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Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish Football , comprising the top 14 clubs of the country (season 2006 was played exceptionally with 13 teams because of the AC Allianssi bankruptcy). 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 . 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. In current format each team plays all other teams twice, both at home and away. At the end of the season, the lowest-placed team is relegated to Ykkönen, whose winner will be promoted to Veikkausliiga. In normal seasons, the team placed next to lowest will play a two-legged relegation/promotion match with the second-placed team in Ykkönen. In season 2006, because the Veikkausliiga was one team short, this promotion match was not played and two best clubs of Ykkönen, FC Viikingit and AC Oulu , were promoted directly. KuPS were relegated. Most of the clubs in Veikkausliiga are professional, although some of the smaller clubs are semi-professional. Average attendance has been around 3000. CLUBS The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2007 season are (with their home towns in brackets): CHAMPIONS The following clubs have won either the Veikkausliiga (between 1990 and 2006 ) or the Mestaruussarja (between 1908 and 1989 ) championship :
''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 over Ilves-Kissat's place. Ilves Tampere were renamed United Tampere before the 1999 season as a result of failed merger. Although Ilves continues also 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 formely known as PPT (Porin Pallotoverit) NOTABLE FOREIGN FORMER PLAYERS SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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