Veikkausliiga

File:Veikkausliiga.png
Countries	Finland
Confederation	UEFA
Founded	1990
Number of teams	12
Levels on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Ykkönen
Domestic cup(s)	Finnish Cup Finnish League Cup
International cup(s)	Champions League UEFA Europa League
Current champions	HJK Helsinki (2011)
Most championships	HJK Helsinki (24)
TV partners	URHOtv, Canal+, MTV3
Website	http://www.veikkausliiga.com
2012

Veikkausliiga (Swedish: Tipsligan) is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. As of 2011^[update] Veikkausliiga is ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. 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 (championship series) since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional league. Between 1908 and 1930 the championship was decided in a cup competition.

Ykkönen (division one) has been the second highest level of Finnish football since 1973.

Like in some other cold-climate European countries (including Norway, Sweden and Russia), league matches in Finland are played in summer, with a schedule usually from April to October. The format and number of teams has changed frequently, and in the season 2012 there will be 12 teams and each team playing all other teams three times, altogether thus 33 rounds during the season. Uneven number of matches means that the best six teams from 2011 season will have 17 home matches and the other six teams will have 16 home matches. At the end of the season, the lowest-placed team is relegated to Ykkönen, whose winner will be promoted to Veikkausliiga.

In 2010 the average annual salary with fringe benefits for a league player was 24 400 euro.^[1] Veikkausliiga is a founding member of the European Professional Football Leagues association.^[2]

Clubs[link]

The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2012 season are (with their home towns in brackets):

Source - Results & League Table 2010: RSSSF

Champions[link]

The following clubs have won either the Veikkausliiga (between 1990 and 2011) or the Mestaruussarja (between 1908 and 1989) championship:

• 24 wins: HJK
• 9 wins: FC Haka, HPS
• 8 wins: TPS
• 7 wins: HIFK
• 5 wins: KuPS, Kuusysi¹, Tampere United²
• 4 wins: KIF
• 3 wins: Reipas Lahti¹, VIFK, ÅIFK
• 2 wins: FC Jazz⁴, KTP³, OPS, VPS
• 1 win: HT, KPV, PUS, Turun Pyrkivä, Viipurin Sudet, Unitas, TPV, MyPa, FC Inter Turku

Notes:
¹ Kuusysi and Lahden Reipas merged their professional teams in 1997 to form FC Lahti. Both teams, however, continue in junior football.
² Ilves-Kissat Tampere merged with TaPa Tampere in 1975 to form Ilves Tampere, who took Ilves-Kissat's place in the league. Ilves Tampere were renamed Tampere United before the 1999 season as a result of a failed merger. Although Ilves also continues as its own club, all predecessors' titles are included here in the figure for Tampere United.
³ FC KooTeePee was established to continue top-level football in Kotka when the former Kotka team known as KTP went bankrupt. However as KTP also continues to play in lower divisions its titles are not usually considered to be inherited by FC KooTeePee.
⁴FC Jazz was formerly known as PPT (Porin Pallotoverit)

Top clubs[link]

Top scorers[link]

Season	Player	Club	Goals
1990	Marek Czakon	Ilves	16
1991	Kimmo Tarkkio	FC Haka	23
1992	Luiz Antônio	FC Jazz	21
1993	Antti Sumiala	FC Jazz	20
1994	Dionísio	TPV	17
1995	Valeri Popovitch	FC Haka	21
1996	Luiz Antônio	FC Jazz	17
1997	Rafael	HJK	11
1998	Matti Hiukka	RoPS	11
1999	Valeri Popovitch	FC Haka	23
2000	Shefki Kuqi	FC Jokerit	19
2001	Paulus Roiha	HJK	22
2002	Mika Kottila	HJK	18
2003	Saku Puhakainen	MyPa	14
2004	Antti Pohja	TamU	16
2005	Juho Mäkelä	HJK	16
2006	Hermanni Vuorinen	FC Honka	16
2007	Rafael	FC Lahti	14
2008	Aleksandr Kokko	FC Honka	13
	Henri Myntti	TamU
2009	Hermanni Vuorinen	FC Honka	16
2010	Juho Mäkelä	HJK	16
2011	Timo Furuholm	FC Inter Turku	22

UEFA Ranking[link]

UEFA Country Ranking for league participation in 2010-11 European football season (Previous year rank in italics)

• 25 (26) Ekstraklasa
• 26 (20) Bundesliga
• 27 (27) Prva HNL
• 28 (33) Vysshaya Liga
• 29 (28) Veikkausliiga
• 30 (30) League of Ireland
• 31 (29) A Lyga
• 32 (34) Premijer Liga

See also[link]

• Veikkausliiga 2011
• Veikkausliiga 2010
• Football Association of Finland

References[link]

1. ^ Palkkatutkimus 2010
2. ^ http://www.epfl-europeanleagues.com/profile_veikkausliiga.htm

External links[link]

• Official website
• Finland - List of League First Level Tables at RSSSF
• Fixtures and Tables on aragon.ws
• Clean and simple game scores featuring RSS feed

Tomer Chencinski (born December 1, 1984 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli-born Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Örebro SK in Allsvenskan.

Career[link]

College[link]

Chencinski grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, attended Westmount Collegiate Institute, and played two years of college soccer at Robert Morris University, where in 2004 he ranked 16th in the nation in saves per game and recorded six shutouts. He transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University as a junior, where he played his final two collegiate seasons.

Professional[link]

Chencinski turned professional in 2007 when he signed with Major League Soccer side Toronto FC after impressing during a tryout,^[1] but never made an appearance for the team, and left to play indoor soccer for Major Indoor Soccer League side Detroit Ignition.

He dropped down a division to play in the USL Premier Development League for expansion side Newark Ironbound Express in 2008, but left mid-season when he was offered a contract by Moldova National Division side Nistru Otaci.

After playing just three games for Nistru Otaci, he returned to the United States, and signed for the Harrisburg City Islanders in 2009.

After completing his season with the Harrisburg City Islanders, Chencinski spent time training with Major League Soccer side Philadelphia Union. Expecting to start another season with Harrisburg, Chencinski was given the chance of a week-long trial with Finnish side VPS. After a successful trial, he was signed by the Finnish club to provide competition for the goalkeeper position.^[2] He made his debut for VPS on February 5, 2011 in a 2-2 draw with FF Jaro in the Finnish League Cup.^[3]

On December 5, 2011, he was confirmed for the Swedish Allsvenskan side Örebro SK for the 2012 season.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Harrisburg City Islanders bio
• Detroit Ignition bio
• FDU Knights bio