Turun Palloseura, commonly known as TPS, is a professional football club based in Turku, Finland. Since 2024, the men's team competes in Ykkösliiga, the second highest tier. The women's representative team in the Kansallinen Liiga, the highest level of women's football in Finland. Nicknamed "Tepsi", the club was founded in 1922.[1]

Turun Palloseura
Full nameTurun Palloseura
Nickname(s)Tepsi
Founded1922; 102 years ago (1922)[1]
GroundVeritas Stadion
Capacity8,072
ChairmanJouko Peräaho
ManagerMiika Nuutinen
LeagueYkkösliiga
2024Ykkösliiga, 4th of 10
Websitewww.fc.tps.fi
Veritas Stadion, club's home ground.

TPS have won 8 League titles and 3 Finnish Cups.[1] They play their home league matches at Veritas Stadion, with a capacity of 9,372 seats for most matches.[2]

History

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TPS squad in 1965

In the early stages of the UEFA Cup of the season 1987–88, TPS beat Internazionale at the San Siro stadium in Milan, thanks to a goal by Mika Aaltonen, who was later signed by Inter. They lost the return leg with 0–2, but this is widely regarded as the highest point by the club in international football.

After season 2000, TPS lost its place in Finland's Premier League and played for two seasons in the Ykkönen (eng first) in the Finnish first division. In 2001, Petri Jakonen was named a new sporting director of TPS. They aimed to get back up to the Premier League with determination and it took them two seasons to complete the mission. Since season 2003 TPS has again played in the Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. TPS managed to get in the final of the Finnish Cup in 2005, but lost to Haka 4–1 at Finnair Stadium.

Before season 2007, TPS hired famous Finnish striker Mixu Paatelainen as their manager. In his guidance TPS won bronze, ending their ten-year medalless run. After the end of season Paatelainen left for Scottish club Hibernian FC in early January 2008. Quickly TPS hired heralded Finnish manager Martti Kuusela. However Kuusela didn't get the best out of his squad and was fired mid September 2008. Overall TPS ended sixth in Veikkausliiga. So again, TPS had to get a new manager, their third in as many seasons. This time they picked Pasi Rautiainen. The CEO also changed next year as Jakonen moved on to Finnish FA and a former sporting director Marco Casagrande was named the new CEO.

In recent years, TPS has had the highest average attendance in Veikkausliiga but it has suffered from a poor rental agreement with Veritas Stadion. This has led TPS for planning to build their own stadium in Nummi. They also considered the possibility of using the Paavo Nurmi Stadion as their home ground, but these plans faced scheduling problems with Athletics competitions and were scrapped. Both Turku based teams however played few games at the Paavo Nurmi Stadion during 2014 season when the Veritas Stadion was under maintenance. After relegation TPS changed their home venue to the Urheilupuiston yläkenttä, which is close to the Paavo Nurmi Stadion in the Turku Sports Park, but is not eligible to be used in the Veikkausliiga. Future plans for home ground development have not been made public.

TPS returned to the Veikkausliiga for the 2018 season,[3] winning the Ykkönen title on 21 October 2017 with a 1–1 draw against Honka.[4] However, after the 2018 season, TPS was again relegated to Ykkönen, after finishing second-to-last in the league and losing the two-leg play-off against Kokkolan Pallo-Veikot (KPV), the Ykkönen runner-up.[5] Since the 2018 season, TPS plays all home games at Veritas Stadion.

During 2020–2022, the club's former manager Mika Laurikainen worked as a sporting director. He named himself the first team's head coach for the 2023 Ykkönen season.

The club's former homegrown player Lukas Hradecky had been a minority shareholder of the club. In mid-August 2024, it was announced that Hradecky had increased his share and is currently one of the club's majority owners.[6] In late August, the club's former player Kasper Hämäläinen was named the new sporting director.[7]

Honours

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TPS honours
Competition Titles /
medals
Seasons
Finnish Championship 8[1] 1928,[a] 1939, 1941, 1949, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975[1]
12[1] 1923, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1938, 1944, 1946, 1948, 1960, 1984, 1986, 1989[1]
11[1] 1929, 1931, 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987, 1996, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012[1]
Finnish Cup 3[1] 1991, 1994, 2010[1]
Finnish League Cup 1 2012

