Turun Palloseura

FC TPS

Full name	Turun Palloseura
Nickname(s)	Tepsi
Founded	1922
Ground	Veritas Stadion
Ground Capacity	9,372
Chairman	Aimo Moisander
Manager	Mika Laurikainen
League	Ykkönen
2014	12th (relegated)
Home colours Away colours

Veritas Stadion

Turun Palloseura, TPS for short and nicknamed Tepsi is a Finnish football club based in Turku. The club was founded in 1922. TPS currently play in the Ykkönen, the second level of Finnish Football, after relegation from Veikkausliiga, the highest level of Finnish football after the 2014 season. They play their home games at the 730-spectator Turun Urheilupuiston yläkenttä (Turku Sports Park's Upper Field).

History

FC TPS Turku has won the Finnish Championship 8 times since 1922. The latest was in 1975, but even though it’s been a while, TPS has done well in recent years too, placing 3rd in 1996, 2007, 2009 and 2010. TPS won the Finnish Cup in 1991, 1994 and 2010 and played in the Finnish Cup final in 1996, 1997 and 2005. FC TPS Turku is also known for its excellent junior work. Several TPS players have made it to the international fields, for example Peter Enckelman who plays for St. Johnstone and Jonatan Johansson who quit his career after 2010 season. Other famous TPS players are defender Niklas Moisander (Ajax Amsterdam) and striker Jani Virtanen, formerly Udinese, currently JJK.

In the early stages of the UEFA Cup of the season 1987–1988, 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. 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 in Finnair Stadium

Before season 2007 TPS hired famous Finnish striker Mixu Paatelainen as their manager. In his guidande TPS won bronze and so ended their ten years 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 have to get a new manager, their third in as many seasons. This time they picked Finnish "motor-mouth" Pasi Rautiainen.

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.

Honours

• Finnish Championship: 8
  • In cup-format: 1 (1928), in league competition: 7 (1939, 1941, 1949, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975)
• Finnish Cup: 3
  • 1991, 1994, 2010
• Finnish League Cup: 1
  • 2012

Season to season

Current squad

As of 2 May 2015

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

No. Position Player 2 DF Aleksi Ojanperä 3 DF Juri Kinnunen 4 DF Rasmus Holma 5 DF Mikael Liespuu 6 MF Matej Hradecky 7 MF Sami Rähmönen 10 FW Jussi Aalto 11 FW Tim Tuomikoski 12 GK Oskari Forsman 14 DF Ville Rannikko 15 DF Miro Tenho 16 MF Santeri Peltola 17 MF Waltteri Peltola

No. Position Player 18 FW Mikko Hyyrynen 19 MF Oskari Jakonen 20 FW Riku Sjöroos 21 DF Niklas Friberg 22 MF Niklas Blomqvist 23 FW Hushyar Aftab 24 FW Ilari Mettälä 25 MF Santeri Mäkinen 26 DF Jonni Peräaho 27 FW Albion Ademi 28 DF Juho Montola 30 GK Arnold Uschanoff 35 GK Jere Aalto

Managers

In Europe

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Score	Agg.	Notes
1969–70	European Cup	1R		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 Bucureşti	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		KS Teuta Durrës	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

UEFA Club Ranking

This is the current UEFA Club Ranking, including season 2010–11.^[1]

Last update: July 9, 2010

Rank	Team	Points
276	FK Borac Banja Luka	2.149
277	FK Renova	2.141
278	Dundalk	2.116
	Sporting Fingal	2.116
	Shamrock Rovers	2.116
281	TPS Turku	2.093
	MYPA	2.093
283	FK Tauras Tauragė	1.991
	FK Siauliai	1.991
	FBK Kaunas	1.991
286	Dinamo Tirana	1.949

References

External links

• Official website
• TPS Supporters

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