Rovaniemen Palloseura

Finnish football club

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Football club

RoPS

Full name| Rovaniemen Palloseura
Founded| 1950; 75 years ago (1950)
Ground| Keskuskenttä,
Rovaniemi
Capacity| 2,803
Chairman| Matti Poikajärvi
Manager| Jari Alamäki
League| Ykkönen
2024| Ykkönen, 5th of 12
Website| www.rops.fi

Home colours

Away colours

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Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) is a football club founded in 1950 and based in Rovaniemi, Finland. RoPS played in the Finnish Premier Division, (Veikkausliiga) for 32 years, from 1981 to 2021. In 2021, RoPS withdrew from professional football and voluntarily relegated to the amateur Kakkonen division. The club plays home games at the Rovaniemen Keskuskenttä in the Arctic Circle of Lapland.

## History

[edit]

Keskuskenttä, home ground of RoPS

RoPS have won the Finnish Cup on two occasions, in 1986 and 2013, and were runners-up in 1962. They placed third in the Finnish Premier Division in 1988 and 1989, before finishing as runner-up in 2015, losing out on the title by 1 point to eventual champions SJK. The club's most notable international achievement was reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup-Winners' Cup in 1987–88 against Marseille.

### Match fixing allegations and scandal

[edit]

Throughout the 2000s, RoPS became infamous for suspected involvement in match fixing.

In spring 2011 the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation started a large investigation into match fixing. On February 25 Singaporean businessman Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted match fixer, was arrested after entering Finland with a fake passport. The National Bureau of Investigation suspected that over 30 games between 2008 and 2011, mostly from the Finnish premier league, had been fixed or manipulated.[1]

On July 19, 2011, the Rovaniemi Court of Appeal convicted Perumal and nine RoPS players of match-fixing. Altogether 24 games had been manipulated, and the intended score had been achieved in 11 of them. Perumal was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to return 150,000 euros deemed to be match-fixing profits. The bribes ranged from 500 euros offered to one player to a total of 80,000 euros offered to eight players. The highest total of bribes for one individual was slightly over 40,000 euros. The players received suspended sentences. The sentenced players were six Zambian and two Georgian players: Godfrey Chibanga, Chileshe Chibwe, Francis Kombe, Stephen Kunda, Christopher Musonda, Chanda Mwaba, Nchimunya Mweetwa, Pavle Khorguashvili, and Valter Khorguashvili.[2]

### Domestic history

[edit]

Season to season of RoPS

| Season  | Level  | Division  | Section  | Administration  | Position  | Movements  | Finnish Cup  | League Cup

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1955  | Tier 4  | Piirinsarja (District League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | Qualifiers for 3rd Tier  |  |  |
1956  | Tier 4  | Aluesarja (Area Division) | Group 12 Lapland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1957  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | North Group II  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th |  |  |
1958  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd |  |  |
1959  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1960  | Tier 2  |  Suomensarja (Finland Series) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 11th | Relegated  |  |
1961  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd |  |  |
1962  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1963  | Tier 2  |  Suomensarja (Finland Series) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 8th |  |  |
1964  | Tier 2  |  Suomensarja (Finland Series) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 10th | Relegated  |  |
1965  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th |  |  |
1966  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd |  |  |
1967  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 10 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd |  |  |
1968  | Tier 3  | Maakuntasarja (Regional League) | Group 8 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1969  | Tier 2  |  Suomensarja (Finland Series) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 10th | Relegated  |  |
1970  | Tier 3  | 3\. Divisioona (Third Division) | Group 8 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1971  | Tier 2  |  2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 9th |  |  |
1972  | Tier 2  |  2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 11th | Relegated  |  |
1973  | Tier 4  | 3\. Divisioona (Third Division) | Group 9 Northern Finland  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1974  | Tier 3  | 2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd |  |  |
1975  | Tier 3  | 2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd |  |  |
1976  | Tier 3  | 2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd |  |  |
1977  | Tier 3  | 2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 9th |  |  |
1978  | Tier 3  | 2\. Divisioona (Second Division) | North Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  |  |
1979  | Tier 2  |  1\. Divisioona (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 6th |  |  |
1980  | Tier 2  |  1\. Divisioona (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | Promotion/Relagtion Group 2nd \- Promoted  |  |
1981  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 10th | Promotion/Relagtion Group 5th \- Relegated  |  |
1982  | Tier 2  |  1\. Divisioona (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | Promotion/Relagtion Group 1st \- Promoted  |  |
1983  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 8th |  |  |
1984  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 6th |  |  |
1985  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 7th |  |  |
1986  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 4th |  |  |
1987  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th |  |  |
1988  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd |  |  |
1989  | Tier 1  |  SM-Sarja (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd |  |  |
1990  | Tier 1  |  Futisliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd Championship Playoff - Quarter-finals  |  |  |
1991  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 7th |  |  |
1992  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 7th |  |  |
1993  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 7th |  | Runners-up  |
1994  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th |  |  |
1995  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 9th |  | 9th Round  |
1996  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 9th \- Relegation Group 2nd |  | 7th Round  |
1997  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 6th |  | Semi-finals  |
1998  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 8th |  |  |
1999  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 8th |  | 7th Round  |
2000  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 9th |  |  |
2001  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 12th | Relegated  | 6th Round  |
2002  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) | Northern Group  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th |  | Quarter-finals  |
2003  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | Promotion Playoff - Promoted  | 6th Round  |
2004  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 12th |  | Quarter-finals  |
2005  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 13th | Relegation Playoff - Relegated  |  |
2006  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 7th |  |  |
2007  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | Promotion Playoff - Promoted  |  |
2008  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 10th |  | 6th Round  |
2009  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 14th | Relegated  | 6th Round  |
2010  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  | 4th Round  |
2011  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 12th | Relegated  | 5th Round  |
2012  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted  | 5th Round  |
2013  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 11th |  | Winners |
2014  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 9th |  | 6th Round  |
2015  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd |  | 6th Round  |
2016  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 6th |  | 6th Round  |
2017  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 7th |  | Group Stage - 2nd \- Quarter-final Qualifiers  |
2018  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd |  | Group Stage - 3rd |
2019  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 10th |  | Group Stage - 4th \- Quarter-finals  |
2020  | Tier 1  |  Veikkausliiga (Premier League) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 12th | Relegated  | Group Stage - 6th |
2021  | Tier 2  |  Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | Promotion Playoff. Gave up league spot due to financial difficulties  | Group Stage - 2nd |
2022  | Tier 3  | Kakkonen (Second Division) | Group C  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 6th |  | 4th Round  |
2023  | Tier 3  | Kakkonen (Second Division) | Group C  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd | Qualifiers for Ykkönen \- Qualified  | 4th Round  |
2024  | Tier 3  | Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th |  | 3rd Round  |
2025  | Tier 3  | Ykkönen (First Division) |  | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) |  |  |  |