Season to season

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Season to Season
Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
1930 Tier 1 A-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Championship rematch, lost to HIFK
1931 Tier 1 A-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1932 Tier 1 A-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1933 Tier 1 A-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1934 Tier 1 A-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th Relegated
1935 Tier 2 B-Sarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promotion Group 1st
1936 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1937 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1938 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1939 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1940 Tier 1 Cup-Competition Cup format Finnish FA(Suomen Palloliitto) Final Lost to Sudet
1940–1941 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1942 Tier 1 Cup-Competition Cup format Finnish FA & TUL(Suomen Palloliitto & Työväen Urheiluliitto) Quarterfinals
1943–44 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Championship rematch, lost to VIFK
1945 Tier 1 SPL Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship Playoff SPL Champions
1945 Tier 1 Cup-Competition Cup format Finnish FA & TUL(Suomen Palloliitto & Työväen Urheiluliitto) Semifinals
1945–46 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1946–47 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1947–48 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1948 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1949 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1950 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1951 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1952 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th Relegated
1953 Tier 2 Suomensarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1954 Tier 2 Suomensarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1955 Tier 2 Suomensarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1956 Tier 2 Suomensarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted
1957 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1958 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1959 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1960 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1961 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1962 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1963 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th Relegated
1964 Tier 2 Suomensarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1965 Tier 2 Suomensarja (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1966 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1967 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1968 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1969 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1970 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
1971 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1972 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1973 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
1974 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1975 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1976 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th
1977 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1978 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
1979 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th Championship Group 7th
1980 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Championship Group 4th
1981 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd Championship Group 4th
1982 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship Group 4th
1983 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship Group 4th
1984 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Championship Playoff 2nd
1985 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship Playoff 4th
1986 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
1987 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1988 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th Championship Group 5th
1989 Tier 1 SM-Sarja (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Championship Group 2nd
1990 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th Championship Playoff Quarterfinals
1991 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
1992 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
1993 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th Championship Group 8th
1994 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1995 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1996 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd Upper Group – 3rd
1997 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th Third round – 4th
1998 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th Third round – 6th
1999 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th Lower Group – 9th
2000 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 11th Playoff – Relegated
2001 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Playoffs
2002 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st promotion/relegation group 2nd – Promoted
2003 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
2004 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
2005 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
2006 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
2007 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2008 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
2009 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2010 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2011 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
2012 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2013 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
2014 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 12th Relegated to Ykkönen
2015 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2016 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Playoffs
2017 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted to Veikkausliiga
2018 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 11th Relegation Playoff – Relegated
2019 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Promotion Playoff – Promoted
2020 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 11th Relegation Playoff – Relegated
2021 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2022 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2023 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
2024 Tier 2 Ykkösliiga Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)

[8]

Current squad

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As of 7 October 2024[9]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   FIN Matias Niemelä
2 DF   FIN Oscar Häggström
3 DF   FIN Elias Collin
5 DF   FIN Roope Pakkanen
6 MF   FIN Jesper Karlsson
8 MF   FIN Niilo Saarikivi
10 FW   FIN Riku Riski
11 MF   NGA Umar Bala Mohammed
12 GK   FIN Olli Hakanpää
13 DF   GHA Baba Mensah
14 DF   FIN Joonas Lakkamäki
16 FW   FIN Veeti Pohtio
17 MF   FIN Atte Sihvonen
18 MF   FIN Eino-Iivari Pitkälä
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW   FIN Tuomas Pippola
20 MF   FIN Riku Sjöroos
21 MF   KOR Cho Han-jin
22 MF   FIN Aapo Boström
23 FW   FIN Antti Ulmanen
26 MF   FIN Lasse Ikonen
27 DF   AUT Mehdi Hetemaj
28 MF   FIN Aapo Boström
29 DF   KOS Albijon Muzaci
30 DF   FIN Aaro Soiniemi (on loan from HJK)
31 GK   FIN Luka Nokelainen

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF   FIN Eero Uusitalo (at Jazz until 31 December 2024)
29 FW   FIN Onni Helen (at Jazz until 31 December 2024)

Management and boardroom

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Football fans of Turun Palloseura

Management

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As of 16 February 2024.

