Finland

Finland. Ranked 20th. The championship formula Finland used amply provided for low-placed team to become a champion: the regular stage of the season was followed by final stage between the top 8 in the league, which was a lwo-leg Cup-format direct eliminations. Thus, the 8th in the first stage could become champion. Anyhow, one team was directly relegated from the top league – the last – and the 11th went to promotion/relegation play-off against the 2nd in Second Division. Finland still gave 2 points for a win and in the second phase of the season there were no tie, but such a match was decided by penalty shoot-out.
Second Division. 12 teams in it, the champion directly promoted, second-placed going to promotion/relegation play-off, and the last 3 teams – relegated. Since Finnish clubs were little known, the second-tier clubs were entirely out of sight outside the country.
TP-55 Seinajoki was a typical example of most Finnish clubs – they finished 5th this season.
Former top league clubs competed for promotion: Jaro Pietarsaari ended 2nd with 30 points and went to promotion/relegation play off against KPV Kokkola, 11th in the First Division.
Jaro practically decided the play-off in the first leg: they beat KPV 1-0 on their own stadium. At home it was 4-2 Jaro and they were promoted to First division – rather, returned to it.
PPT Pori won the Second Division championship with 32 points: 12 wins, 8 ties, 2 losses, 52-19 scoring record. Clearly the strongest team this season and rightly promoted. Like Jaro, they played top league football before.
First Division. The regular season meant little: the bottom placed teams faced relegation, 2 teams ended the season after the regular stage, and the top 8 continued, but the only advantage the best team in the regular stage had later was that they played against the 8th in the ¼ finals and the first leg was at their home turf.
No surprise the debutante Kumu Kuusankoski was the outsider of the season – they won only match and finished last with 9 points. Thus, relegated right after getting promoted.
KPV Kokkola dramatically finished 11th – they ended with 15 points, just like OTP Oulu, but had 1-goal worse goal-difference than their rivals. The promotion/relegation play-off was their last chance to stay in the league, but they lost both legs to Jaro – 0-1 and 2-4 – and were relegated.
OTP Oulu barely evaded relegation: 10th with 15 points.
Ilves Tampere finished 9th with 20 points. However, this season turned out to be one of their very best despite the weak performance in the championship.
The top 8 moved to the final stage of the championship in which their were paired strong against weak – the 1st vs the 8th and so on. Haka Valkeakoski was 8th with 22 points. MP Mikkeli – 7th with 23, TPS Turku – 6th with 23, Reipas Lahti – 5th with 23, KuPS Kuopio – 4th with 24, HJK Helsinki – 3rd with 28, RoPS Rovaniemi – 2nd with 29 points, and

Kuusysi Lahti – 1st with 33 points. The strongest team in the recent years and the one responsible for the climb of Finland in the UEFA ranking. Looked like they were in perfect form, clearly better than the rest and on the way of success again. 14 wins, 5 ties, 3 losses, 34-12 at the end of the regular stage of the season. Standing from left: Jari Rinne, Sixten Bostr?m, Jari Kinnunen, Hannu J?ntti, Esa Pekonen. Crouching: Sami Vehkakoski, Ilkka Remes, Petri J?rvinen, Ismo Korhonen, Juha Annunen, Keijo Kousa.
¼ finals. Kuusysi eliminated Haka Valkeakoski 3-1 and 2-2 (4-3 penalty shoot out).
RoPS Rovaniemi was eliminated by MP Mikkeli in 3 games: 1-1 (4-5 penalty shoot-out), 2-1, and 0-1.
End of the road for TPS Turku: they lost to HJK Helsinki also in 3 games – 0-0 (3-2 penalty shoot-out), 1-2 and 1-3.

KuPS Kuopio also went down – eliminated by Reipas Lahti 1-1 (4-5 penalty shoot-out) and 0-2. Standing from left: Kari Tissari, Janne Savolainen, Tuomo Hyv?rinen, Markku Raatikainen & Hannu Turunen. Front row: Kari Niskanen,  Kai Nyyss?nen, Jyrki Rovio, Yrj? Happonen, Harri Nyyss?nen & Jukka Turunen.
The ½ finals: Kuusysi eliminated MP Mikkeli 3-1 and 1-0, and HJK Helsinki disposed of Reipas Lahti 3-2 and 3-2.
The losers met in one-leg play-off for the 3rd place in which MP Mikkeli destroyed Reipas Lahti 6-1. Thus MP Mikkeli got the bronze medals and also qualified for the UEFA Cup.
The big final was two-leg affair, the first match in Lahti. Here HJK got slight advantage: the match ended 1-1 and they won the penalty shoot-out 4-3. At home in Helsinki, they managed to prevail over Kuusysi 1-0 and won the title.
Disappointment for Kuusysi Lahti – they looked stronger during the whole season, but lost, however minimally, the final. Silver medals and UEFA Cup spot, but… it could have been better.

Not always great, having difficulties here and there on the road, but at the end HJK Helsinki clinched the title. Lucky, unlucky, they prevailed when mattered most. Standing from left: Jari Rantanen, Markku Kanerva, Aki Hyryl?inen, Pasi Tauriainen, Jari Europaeus. Front row: Petri Helin, Pekka Onttonen, Janne Suokonautio, Petri Jakonen, Petri Tiainen, Kimmo Tarkkio.
Well, new old champions – it was the 17th title for HJK.