Veikkausliiga (Finnish:[ˈʋei̯kːɑusˌliːɡɑ]) is the premier division of association football in Finland, the highest tier of the Finnish football league structure, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. 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 as a knock-out cup competition.
Structure
During the 1990 and 1991 seasons the Veikkausliiga was played under the name "Futisliiga" (Swedish: Fotbollsligan).[1]
As with certain other cold-climate European countries, 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. As of 2024, there are 12 teams, which first face the other teams two times in the regular season. After the regular season, the league is divided into championship round (6 teams) and relegation round (6 teams), and teams in both groups play five further matches, with points from the regular season carrying on as usual. The total amount of matches in a season is thus 27. At the end of the season, the last team is relegated to Ykkönen, whose winner is promoted to Veikkausliiga, and the second last team plays a two-leg play-off versus the Ykkönen runner-up.
In 2010 the average annual salary with fringe benefits for a league player was 24,400 euros.[2] During the 2022 season, the highest earning league players earned just shy of €200,000.[3] Veikkausliiga is a founding member of the European Professional Football Leagues association.[4]
During 2019–2024, the certain Veikkausliiga Europa Play-offs were played after the season to decide the one remaining European qualifying spot for the next season. In late November 2024, it was announced the Europa Play-offs would be abolished for the 2025, and the league format would be changed. After 22 rounds (each team had played against each other twice), the last six teams will play a single relegation round, totalling 27 matches, and the six best teams continue to a double championship round, totalling 32 matches.[5]
The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2024 season are presented in the table below. Number of seasons includes seasons played in Veikkausliiga and preceding Mestaruussarja and seasons of predecessor teams after season 2023. In the case of mergers, the seasons of the predecessor with the most seasons are counted.
1) FC Jazz was formerly known as PPT (Porin Pallotoverit). 2) Kuusysi and Reipas merged their professional teams in 1996 to form FC Lahti. Kuusysi returned to Kakkonen in 2011 under the name Lahti Akatemia, while Reipas returned to Kolmonen one year later. 3) Tampere United was formed in 1998 after it inherited the place of FC Ilves. Tampere United was dissolved in 2011 and Ilves, which in the meantime had bought the place of KooVee in second division, got promoted back to the highest league in 2015.
The referee committee of Football Association of Finland named ten referees available primarily for Veikkausliiga matches for the 2024 season (Category 1).[7] Currently there are four FIFA-certified international referees in Veikkausliiga.[8] Additionally, there are some other referees, certified by Finnish FA, available for Veikkausliiga matches (Category 2).[9]
As of 2024, there has not been a female referee named in the Veikkausliiga match. On 8 July 2023, Heini Hyvönen made history as she was the first female assistant referee in the league, in a match between HJK – FC Lahti.[10]
Antti Munukka has the most refereed Veikkausliiga matches[11]
