FC Haka
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| Full name | Valkeakosken Haka | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Haka | ||
| Founded | 1934 | ||
| Ground |
Tehtaan kenttä, Valkeakoski | ||
| Capacity | 3,516 seats | ||
| Chairman | Marko Laaksonen | ||
| Manager | Keith Armstrong | ||
| League | Ykkönen | ||
| 2014 | Ykkönen, 5th | ||
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FC Haka is a Finnish football club based in the industry town of Valkeakoski, and currently competing in Finland's second division, Ykkönen. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cup wins.
History
Haka has historically had close ties with the paper industry in the Valkeakoski area, and it is still sponsored by UPM Kymmene.
The club was founded as Valkeakosken Haka in 1934. In 1949 it was promoted to Finland's top division Mestaruussarja (now called Veikkausliiga), and in 1955 won the inaugural Finnish Cup.
The 1960s was the most successful era in the club's history, winning both the league and cup three times, including the first double in Finnish football history in 1960. The club was relegated in 1972, but came straight back, and won the double again in 1977.
The club's name was changed to FC Haka in the early 1990s. Haka won the title again 1995, but was relegated the next season. Keith Armstrong was hired as the new coach, and the club came straight back again, winning three straight championships from 1998 to 2000. Goalkeeping legend Olli Huttunen succeeded Armstrong as coach in 2002, and has already led the club to the championship (2004) and two cups (2002 and 2005).
Haka's best performance in UEFA competition was in the 1983–1984 season when they reached the quarterfinals of the Cup Winners' Cup, losing to eventual winners Juventus 0–2 on aggregate. The club has been involved in European competitions every year since 1998, the streak ending in 2008–2009 season.
In the recent years the club's financial situation has deteriorated on two different occasions (like many other small market teams in Veikkausliiga). The first one was the 2008–09 season when a group of investors led by local businessman and restaurateur Sedu Koskinen (owner and founder of a nationwide night-club chain) formed FC Haka Oy to help an essentially bankrupt team to finish the season. In 2010 Sedu Koskinen left, after having put around 1 million euros of his own money into the club.
Since then the club's operations have been reformed to make it financial sound or at least not running on deficit. The team, having been one of the most successful and high stature in Finland, had been on run of deficit for several years during the 2000s. At the same time the overall economic situation in the world and also the sponsorship payments from UPM Kymmene diminished. This forced the club to rationalize its operations and adopt a new role as one of the smaller clubs in Finnish top flight football. The current situation at the start of 2012 Finnish football season is described by the current chairman and board members as difficult but stable.
These times of financial struggles have seen the club move from a perennial championship challenger to a team usually poised for relegation. Both 2011 and 2012 the pre-season media predictions have placed the club in the bottom three. Haka finished last in the standings in 2012 and were relegated to the Finnish First Division.
Honours
- Finnish championship (9): 1960, 1962, 1965, 1977, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
- Finnish Cup (12): 1955, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1969, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1997, 2002, 2005
- Finnish League Cup (1): 1995
European campaigns
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Score | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961–62 | European Cup | First round | .svg.png){kind=small} |
Standard Liège | 1–5, v 0–2 | 1–7 |
| 1963–64 | European Cup | Preliminary round |  |
Jeunesse d'Esch | 4–1, v 0–4 | 4–5 |
| 1964–65 | European Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  |
Skeid Fotball | 0–1, v 2–0 | 2–1 |
| Second round |  |