* 32 seasons in Veikkausliiga
* 16 seasons in Ykkösliiga
* 19 seasons in Ykkönen
* 3 seasons in 4th Tier

[3]

### European history

[edit]

Season  | Competition  | Round  | Club  | Home  | Away  | Aggregate  |

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1987–88 | Cup Winners' Cup | 1R |  Glentoran | 0–0  | 1–1  | 1–1(a) |
2R |  Vllaznia | 1–0  | 1–0  | 2–0 |
QF |  Marseille | 0–1  | 0–3  | 0–4 |
1989–90 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  GKS Katowice | 1–1  | 1–0  | 2–1 |
2R |  Auxerre | 0–5  | 0–3  | 0–8 |
1990–91 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  1\. FC Magdeburg | 0–1  | 0–0  | 0–1 |
2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  Asteras Tripoli | 1–1  | 2–4  | 3–5 |
2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Shamrock Rovers | 1–1  | 2–0  | 3–1 |
2Q |  Lokomotiva | 1–1  | 0–3  | 1–4 |
2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Aberdeen | 1–2  | 1–2  | 2–4 |

Notes

* 1R: First round
* 2R: Second round
* 1Q: First qualifying round
* QF: Quarter-finals

## Honours

[edit]

* Finnish Cup
* Champions (2): 1986, 2013
* Ykkönen
* Champions (2): 2010, 2012

## Current squad

[edit]

As of 1 January 2022

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

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

1  | GK |  FIN | Miikka Mujunen
2  | DF |  FIN | Simo Majander
6  | MF |  NED | Nino Roffelsen
7  | FW |  FIN | Veka Pyyny
8  | MF |  FIN | Vili Saarikoski
12  | GK |  FIN | Mikko Rantala
15  | DF |  FIN | Miska Ylitolva
16  | FW |  FIN | Kirill Bullat
19  | DF |  FIN | Joona Lahdenmäki
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

20  | FW |  FIN | Simo Roiha
21  | MF |  FIN | Elmeri Hirvonen
22  | DF |  POR | Rodrigo Antunes
23  | DF |  FIN | Sampo Ala-Iso
26  | DF |  FIN | Eerik Kantola
28  | FW |  FIN | Jarkko Luiro
33  | MF |  GHA | Geoffrey Acheampong
34  | FW |  SRB | Srđan Vujaklija
-- | DF |  FIN | Aaro Tiihonen

## Management and boardroom

[edit]

### Management

[edit]

As of 18 February 2020.

| Name  | Role

|

Vesa Tauriainen | Head Coach
Mika Pulkkinen | Coach
Jari Alamäki  | Fitness Coach
Ossi Koskela  | Goalkeeping Coach
Tuomas Könönen  | Physiotherapist
Vilma Poutiainen
David Coull  | Kit Manager
Essi Jokelainen  | Masseur
Olavi Tammimies  | Team Manager

### Boardroom

[edit]

As of 18 February 2020[4]

| Name  | Role

|

Risto Niva  | Chairman, Managing director
Pekka Konstenius  | Vice chairman
Jari Ilola | Director of Football

## Rovaniemi Football Academy

[edit]

Rovaniemi Football Academy (RFA)[5] is the reserve team of RoPS. The team plays in Kakkonen in 2020 season. It is coached by Aleksi Tanner.

