Kuopio_Football_Club

Kuopion Palloseura

Kuopion Palloseura

Finnish association football club


Kuopion Palloseura, commonly referred to as KuPS, is a Finnish football club based in Kuopio. KuPS competes in Veikkausliiga, the top flight of Finnish football. The team plays its home matches at Kuopio Football Stadium.

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KuPS has won the Finnish championship six times, the Finnish Cup four times and the Finnish League Cup once. The club is placed fourth in the all-time Finnish Premier League honor table.[1]

History

First team in 1923

The club was officially founded on March 16, 1923, at Kuopion Seurahuone. The club was named to Kuopio Palloseura and the abbreviation KPS. [2]

The 1920s the club spent mostly by playing friendly games against other local clubs. In the 1930s and early 1940s, the club played second in the highest tier of Finnish football. KuPS was first promoted to Mestaruussarja in 1947 only for a single season. The club was promoted again in 1949 and this time remained in the top tier for 44 seasons. [2]

The first years, KuPS played in black and green shirts with vertical stripes, white pants and black socks. In 1935, the colors were changed to yellow shirt, black pants and yellow and black socks. At the same time, the club's abbreviation changed to KuPS. [3][2]

The golden decades of KuPS take place between the 1950s and 1970s, when the club won five championships, eight silver and one bronze medal. The club also won its first Finnish Cup championship in 1968. [2]

KuPS played in the top flight without significant success in the 1980s. However, the 1980s ended with the club's second Finnish Cup victory in 1989. [2]

Kuopio Football Stadium in 2010.
KuPS vs HJK at Magnum Areena, Kuopio. Finnish League Cup, March 11, 2008.

In the 1990s, KuPS was in financial problems and even dropped to the third highest league level [3]. In the early 2000s, KuPS spent seasons in both in the First Division and in Veikkausliiga, where it has played ever since 2008. [4]

In the 2010s, KuPS re-established its position in the top-flight. In the 2019 season the club won its fifth top-flight title. In 2021 and 2022 the club won its third and fourth Cup titles. In 2023 the club achieved its seventh consecutive medal in the top tier.

European campaigns

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UEFA club competition record

As of September 17, 2022.

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Season to season

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[5][6]

Current squad

As of 12 March 2024. [7][8] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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Out on loan

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

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Management

As of 1 May 2023[9][10]

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Boardroom

As of 28 September 2019

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Honours

Mestaruussarja/Veikkausliiga

Finnish Cup

Finnish League Cup

  • Champions: 2006

Ykkönen (second tier)

Kakkonen (third tier)

  • Champions: 1998

Managers

  • Finland Aaro Heikkinen (1945–57)
  • Hungary Imre Nagy (1947)
  • Finland Martti Kosma (1958)
  • Finland Reino Miettinen (1959)
  • Finland Veijo Pehkonen (1960)
  • Finland Asser Väisänen (1960)
  • Finland Aaro Heikkinen (1961–65)
  • Finland Gunnar Boman (1966–68)
  • Finland Veikko Jokinen (1969–71)
  • Finland Unto Nevalainen (1969–71)
  • Finland Martti Räsänen (1972–79)
  • Finland Matti Terästö (initial term) (1980)
  • Finland Jarmo Flink (final season) (1980)
  • Finland Ari Savolainen (1981)
  • Finland Matti Väänänen (1982)
  • Poland Bogusław Hajdas (1983–85)
  • Finland Jouko Pasanen (1986)
  • Finland Jouko Pasanen (1987)
  • Finland Aarre Miettinen (July 1987)
  • Finland Heikki Turunen (1988)
  • Finland Aarre Miettinen (1988)
  • Finland Heikki Turunen (1989)
  • Finland Markku Hyvärinen (May 1989)
  • Finland Olavi Rissanen (May 1989)
  • Finland Martti Räsänen (1990–91)
  • Finland Olavi Rissanen (1990–91)
  • Finland Martti Räsänen (1992)
  • Finland Jouni Jäntti (Sept 1992)
  • Finland Markku Hyvärinen (Sept 1992)
  • Finland Keijo Voutilainen (Jan 1, 1993 – Dec 31, 1994)
  • Finland Hannu Turunen (1995–96)
  • Finland Atik Ismail (1995–96)
  • Finland Jouni Jäntti (1997–98)
  • Finland Ensio Pellikka (1998)
  • Finland Heikki Turunen (1999)
  • Finland Esa Pekonen (Jan 1, 2000 – Dec 31, 2001)
  • Finland Jari Pyykölä (Jan 1, 2002 – June 6, 2003)
  • Finland Ismo Lius (June 2003)
  • Finland Juha Malinen (Jan 1, 2005 – Dec 31, 2006)
  • Finland Kai Nyyssönen (Jan 1, 2007 – June 13, 2009)
  • Finland Esa Pekonen (June 14, 2009 – April 24, 2014)
  • Finland Marko Rajamäki (May 2, 2014 – 2016)
  • Finland Jani Honkavaara (2017–2019)
  • Norway Arne Erlandsen (2020)
  • Finland Simo Valakari (2021–2023)
  • Finland Pasi Tuutti (Jan 19, 2023 – April 20, 2023)
  • Finland Jani Honkavaara (April 21, 2023–)

References

  1. Karjalainen, Markus & Huttunen, Jouni (2005). Kuopion Palloseura 1923–2004. Kuopion Palloseura.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Historia & Saavutukset". KuPS - Kuopion Palloseura (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  3. "Tilastot ja taulukot". KuPS - Kuopion Palloseura (in Finnish). Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  4. "Finland – List of League First Level Tables". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  5. "Finland – List of League Second Level Tables". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  6. KuPS. "KuPS miehet edustusjoukkue 2023". kups.fi. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  7. "KuPS miehet edustusjoukkue 2021" (in Finnish). KuPS. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  8. "Simo Valakari on KuPS:n uusi päävalmentaja". kups.fi. Retrieved 5 November 2020.

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