what was the club's most successful European campaign ever.

KuPS solidified themselves as a mid-table Ykkonen side during the mid 2010s, and began to push for European places again towards the end of the decade, returning to the Europa League in the 2017 season, although their campaign ended almost immediately, with a loss to Copenhagen in the first round.

In the 2019 season KuPS won their first Finnish top-flight title since 1976. They played in the Champions League for the first time in their history next season.

European campaigns

Season Competition Round Country Club Score Agg.
1959–60 European Cup Preliminary round Eintracht Frankfurt KuPS withdrew
1967–68 European Cup First round Saint-Étienne 0–2, v 0–3 0–5
1969–70 Cup Winners' Cup First round Académica de Coimbra 0–1, v 0–0 0–1
1975–76 European Cup First round Ruch Chorzów 0–5, v 2–2 2–7
1976–77 UEFA Cup First round Östers 3–2, v 0–2 3–4
1977–78 European Cup First round Club Brugge 0–4, v 2–5 2–9
1978–79 UEFA Cup First round Boldklubben 1903 2–1, v 4–4 6–5
Second round Esbjerg fB 0–2, v 1–4 1–6
1980–81 UEFA Cup First round Saint-Étienne 0–7, v 0–7 0–14
1990–91 Cup Winners' Cup First round Dynamo Kyiv 2–2, v 0–4 2–6
2011–12 Europa League Second round Gaz Metan Mediaș 1–0, v 0–2 1–2
2012–13 Europa League 1st qualifying round Llanelli 2–1, v 1–1 3–2
2nd qualifying round Maccabi Netanya 0–1, v 2–1 2–2
3rd qualifying round Bursaspor 1–0, v 0–6 1–6
2018–19 Europa League 1st qualifying round FC Copenhagen 0–1, v 1–1 1–2
2019–20 Europa League 1st qualifying round Vitebsk 2–0, v 1–1 3–1
2nd qualifying round Legia Warsaw 0–1, v 0–0 0–1
2020–21 Champions League 1st qualifying round Molde 0–5
Europa League 2nd qualifying round Slovan Bratislava 1–1 (4–3 p)
3rd qualifying round Sūduva 2–0
Play-off round CFR Cluj 1–3
2021–22 Europa Conference League 1st qualifying round


UEFA club competition record

As of July 11, 2019.

Competition Pld W D L GF GA
ECCC6015421
ECWC402227
UCUP / UEL167271935
Total2675142563

Season to season

Season to Season
Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
1930 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) Cup-format Semifinals
1931 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) Fell before group stage
1932 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1933 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1934 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1935 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Promotion Group 4th
1936 Tier 2 Itä-Länsi-sarja (First Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1937 Tier 2 Itä-Länsi-sarja (First Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1938 Tier 2 Itä-Länsi-sarja (First Division) East Series, North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1939 Tier 2 Itä-Länsi-sarja (First Division) East Series, North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st
1940–41 Tier 2 B-sarja (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1943–44 Did not participate
1945 Tier 2 Suomensarja (First Division) Group 2 Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st
1945–46 Tier 2 Suomensarja (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1946–47 Tier 2 Suomensarja (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promotion Group 2nd, promoted
1947–48 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th Relegated
1948 Tier 2 Suomensarja (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted
1949 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1950 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1951 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1952 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1953 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1954 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1955 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1956 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1957 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1958 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1959 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1960 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1961 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
1962 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1963 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1964 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1965 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1966 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1967 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1968 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1969 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1970 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1971 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1972 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1973 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1974 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1975 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1976 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1977 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1978 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1979 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1980 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1981 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1982 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1983 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th Relegation Group 1st
1984 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1985 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1986 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th
1987 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1988 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 11th Relegation Play-off
1989 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1990 Tier 1 Futisliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th Play-offs, final position 6th
1991 Tier 1 Futisliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th
1992 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 12th Relegated
1993 Tier 2 I divisioona (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promotion Group 3rd, promoted
1994 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 14th Relegated
1995 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 12th
1996 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1997 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th Lower Group North 3rd – Playoffs Relegated
1998 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted
1999 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th Upper Group 7th
2000 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Upper Group 1st Promoted
2001 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
2002 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th Promotion / Relegation Group 1st
2003 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 14th Relegated
2004 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted
2005 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th
2006 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 13th Relegated
2007 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted
2008 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 13th Relegation Playoffs
2009 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 12th
2010 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2011 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
2012 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th
2013 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
2014 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
2015 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
2016 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
2017 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2018 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2019 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions

[2][3]

Current squad

As of 5 February 2021. [4] 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 Otso Virtanen
3 DF  FIN Diogo Tomas
6 FW  FIN Saku Savolainen
7 FW  NGA Usman Sale
13 FW  NGA Aniekpeno Udo
14 MF  FIN Anton Popovitch
15 MF  FIN Oskari Sallinen
16 FW  FIN Tommi Jyry
17 MF  FIN Iiro Järvinen
18 DF  FIN Juho Pirttijoki
19 MF  GHA Bismark Adjei-Boateng
20 FW  FIN Arttu Heinonen
21 GK  AUT Johannes Kreidl
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF  FIN Henri Toivomäki
24 MF  FIN Taneli Heiskanen
25 MF  FIN Urho Nissilä
26 MF  FIN Axel Vidjeskog
28 DF  FIN Jiri Nissinen
29 FW  FIN Santeri Haarala
30 DF  FIN Joel Vartiainen
32 FW  FIN Eetu Rissanen
33 DF  FIN Taneli Hämäläinen
34 MF  FIN Viljami Aittokoski
35 MF  FIN Albert Vauhkonen
DF  VEN Daniel Carrillo
MF  FRA Jordan Sebban

Out on loan

As of 21 January 2021

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
12 GK  FIN Aleksi Honka-Hallila (at JIPPO until the end of the 2021 season)

Management

As of 31 July 2020[5] [6]

Name Role
Simo Valakari Head Coach
Pasi Tuutti Assistant Coach
Jori Särkkä Goalkeeping Coach
Joonas Ojantie Physiotherapist
Mika Lähderinne Fitness Coach
Henri Miettinen Doctor
Janne Pesonen Doctor
Sami Miettinen Kit Manager

Boardroom

As of 28 September 2019

Name Role
Jarmo Heiskanen CEO
Jonne Lindblom Sporting Director

Honours

Mestaruussarja/Veikkausliiga

Finnish Cup

Finnish League Cup

  • Champions: 2006

Ykkönen (second tier)

Kakkonen (third tier)

  • Champions: 1998

Managers

References

  1. "Finnish League Premier Division All-Time Tables 1930–2007". RSSSF.com. (March 12, 2008)
  2. "Finland – List of League First Level Tables". rsssf.com. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. "Finland – List of League Second Level Tables". rsssf.com. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  4. KuPS. "KuPS miehet edustusjoukkue 2021". kups.fi. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. "Edustusjoukkue 2020" (in Finnish). KuPS. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  6. "Simo Valakari on KuPS:n uusi päävalmentaja". kups.fi. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
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