As of 14 September 2020[6]

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

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

11  | GK |  FIN | Lauri Vetri
24  | MF |  FIN | Kirill Bullat
30  | GK |  FIN | Tino Korhonen
35  | GK |  FIN | Pauli Tuisku
36  | MF |  FIN | Vertti Hänninen
37  | DF |  FIN | Joona Lahdenmäki
36  | MF |  FIN | Jonne Länsipää
39  | DF |  FIN | Akseli Kantola
40  | MF |  FIN | Ville Ojala
40  | FW |  FIN | Santeri Matilainen
41  | MF |  FIN | Jonne Koistinen
42  | MF |  FIN | Riku-Veli Niska
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

43  | FW |  FIN | Joona Kähkönen
44  | DF |  FIN | Tuomas Leppäkangas
46  | FW |  FIN | Adam Mekki
47  | FW |  FIN | Janne Ojaniemi
49  | MF |  EGY | Karam Hadhoud
50  | DF |  FIN | Severi Salmirinne
52  | DF |  FIN | Miska Ylitolva
53  | MF |  FIN | Roni Pietsalo
54  | FW |  FIN | Antti Salmi
56  | DF |  FIN | Luka Kuittinen
57  | DF |  FIN | Sampo Ala-Iso

## Managers

[edit]

* Jerzy Masztaler (1990–91)
* Graham Williams (1991)
* Olavi Tammimies (1992)
* Keith Armstrong (1993–94)
* Timo Salmi (1995)
* Graham Williams (1995)
* Ari Matinlassi (1995)
* Ari Rantamaa (1996–97)
* Kari Virtanen (1997–99)
* Olavi Tammimies (2000)
* Mauri Holappa (2001)
* Tomi Molin (2002)
* György Hamori (Jan 1, 2003 – June 23, 2004)
* Mika Lumijärvi (June 23, 2004 – June 30, 2005)
* Matti Vikman (interim) (June 30, 2005 – Dec 31, 2005)
* Jukka Ikäläinen (2006)
* Tom Saintfiet (Jan 1, 2008 – April 7, 2008)
* Valeri Bondarenko (April 14, 2008 – May 27, 2009)
* Mika Lumijärvi (May 27, 2009 – Oct 6, 2009)
* Zeddy Saileti (Oct 6, 2009 – Dec 31, 2009)
* John Allen (Jan 1, 2010 – Aug 9, 2011)
* Matti Hiukka (Aug 9, 2011 – Dec 31, 2011)
* Kari Virtanen (Jan 1, 2012 – Oct 13)
* Juha Malinen (Nov, 2013 – Oct, 2017)
* Toni Koskela (Oct, 2017 – May 22, 2019)
* Pasi Tuutti (May 22, 2019 – Dec 31, 2019)
* Vesa Tauriainen (Jan 1, 2020 – Sep 15, 2020)
* Mikko Mannila (Sep 16, 2020 – Dec 31, 2021)
* Aleksi Tanner (Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022)
* Ville Ulanen (Jan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023)
* Jari Alamäki (Jan 1, 2024 – )

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Susanna Kemppainen. "RoPS:lla yli 30 epäiltyä sopupeliä | Pohjois-Suomi". Kaleva.fi. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
2. ^ Uusi Suomi. "Oikeus: Sopupeleistä 150 000 euroa – 2 vuotta vankeutta — Uusi Suomi". Uusisuomi.fi. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
3. ^ "Home". finlandfootball.net.
4. ^ "Yhteystiedot" (in Finnish). RoPS. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
5. ^ "RoPS/2 on jatkossa Rovaniemi Football Academy". rops.fi. RoPS. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
6. ^ "Kokoonpano: Rovaniemi Football Academy 2020". rops.fi. RoPS. Retrieved 14 September 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website (in Finnish)

* v
* t
* e

Ykkönen * 2024

* Atlantis
* EPS
* Jazz
* JJK Jyväskylä
* Klubi 04
* KPV
* KuPS Akatemia
* AC Oulu/OLS
* PKKU
* RoPS
* Vaajakoski
* VIFK

*[No.]: Number
*[Pos.]: Position
*[GK]: Goalkeeper
*[DF]: Defender
*[MF]: Midfielder
*[FW]: Forward
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template