Kakkonen

Kakkonen - Finnish Division 2
Founded	1973
Country	Finland
Divisions	3
Number of teams	30
Level on pyramid	3 (1973–2023); 4 (2024–)
Promotion to	Ykkönen
Relegation to	Kolmonen
Domestic cup(s)	Finnish Cup
Current champions	Järvenpään Palloseura, Pargas IF, SJK Akatemia ; (2021)
Website	palloliitto.fi/kakkonen
	Current: 2024 Kakkonen

Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, Kakkonen was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-tier Ykkösliiga, Kakkonen also dropped down one level in the league pyramid. The new fourth-tier Kakkonen is divided to three groups, each consisting of 10 teams.

The II divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mid-1990s became known as the Kakkonen (Finnish for 'Number Two'; Swedish: Tvåan). Sakari Tukiainen finished the season 2014 as the top goal scorer and setting a new league record with 40 goals for the Kakkonen.^[1] Petter Meyer finished the 2015 as the top goal scorer for GrIFK with 23 goals.^[2]

League structure[edit]

For the 2012 season the format of the Kakkonen has been changed with the league divided in 4 groups of 10 teams, each representing a geographical area. Every club plays each of the others in the same group three times. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. The group winners may win promotion to Ykkönen while two bottom clubs of each group and weakest 8th ranked club will be relegated to Kolmonen.

For the 2016 season the format of the Kakkonen has been changed with the league divided into 3 groups of 12 teams. Each club plays the others in its group twice. The group winners and the best second place team have a chance of winning one of two promotion places to Ykkönen after a four team playoff. The bottom three teams in each group 10, 11 and 12 will be relegated to Kolmonen.^[3]

Administration[edit]

The Football Association of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Palloliitto, SPL; Swedish: Finlands Bollförbund, FBF) administers the Kakkonen.

Sections and teams 2022[edit]

Kakkonen Group A[edit]

No.	Abbreviated Name	Town or Settlement	Official Club and Team Name	Movements from 2021
1.	Atlantis	Helsinki	Atlantis FC
2.	FC Futura	Porvoo	FC Futura	Promoted from Kolmonen
3.	Kiffen	Helsinki	Kronohagens Idrottsförening
4.	FC LaPa	Lappeenranta	FC LaPa
5.	JIPPO	Joensuu	JIPPO Joensuu	Relegated from 2021 Ykkönen
6.	KuPS Akatemia	Kuopio	Kuopion Palloseura Akatemia	Inherited place of KuFu-98
7.	KäPa	Käpylä, Helsinki	Käpylän Pallo
8.	NJS	Nurmijärvi	Nurmijärven Jalkapalloseura
9.	PKKU	Järvenpää, Kerava and Tuusula	Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa
10.	PPJ	Helsinki	Pallo-Pojat Juniorit	Promoted from Kolmonen
11.	PeKa	Karhula, Kotka	Peli-Karhut
12.	Reipas	Lahti	Lahden Reipas

Kakkonen Group B[edit]

No.	Abbreviated Name	Town or Settlement	Official Club and Team Name	Movements from 2021
1.	EPS	Espoonlahti, Espoo	Espoon Palloseura
2.	FC Honka/Akatemia	Espoo	Esport Honka Akatemia
3.	FC Jazz	Pori	FC Jazz
4.	GrIFK	Kauniainen	Grankulla Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna
5.	Klubi 04	Helsinki	HJK Klubi 04	Relegated from 2021 Ykkönen
6.	HJS	Hämeenlinna	Hämeenlinnan Jalkapalloseura
7.	Ilves-Kissat	Tampere	Tampereen-Viipurin Ilves-Kissat
8.	Ilves/2	Tampere	Tampereen Ilves/2
9.	KaaPo	Kaarina	Kaarinan Pojat
10.	MuSa	Musa, Pori	Musan Salama	Relegated from 2021 Ykkönen
11.	SalPa	Salo	Salon Palloilijat
12.	TamU	Tampere	Tampere United
13.	VJS	Vantaa	Vantaan Jalkapalloseura

Kakkonen Group C[edit]

No.	Abbreviated Name	Town or Settlement	Official Club and Team Name	Movements from 2021
1.	FC Vaajakoski	Vaajakoski, Jyväskylä	Football Club Vaajakoski
2.	GBK	Kokkola	Gamlakarleby Bollklubb
3.	Hercules	Oulu	Jalkapalloseura Hercules
4.	JBK	Jakobstad	Jakobstads Bollklubb
5.	JJK	Jyväskylä	Jyväskylän Jalkapalloklubi
6.	KajHa	Kajaani	Kajaanin Haka	Promoted from Kolmonen
7.	Komeetat	Jyväskylä	Jyväskylän Komeetat	Promoted from Kolmonen
8.	Närpes Kraft	Närpes	Närpes Kraft Fotbollsförening
9.	OLS	Oulu	Oulun Luistinseura
10.	OTP	Oulu	Oulun Työväen Palloilijat
11.	RoPS	Rovaniemi	Rovaniemen Palloseura	Gave up its place in Ykkönen
12.	VIFK	Vaasa	Vasa Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna

All details taken from Finnish FA website.^[4]

Seasons – League Tables[edit]

1970s:				1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
1980s:	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
1990s:	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
2000s:	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
2010s:	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
2020s:	2020	2021	2022

Group Winners[edit]

1970–1972 II divisioona, Tier 2

Year	East Group	West Group	North Group
1970	MiPK	TPV	VPS
1971	Ponnistus	TaPa	KPT
1972	Ponnistus	I-Kissat	OTP

1973–1993 II divisioona, Tier 3

Year	East Group	West Group	North Group
1973	HPS	TuTo	KaPa
1974	LaPS	Pyrkivä	Sport
1975	KIF	MuSa	KPS
1976	FinnPa	IFK Mariehamn	Into
1977	KTP	GrIFK	OLS
1978	Honka	LappBK	RoPS
1979	LaPa	RPallo	Jaro
1980	Elo	FinnPa	JyP-77
1981	Ponnistus	GrIFK	KePS
1982	HPS	PPT	Huima
1983	Karpalo	P-Iirot	KaPa
1984	LauTP	HPK	KajHa
1985	TPV	KontU	PK-37
1986	GrIFK	VaKP	KaPa
1987	VanPa	TuTo	Jaro
1988	KumuP	TuPa	PK-37
1989	JoKu	GrIFK	TP-55
1990	FinnPa	P-Iirot	OLS
1991	VanPa	TPV	VPS
1992	Ponnistus	P-Iirot	KajHa
1993	KTP	PIF	FC 1991

1994-2023 Kakkonen, Tier 3

Year	South Group	East Group	West Group	North Group
1994	K-Team	Rakuunat	PP-70	GBK
1995	HIK	TiPS	TP-Seinäjoki	OPS
1996	PK-35	VarTP	Kraft	KPT-85
1997	Atlantis	Kultsu	KPV-j	KajHa
1998	TiPS	RiPS	MuSa	KuPS
1999	FC Hämeenlinna	Rakuunat	ÅIFK	Tervarit
2000	Gnistan	FC Kuusankoski	SalPa	TP-47
2001	Viikingit	KooTeePee	VG-62	KoMu
2002	FC Espoo	WJK	TPV	OLS
2003	PK-35	Kings	P-Iirot	PS Kemi
2004	Atlantis	JJK	FJK	KPV
2005	Klubi 04	JIPPO	SalPa	VIFK

Year	A-Group	B-Group	C-Group
2006	JJK	TPV	GBK
2007	KäPa	GrIFK	PS Kemi
2008	Klubi 04	PoPa	Kiisto
2009	MP	FC Espoo	OPS-jp
2010	HIFK	Ilves	Santa Claus
2011	Klubi 04	BK-46	SJK

Year	South Group	East Group	West Group	North Group
2012	ÅIFK	JäPS	Ilves	AC Kajaani
2013	EIF	HIFK	FC Jazz	PS Kemi
2014	EIF	Atlantis	VIFK	PS Kemi
2015	FC Honka	Klubi 04	GrIFK	KPV

Year	A-Group	B-Group	C-Group
2016	Gnistan	FC Honka	Oulun Palloseura
2017	KTP	FC Viikingit	AC Kajaani
2018	MYPA	MuSa	TPV
2019	Mikkelin Palloilijat	IF Gnistan	SJK Akatemia
2020	PK-35	Klubi 04	JIPPO
2021	JäPS	Pargas IF	SJK Akatemia
2022	KäPa	SalPa	JJK
2023	JIPPO	EPS	OLS

2024- Kakkonen, Tier 4

Year	A-Group	B-Group	C-Group
2024

Footnotes[edit]

^ "Kakkosen ihmemies iski taas hattutempun - maaliennätys uudelle kymmenluvulle". iltasanomat.fi. 4 October 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
^ "Summary - Kakkonen - Finland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
^ http://www.palloliitto.fi/palloliitto/sarajat-ja-tulokset/miehet/kakkonen-2016/^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Tulospalvelu". Palloliitto. Retrieved 28 March 2022.

External links[edit]

[1] "Kakkosen ihmemies iski taas hattutempun - maaliennätys uudelle kymmenluvulle". iltasanomat.fi. 4 October 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2018.

[2] "Summary - Kakkonen - Finland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.

[3] ttp://www.palloliitto.fi/palloliitto/sarajat-ja-tulokset/miehet/kakkonen-2016/^{[permanent dead link]}

[4] "Tulospalvelu". Palloliitto. Retrieved 28 March 2022.

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v t e Third level football seasons in Finland
Maakuntasarja	1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
III divisioona	1970 1971 1972
Kakkonen (II divisioona)	1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Football in Finland