AC Torino | 0–1, v 0–5 | 0–6 | ||
| 1966–67 | European Cup | First round | |
RSC Anderlecht | 1–10, v 0–2 | 1–12 |
| 1970–71 | European Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  |
CSKA Sofia | 0–9, v 1–2 | 1–11 |
| 1977–78 | UEFA Cup | First round |  |
Górnik Zabrze | 3–5, v 0–0 | 3–5 |
| 1978–79 | European Cup | First round |  |
Dynamo Kiev | 0–1, v 1–3 | 1–4 |
| 1981–82 | UEFA Cup | First round |  |
IFK Göteborg | 2–3, v 0–4 | 2–7 |
| 1983–84 | European Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  |
Sligo Rovers | 1–0, v 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Second round | |
Hammarby IF | 1–1, v 2–1(aet) | 3–2 | ||
| Quarter-finals | |
Juventus | 0–1, v 0–1 | 0–2 | ||
| 1986–87 | European Cup Winners' Cup | First round | |
FC Torpedo Moscow | 2–2, v 1–3 | 3–5 |
| 1989–90 | European Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  |
Ferencvárosi TC | 1–5, v 1–1 | 2–6 |
| 1996–97 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round |  |
FC Flora Tallinn | 2–2, v 1–0 | 3–2 |
| Second qualifying round | |
Legia Warszawa | 0–3, v 1–1 | 1–4 | ||
| 1998–99 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | Qualifying round |  |
Bangor City | 2–0, v 1–0 | 3–0 |
| First round |  |
Panionios FC | 0–2, v 1–3 | 1–5 | ||
| 1999–2000 | UEFA Champions League | First qualifying round |  |
HB Tórshavn | 1–1, v 6–0 | 7–1 |
| Second qualifying round |  |
Rangers | 1–4, v 0–3 | 1–7 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Champions League | First qualifying round |  |
Linfield | 1–2, v 1–0 | 2–2 (a) |
| Second qualifying round |  |
Inter Bratislava | 0–0, v 0–1(aet) | 0–1 | ||
| 2001–02 | UEFA Champions League | First qualifying round |  |
Valletta FC | 0–0, v 5–0 | 5–0 |
| Second qualifying round |  |
Maccabi Haifa | 0–1, v 3–0[1] | 3–1 | ||
| Third qualifying round |  |
Liverpool | 0–5, v 1–4 | 1–9 | ||
| 2001–02 | UEFA Cup | First round |  |
1. FC Union Berlin | 1–1, v 0–3 | 1–4 |
| 2002 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | First round |  |
FK Obilić | 2–1, v 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Second round | |
Fulham | 0–0, v 1–1 | 1–1 (a) | ||
| 2003–04 | UEFA Cup | Qualifying round |  |
Hajduk Split | 2–1, v 0–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2004–05 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round | |
Etzella Ettelbruck | 2–1, v 3–1 | 5–2 |
| Second qualifying round | |
Stabæk IF | 1–3, v 1–3 | 2–6 | ||
| 2005–06 | UEFA Champions League | First qualifying round |  |
Pyunik F.C. | 1–0, v 2–2 | 3–2 |
| Second qualifying round | |
Vålerenga IF | 0–1, v 1–4 | 1–5 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round | |
Levadia Tallinn | 0–2, v 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round | |
Rhyl | 1–3, v 2–0 | 3–3 (a) |
| Second qualifying round |  |
FC Midtjylland | 1–2, v 2–5 | 3–7 | ||
| 2008–09 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round | |
Cork City | 2–2, v 4–0 | 6–2 |
| Second qualifying round | |
Brøndby IF | 0–4, v 0–2 | 0–6 |
Divisional movements
- Top Level (60 seasons): 1945, 1950–72, 1974–96, 1998–present day
- Second Level (11 seasons): 1938-43/44, 1945/46-49, 1973, 1997[2]
Season to season
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Current squad
- As of 10 May 2017 [3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Staff
- Head Coach:
Keke Armstrong - Assistant Coach: Lauri Hakanen
- GK coach: Michał Sławuta
Managers
- Jukka Vakkila (1982–84, 1986–87, 1993–96)
- Keith Armstrong (Jan 1998 – Dec 01)
- Olli Huttunen (Jan 2002 – Sept 09)
- Sami Ristilä (Sept 2009 – Aug 12)
- Asko Jussila (Aug 2012 – Sept 12)
- Harri Kampman (Nov 2012 – Jun 13)
- Asko Jussila (Jun 2013 – Jul 13)
- Juho Rantala (Jul 2013–)
References
- ↑ The original result of the second leg was a 2–1 victory to Maccabi Haifa, but Haka were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory after it was determined that Haifa had fielded two ineligible players.
- ↑ "Finland – Divisional Movements 1930–2009". RSSSF Archives. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ↑ "Hakan edustusjoukkue". fchaka.fi/ (in Finnish). FC Haka. Retrieved 10 May 2017.