Name Role
  Miika Nuutinen Head coach
  Henri Jussila Coach
  Jarkko Ojaniemi Goalkeeping coach
  Michael Oliphant Fitness coach
  Kalle Tallqvist Talent coach
  Jani Tuomala Team manager
  Tapani Elmeranta Kit manager
  Jyrki Rauhaniemi Doctor

Boardroom

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As of 29 August 2024[10]

Name Role
  Jouko Peräaho Chairman
  Petro Punna CEO
  Kasper Hämäläinen Sporting director

Managers

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TPS in Europe

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Season Competition Round Country Club Score Agg. Notes
1969–70 European Cup PR   KB Copenhagen 0–1, 0–4 0–5
1972–73 European Cup 1R   1. FC Magdeburg 0–6, 1–3 1–9
1973–74 European Cup 1R   Celtic FC 1–6, 0–3 1–9
1976–77 European Cup 1R   Sliema Wanderers 1–2, 1–0 2–2
1/8   FC Zürich 0–2, 0–1 0–3
1985–86 UEFA Cup 1R   Spartak Moscow 0–1, 1–3 1–4
1987–88 UEFA Cup 1R   FC Admira/Wacker Wenen 0–1, 2–0 2–1
2R   Internazionale 1–0, 0–2 1–2
1988–89 UEFA Cup 1R   Linfield FC Belfast 0–0, 1–1 1–1
2R   First Vienna 1–2, 1–0 2–2
1/8   Victoria București 0–1, 3–2 3–3
1990–91 UEFA Cup 1R   GKS Katowice 0–3, 0–1 0–4
1992–93 Cup Winners Cup 1R   Trabzonspor 0–2, 2–2 2–4
1995–96 Cup Winners Cup Q   Teuta 1–0, 0–3 1–3
1997 Intertoto Cup Group   Halmstads BK 1–6
Group   SK Lommel 1–1
Group   Hajduk Kula 1–2
Group   Kongsvinger IL 2–0
1998 Intertoto Cup 1R   FC Sion 0–1, 3–2 2–4
2R   Shinnik Yaroslavl 0–2, 2–3 2–5
2008 Intertoto Cup 1R   Lisburn Distillery FC 3–2, 3–1 6–3
2R   Odense BK 1–2, 0–2 1–4
2010–11 Europa League 1Q   Port Talbot Town 3–1, 4–0 7–1
2Q   Cercle Brugge 1–2, 1–0 2–2
2011–12 Europa League 2Q   K.V.C. Westerlo 0–1, 0–0 0–1
2013–14 Europa League 1Q   Jeunesse Esch 2–1, 0–2 2–3

Women's football

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The club also has a women's team which competes in the Kansallinen Liiga, the top division of women's football in Finland. TPS women took part in the national championship for the first time in 1972, and won the title in 1978. After withdrawing from the top league in 1992, they returned in 2008.[11]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ The championship was decided via cup competition.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Seura | Historia". Official website of Turun Palloseura (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  2. ^ "TPS News". fc.tps.fi. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  3. ^ a b Pietarinen, Heikki (30 November 2017). "Finland – List of League First Level Tables". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  4. ^ Zavros, Christos (21 October 2017). "TPS:n nousu Veikkausliigaan varmistui dramaattisten vaiheiden jälkeen – FC Honka karsintaan". Ilta-Sanomat (IS.fi) (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Kokkolan KPV käynnisti nousujuhlat vierasmaalilla – TPS putosi Veikkausliigasta". Helsingin Sanomat (HS.fi) (in Finnish). 3 November 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  6. ^ Petro Punnasta uusi TPS Jalkapallon toimitusjohtaja, Lukas Hradeckysta yksi pääomistajista, Yle, 16 August 2024
  7. ^ KASPER HÄMÄLÄINEN ON TPS:N UUSI URHEILUTOIMENJOHTAJA, fc.tps.fi, 29 August 2024
  8. ^ "Football Archive - Index of SPL Finnish League Suomen Cup Seasons". Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  9. ^ "Miehet-edustus – FC TPS". fc.tps.fi. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Yhteystiedot – FC TPS" (in Finnish). TPS. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  11. ^ Pietarinen, Heikki (11 July 2013). "Finland – List of Women Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
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