2023 Veikkausliiga
Football league season
| Season | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 April – 5 November |
| Champions | HJK |
| Relegated | Honka KTP |
| Champions League | HJK |
| Conference League | Ilves (via Finnish Cup) KuPS VPS |
| Matches played | 132 |
| Goals scored | 329 (2.49 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Bojan Radulović (18 goals) |
| Biggest home win | HJK 4–0 VPS (19 April 2023) |
| Biggest away win | Oulu 0–3 SJK (29 April 2023) SJK 1–4 Oulu (27 June 2023) |
| Highest scoring | Lahti 3–4 KuPS (1 July 2023) |
| Longest winning run | 10 matches VPS |
| Longest unbeaten run | 11 matches SJK |
| Longest winless run | 11 matches Haka, Lahti |
| Longest losing run | 5 matches VPS |
← 2022 2024 → All statistics correct as of 9 October 2023. | |
The 2023 Veikkausliiga was the 93rd season of top-tier football in Finland, which takes place from April to November.
The winners (HJK, their fourth successive title win and thirty-third overall) qualified for the Champions League first qualifying round. The 2023 Finnish Cup winners (Ilves) qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round. The second-placed team (KuPS) and Conference League play-off winners (VPS) qualified for the Conference League first qualifying round. The eleventh-placed team (Mariehamn) qualified for the Veikkausliiga play-off, winning to retain their place in the league. The bottom-placed team (KTP) were relegated to the 2024 Ykkösliiga. The fifth-placed team (Honka) were demoted to the 2024 Kakkonen due to financial issues.
Teams
The league consisted of twelve teams; the top eleven teams from the previous season, and one team promoted from the Ykkönen. After 22 games, the season split into a championship/relegation round.
HJK were the defending champions. Veikkaus was the league’s sponsor.[1]
| Promoted from 2022 Ykkönen | Relegated to 2023 Ykkönen |
|---|---|
| KTP | HIFK |
Stadia and locations
| Club | Location | Stadium | Turf | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC Oulu | Oulu | Raatti Stadion | Natural | 5,000 |
| FC Haka | Valkeakoski | Tehtaan kenttä | Artificial | 3,516 |
| FC Honka | Espoo | Tapiolan Urheilupuisto | Natural | 6,000 |
| FC Inter | Turku | Veritas Stadion | Natural | 9,372 |
| FC Lahti | Lahti | Lahden Stadion | Natural | 7,465 |
| HJK | Helsinki | Bolt Arena | Artificial | 10,770 |
| IFK Mariehamn | Mariehamn | Wiklöf Holding Arena | Artificial | 1,650 |
| Ilves | Tampere | Tampere Stadium | Natural | 16,800 |
| KTP | Kotka | Arto Tolsa Areena | Artificial | 4,780 |
| KuPS | Kuopio | Savon Sanomat Areena | Artificial | 2,700 |
| SJK | Seinäjoki | OmaSP Stadion | Artificial | 5,817 |
| VPS | Vaasa | Hietalahti | Artificial | 6,005 |
Regular season
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HJK | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 44 | Qualification for the Championship Round |
| 2 | KuPS | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 43 | |
| 3 | SJK | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 38 | |
| 4 | VPS | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 36 | |
| 5 | Honka | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 23 | 17 | +6 | 35 | |
| 6 | Inter Turku | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 31 | +2 | 34 | |
| 7 | Oulu | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 32 | 37 | −5 | 31 | Qualification for the Relegation Round |
| 8 | Haka | 22 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 27 | 37 | −10 | 24 | |
| 9 | Lahti | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 32 | −11 | 22 | |
| 10 | Ilves | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 27 | −7 | 20 | |
| 11 | KTP | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 20 | |
| 12 | Mariehamn | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 34 | −13 | 15 |
Source: Flashscore
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
Results
| Home \ Away | HAK | HJK | HON | ILV | INT | KTP | KPS | LAH | MAR | OUL | SJK | VPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haka | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| HJK | 2–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 4–0 |
| Honka | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Ilves | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Inter Turku | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 |
| KTP | 1–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–4 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| KuPS | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | — | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 |
| Lahti | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–4 | — | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Mariehamn | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | — | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Oulu | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | — | 0–3 | 2–1 |
| SJK | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | — | 2–1 |
| VPS | 4–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | — |
Source: Flashscore
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Championship Round
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HJK (C) | 27 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 50 | 26 | +24 | 53 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | KuPS | 27 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 41 | 20 | +21 | 53 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | VPS (O) | 27 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 41 | 26 | +15 | 49 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off final |
| 4 | SJK | 27 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 35 | 33 | +2 | 42 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off quarter-finals |
| 5 | Honka (R) | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 29 | 27 | +2 | 41 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off quarter-finals and relegation to 2024 Kakkonen[a] |
| 6 | Inter Turku | 27 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 35 | 40 | −5 | 35 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off quarter-finals |
Source: Flashscore
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Honka were relegated to 2024 Kakkonen after the end of the season due to financial issues.
