Kuopion Palloseura

Kuopion Palloseura, commonly referred to as KuPS, is a Finnish football club based in Kuopio. KuPS competes in Veikkausliiga, the top flight of Finnish football. The team plays its home matches at Kuopio Football Stadium.

KuPS has won the Finnish championship six times, the Finnish Cup four times and the Finnish League Cup once. The club is placed fourth in the all-time Finnish Premier League honor table.

History
The club was officially founded on March 16, 1923, at Kuopion Seurahuone. The club was named to Kuopio Palloseura and the abbreviation KPS.

The 1920s the club spent mostly by playing friendly games against other local clubs. In the 1930s and early 1940s, the club played second in the highest tier of Finnish football. KuPS was first promoted to Mestaruussarja in 1947 only for a single season. The club was promoted again in 1949 and this time remained in the top tier for 44 seasons.

The first years, KuPS played in black and green shirts with vertical stripes, white pants and black socks. In 1935, the colors were changed to yellow shirt, black pants and yellow and black socks. At the same time, the club's abbreviation changed to KuPS.

The golden decades of KuPS take place between the 1950s and 1970s, when the club won five championships, eight silver and one bronze medal. The club also won its first Finnish Cup championship in 1968.

KuPS played in the top flight without significant success in the 1980s. However, the 1980s ended with the club's second Finnish Cup victory in 1989.

In the 1990s, KuPS was in financial problems and even dropped to the third highest league level. In the early 2000s, KuPS spent seasons in both in the First Division and in Veikkausliiga, where it has played ever since 2008.

In the 2010s, KuPS re-established its position in the top-flight. In the 2019 season the club won its fifth top-flight title. In 2021 and 2022 the club won its third and fourth Cup titles. In 2023 the club achieved its seventh consecutive medal in the top tier.

UEFA club competition record
As of 18 July 2023.

Current squad
As of 11 July 2024.

Management
As of 1 May 2023

Boardroom
As of 28 September 2019

Honours

 * Mestaruussarja/Veikkausliiga
 * Champions (6): 1956, 1958, 1966, 1974, 1976, 2019
 * Runners-up (13): 1950, 1954, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2010, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023
 * Third place (3): 1953, 2018, 2020
 * Finnish Cup
 * Champions: 1968, 1989, 2021, 2022
 * Runners-up: 2011, 2012, 2013
 * Finnish League Cup
 * Champions: 2006
 * Runners-up: 2024
 * Ykkönen (second tier)
 * Champions: 2000, 2004, 2007
 * Kakkonen (third tier)
 * Champions: 1998

Managers

 * 🇫🇮 Aaro Heikkinen (1945–57)
 * 🇭🇺 Imre Nagy (1947)
 * 🇫🇮 Martti Kosma (1958)
 * 🇫🇮 Reino Miettinen (1959)
 * 🇫🇮 Veijo Pehkonen (1960)
 * 🇫🇮 Asser Väisänen (1960)
 * 🇫🇮 Aaro Heikkinen (1961–65)
 * 🇫🇮 Gunnar Boman (1966–68)
 * 🇫🇮 Veikko Jokinen (1969–71)
 * 🇫🇮 Unto Nevalainen (1969–71)
 * 🇫🇮 Martti Räsänen (1972–79)
 * 🇫🇮 Matti Terästö (initial term) (1980)
 * 🇫🇮 Jarmo Flink (final season) (1980)
 * 🇫🇮 Ari Savolainen (1981)
 * 🇫🇮 Matti Väänänen (1982)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Hajdas (1983–85)
 * 🇫🇮 Jouko Pasanen (1986)
 * 🇫🇮 Jouko Pasanen (1987)
 * 🇫🇮 Aarre Miettinen (July 1987)
 * 🇫🇮 Heikki Turunen (1988)
 * 🇫🇮 Aarre Miettinen (1988)
 * 🇫🇮 Heikki Turunen (1989)
 * 🇫🇮 Markku Hyvärinen (May 1989)
 * 🇫🇮 Olavi Rissanen (May 1989)
 * 🇫🇮 Martti Räsänen (1990–91)
 * 🇫🇮 Olavi Rissanen (1990–91)
 * 🇫🇮 Martti Räsänen (1992)
 * 🇫🇮 Jouni Jäntti (Sept 1992)
 * 🇫🇮 Markku Hyvärinen (Sept 1992)
 * 🇫🇮 Keijo Voutilainen (Jan 1, 1993 – Dec 31, 1994)
 * 🇫🇮 Hannu Turunen (1995–96)
 * 🇫🇮 Atik Ismail (1995–96)
 * 🇫🇮 Jouni Jäntti (1997–98)
 * 🇫🇮 Ensio Pellikka (1998)
 * 🇫🇮 Heikki Turunen (1999)
 * 🇫🇮 Esa Pekonen (Jan 1, 2000 – Dec 31, 2001)
 * 🇫🇮 Jari Pyykölä (Jan 1, 2002 – June 6, 2003)
 * 🇫🇮 Ismo Lius (June 2003)
 * 🇫🇮 Juha Malinen (Jan 1, 2005 – Dec 31, 2006)
 * 🇫🇮 Kai Nyyssönen (Jan 1, 2007 – June 13, 2009)
 * 🇫🇮 Esa Pekonen (June 14, 2009 – April 24, 2014)
 * 🇫🇮 Marko Rajamäki (May 2, 2014 – 2016)
 * 🇫🇮 Jani Honkavaara (2017–2019)
 * 🇳🇴 Arne Erlandsen (2020)
 * 🇫🇮 Simo Valakari (2021–2023)
 * 🇫🇮 Pasi Tuutti (Jan 19, 2023 – April 20, 2023)
 * 🇫🇮 Jani Honkavaara (April 21, 2023–)