Åbo IFK

Åbo IFK
Full name Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Åbo
Nickname(s) Kanarialinnut
Founded 1908
Ground Urheilupuiston yläkenttä, Turku, Finland
(Capacity: 1,500)
Chairman Kari Bäcklund
Markus Paija
Coach Simo Valakari
Teuvo Mäkinen
League Kakkonen
2009 9th - Kakkonen (Group B)
Home colours

Åbo IFK (or ÅIFK for short) is a sports club from Turku, Finland. The club was founded in 1908.

Contents

Background

The greatest successes of ÅIFK have come in football where it has won three Finnish championship titles, in 1910, 1920 and 1924. It has played a total of 9 seasons in the Finnish premier division Mestaruussarja, the last occasion in 1967. It also won the Finnish Cup in 1965 and participated in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the 1966–67 season, going out in the first round. Currently the ÅIFK football team is playing in the third tier Kakkonen.

ÅIFK has also fared well in handball with both its men's and women's teams playing at the national top level at the moment. Moreover, the club has previously played at the top level in ice hockey.

Currently the club has activities in football, handball, athletics and bowling.

The chairman of the football club is Kari Bäcklund. Since 2008, and also briefly in the 1990s, ÅIFK has acted as the reserve club for TPS.

The highest ever attendance for a ÅIFK match was in 1967 when 5,861 people attended the home game with Turun Palloseura.[1]

Football Honours

Divisional Movements since 1930

Top Level (9 seasons): 1930, 1932–35, 1963–65, 1967
Second Level (12 seasons): 1936, 1938–39, 1943/44-45, 1961–62, 1966, 1968–70, 2000
Third Level (12 seasons): 1986, 1988–89, 1991, 1994–96, 1998–99, 2001, 2008-current [2]

Season to season

Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
2000 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th Relegation Group - 9th - Relegated
2001 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th Relegated
2002 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Turku and Åland Islands (SPL Turku) 4th
2003 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Turku and Åland Islands (SPL Turku) 1st Play-Offs
2004 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Turku and Åland Islands (SPL Turku) 2nd
2005 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Turku and Åland Islands (SPL Turku) 4th
2006 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Turku and Åland Islands (SPL Turku) 2nd
2007 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Turku and Åland Islands (SPL Turku) 1st Promoted
2008 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group B Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 8th
2009 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group B Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th
2010 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group B Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)

Club Structure

ÅIFK runs 3 men's teams, 2 veteran's teams, 6 boys teams and 2 girls teams.

2010 season

For the current season Åbo IFK are competing in Section B of the Kakkonen. This is the third tier of the Finnish football system. In 2009 the team finished in ninth position in their Kakkonen section.

Åbo IFK 2 are participating in the Nelonen administered by the Turku SPL. This team has taken over a club called Goose Park Rangers FC that competed at this level in 2009.

Åbo IFK 3 are competing in the Vitonen administered by the Turku SPL. Last season Åbo IFK 2 were promoted to this level from the Kutonen.

Current Squad for the 2010 Season

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

No. Position Player
Jani Aaltonen
Khyam Aftab
Jami Arvonen
Kalle Ferati
Ville Harittu
Antti Hintsanen
Tomas Hradecky
Jeremias Kaari
Juho Lähde
Olli Lehtilä
Mikael Liespuu
Kalle Mäkinen
Santeri Mäkinen
Olli Kumpulainen
Henrik Moisander
No. Position Player
Mohamed Ndiaye
Markus Paija
Santeri Peltola
Roope Riski
Jesse Saarinen
Henri Salo
Mikko Sirén
Niko Suomi
Santeri Suvala
Jani Tuomaala
Jere Uronen
Ossi Virta
Jani Virtanen
Joel Wulff

Notable former players

References and sources

Footnotes

  1. ^ Jalkapallokirja 1991. Suomen Palloliitto. 1991. ISBN 0787-7188. 
  2. ^ "Finland - Divisional Movements 1930-2009". RSSSF Archives. 2010. http://www.rsssf.com/tablesf/finall.html. Retrieved 15 May 2010.