Results
Relegation Round
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oulu | 27 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 38 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off quarter-finals |
| 2 | Ilves | 27 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 35 | 33 | +2 | 33 | Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round[a] |
| 3 | Haka | 27 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 35 | 42 | −7 | 32 | |
| 4 | Lahti | 27 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 41 | −15 | 29 | |
| 5 | Mariehamn (O) | 27 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 40 | −12 | 22 | Qualification for the Veikkausliiga play-off final |
| 6 | KTP (R) | 27 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 21 | 44 | −23 | 20 | Relegation to the Ykkösliiga |
Source: Flashscore
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Play-off is only played if need to decide champion, teams for relegation or UEFA competition and will be played on a neutral ground).
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Ilves qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round by winning the 2023 Finnish Cup.
Results
Play-offs
Conference League play-off
Teams placed 3rd-7th (Honka, Inter Turku, Oulu, SJK, and VPS) entered play-off matches for the second spot in the Conference League first qualifying round. The third-placed team (VPS) received a bye to the final. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are held over one leg (with the higher-placed team gaining home advantage), while the final is held over two legs.[2]
Quarter-finals
Honka (5th) v Inter Turku (6th)
| 25 October 2023 | Honka (5th) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | Inter Turku (6th) | Tapiolan urheilupuisto, Espoo |
| 16:00 BST |
SJK (4th) v Oulu (7th)
| 25 October 2023 | SJK (4th) | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) | Oulu (7th) | OmaSP Stadion, Seinäjoki |
| 16:00 BST |
Semi-finals
Honka (5th) v Oulu (7th)
| 28 October 2023 | Honka (5th) | 5–0 | Oulu (7th) | Tapiolan urheilupuisto, Espoo |
| 15:00 BST |
Final
First leg
Honka (5th) v VPS (3rd)
| 1 November 2023 | Honka (5th) | 0–1 | VPS (3rd) | Tapiolan urheilupuisto, Espoo |
| 16:00 BST |
Second leg
VPS (3rd) v Honka (5th)
| 5 November 2023 | VPS (3rd) | 1–0 (2–0 agg.) | Honka (5th) | Hietalahti Stadium, Vaasa |
| 14:00 BST |
Veikkausliiga play-off
The eleventh-placed team (Mariehamn) qualified for a play-off alongside the second, third, and fourth-placed teams from the 2023 Ykkönen (Gnistan, MP, and SJK Akatemia). The third and fourth-placed Ykkönen teams entered the quarter-finals, with the winners facing the second-placed Ykkönen team in the semi-finals. The semi-final winners then face the eleventh-placed Veikkausliiga team, with the winners securing the final place in the 2024 Veikkausliiga. For the quarter and semi-finals, the higher-placed team gained home advantage.
Quarter-finals
MP (3rd, Ykkönen) v SJK Akatemia (4th, Ykkönen)
| 14 October 2023 | MP (3rd, Ykkönen) | 1–4 | SJK Akatemia (4th, Ykkönen) | Mikkelin Urheilupuisto, Mikkeli |
| 13:00 BST |
Semi-finals
Gnistan (2nd, Ykkönen) v SJK Akatemia (4th, Ykkönen)
| 21 October 2023 | Gnistan (2nd, Ykkönen) | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | SJK Akatemia (4th, Ykkönen) | Mustapekka Areena, Helsinki |
| 16:00 BST |
Final
First leg
Gnistan (2nd, Ykkönen) v Mariehamn (11th, Veikkausliiga)
| 25 October 2023 | Gnistan (2nd, Ykkönen) | 0–0 | Mariehamn (11th, Veikkausliiga) | Mustapekka Areena, Helsinki |
| 16:30 BST |
Second leg
Mariehamn (11th, Veikkausliiga) v Gnistan (2nd, Ykkönen)
| 29 October 2023 | Mariehamn (11th, Veikkausliiga) | 3–0 (3–0 agg.) | Gnistan (2nd, Ykkönen) | Wiklöf Holding Arena, Mariehamn |
| 13:00 BST |
Top scorers
- As of 1 November 2023[3]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bojan Radulović | HJK | 18 |
| 2 |  Peter Godly Michael | VPS | 17 |
| 3 |  Ashley Coffey | Oulu | 13 |
| 4 |  Jaime Moreno | SJK | 11 |
| 5 |  Juan Lescano | Haka | 9 |
| 6 |  Darren Smith | Inter Turku | 8 |
 Santeri Haarala | Ilves | ||
| Rasmus Karjalainen | Oulu | ||
| 9 | Jeremiah Streng | SJK | 7 |
| Elias Mastokangas | Haka | ||
| Tuomas Ollila | HJK | ||
| Niklas Jokelainen | Oulu |
References
- ^ "Veikkausliiga: HIFK is relegated after their loss against VPS, and KTP returns to the league". Panoroma Football. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "HJK is the champion in 2023 - KTP's path leads to the First League". Veikkausliiga.
- ^ "Veikkausliiga perustilastot". Veikkausliiga.
External links
- Official website
- Veikkausliiga 2023 Regular Season at Soccerway
- Flashscore
